Accessibility: mandatory since June 2025, now enforcement begins

01Who the law covers

The BFSG implements the European Accessibility Act into German law. It targets products and services for consumers, on the web above all e-commerce. Pure B2B is exempt, as are micro businesses for services.

In practice the line is often blurry. My recommendation: when in doubt, implement. Accessible sites are also better for SEO and conversion, the effort pays off twice.

02The self-test in 10 points

• Contrast: text stands out clearly from the background, ratio at least 4.5 to 1.
• Keyboard: everything is reachable and usable without a mouse.
• Focus: you can always see which element is currently active.
• Alt texts: images with function or content have a text alternative.
• Forms: every field has a label, errors are explained in text.
• Zoom: at 200 percent everything stays readable and usable.
• Structure: headings are real headings, not just bold text.
• Videos: subtitles are available.
• Motion: animations can be reduced or paused.
• Statement: an accessibility statement is linked.

03What happens on violations

Market surveillance can demand fixes and, in the worst case, prohibit the service, plus fines. More relevant in practice are warning letters from competitors and associations, and the first waves are rolling now that the transition period is over.

Accessibility is not a project that is ever finished. Every new feature, banner and form needs to be considered.