Since 28 June 2025, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) applies in Germany. It implements the European Accessibility Act and requires certain products and services to be accessible.
Who may be affected
For websites it is mainly about offers where consumers conclude a contract online, such as online shops or bookings with payment. There is an exemption for micro-enterprises providing services. Whether and how your offer is affected should be checked case by case.
What every website should do
- Sufficient contrast between text and background.
- Descriptive alternative text for images that carry content.
- Usable with the keyboard, with a visible focus.
- A clear heading structure and meaningful link text.
- Forms with labels and understandable error messages.
- Text that can be enlarged without anything being cut off.
What the requirements are based on
For the technical side, the BFSG refers to European standards that are based on the widely used Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the WCAG. These guidelines describe four principles: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
- Perceivable: images have text alternatives, videos have captions, and colour is never the only information.
- Operable: everything works with the keyboard, nothing flashes or moves uncontrollably.
- Understandable: language, navigation and error messages are clear and predictable.
- Robust: the code is clean enough for browsers and assistive technology such as screen readers to read it reliably.
Who benefits
Accessibility does not only concern people with disabilities. Anyone who has forgotten their glasses, scrolls one-handed on a phone, reads in the sun or speaks the language as a second language benefits just as much. Search engines and AI assistants also read pages much like assistive technology: a clear structure with clean headings and descriptive text helps them understand content correctly.
More than an obligation
An accessible website is more pleasant for everyone: for older people, for visitors on a small screen in the sun and for anyone in a hurry. The easiest way is to plan for accessibility from the start rather than retrofit it later.
The key points at a glance
- Sufficient contrast between text and background.
- Descriptive alternative text for meaningful images.
- Usable without a mouse, with the keyboard only, with a visible focus.
- A clean heading structure so screen readers can navigate the page.
- Labelled form fields and understandable error messages.
- Text that can be enlarged without breaking the page.
- Captions or a text version for videos with important content.
Typical problems on existing websites
- Light grey text on a white background that is hard to read.
- Buttons and links that appear only as an icon without a label.
- Menus that can only be opened with a mouse.
- Form fields with only placeholder text instead of a permanent label.
- Cookie notices or pop-ups that cannot be closed with the keyboard.
- Text as an image, for example in graphics or scanned documents.
- Videos that start automatically with sound.
Accessibility from the start
Accessibility takes the least effort when it is planned from the start: in the colours and font sizes of the design, in the structure of the content and in the technical build. Many points can be fixed later, but some require rebuilding. If a relaunch is due anyway, that is the best time.
Every website I build includes the basics: sufficient contrast, keyboard operation, meaningful headings and labelled forms. More on the page Website design.
Getting a first impression yourself
- Use your website with the Tab key only: can you reach all links and buttons, and can you see where you are?
- Zoom the page to 200 percent in your browser: does everything stay readable and usable?
- Run an automatic check, for example Lighthouse in Chrome. It doesn’t find everything, but many typical errors.
Automatic checks don’t replace testing with real people. But they quickly show where the biggest gaps are.
Improving step by step
Nobody has to solve everything at once. A sensible route: first the automated check, then the keyboard test, then targeted improvements to the most important pages and forms. Contact, booking and ordering come first, because that is where customers want to get something done.
Accessibility information
For services covered by the BFSG, the law also requires information on how the requirements are met. Many businesses publish this on a separate page. What exactly it must contain is best clarified with an expert.
Does the BFSG apply to my website?
That depends on what you offer. Websites through which consumers conclude contracts online are the most likely to be affected. Purely informational sites without such features are, according to common assessments, usually not covered. Please clarify your case with an expert.
Is a one-click accessibility tool enough?
Usually not. Such overlays don't fix the causes. Missing labels, weak contrast and menus that cannot be used with a keyboard have to be fixed in the design and the code.
Will accessibility make my website boring?
No. Good contrast, a clear structure and readable type are the foundations of good design. Motion and special effects remain possible as long as they don't get in the way and tone down when visitors have set reduced motion.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Please check with a professional whether the BFSG applies to your business.
