Accessibility

Since June 2025, the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has been in effect. This law aims to strengthen the accessibility of websites for people with disabilities. This article provides an overview of the BFSG and practical tips for implementation.

Basic Information

A good overview of the law can be found on the IHK website.

Laws, Regulations and Guidelines

• BFSG - Accessibility Strengthening Act.
• BFSGV - Regulation on the Accessibility Strengthening Act contains information on the concrete implementation of the BFSG.
• WCAG 2.1 - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. International guidelines for website accessibility.
• EN 301 549 - Harmonized European Standard (EN) 301 549. EN 301 549 is the most important collection of relevant accessibility requirements for information technology (web, software, hardware, mobile applications and documents) of public bodies.

Who is Exempt from the Law?

Micro-enterprises are exempt. These are companies that employ fewer than ten people and either achieve an annual turnover of at most two million euros or whose annual balance sheet total amounts to at most two million euros. This means: If this applies to your company, you do not need to comply with the law.

Practical Implementation

1. Technical Requirements   To implement the points from the BFSG, the recommendations of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) can serve as a basis.   WCAG 2.1
2. Legal and Organizational Requirements   In addition to the technical requirements (WCAG 2.1 AA / EN 301 549), the BFSG contains legal and organizational obligations that must be fulfilled when creating and providing a website. The legal and organizational requirements are:

• Accessible Communication (§ 4 BFSG)
  Users must be able to contact the website and provider in an accessible way.
  Example: accessible contact form, telephone with relay services, email in easily accessible format.
• Feedback Mechanism (§ 12 BFSGV)
  The website must provide a way to report barriers.
  Common: "Report barrier" link or form for accessibility feedback.
• Accessibility Statement (§ 11 BFSGV)
  Mandatory publication of an accessible statement, e.g., "Accessibility Statement" with status, test date, contact and enforcement procedure.
  Must be easily findable (footer).
• Documentation and Proof Obligations (§ 7 BFSG)
  Companies must be able to prove that they meet the requirements (e.g., test reports, tests).
• Accessible Product and Service Information (§ 5 BFSG)
  All information about the digital product or service (e.g., descriptions, terms of use) must also be accessible.
• Enforcement Procedure (§ 13 BFSGV)
  If feedback on barriers is not addressed, a complaint procedure at the mediation office must be possible.
  The reference to this must be in the accessibility statement.

Testing Website Accessibility

There are various tools available to test the accessibility of websites. W3C WAI Test and Evaluation Tools List

Consultation

The technical implementation of the BFSG poses a challenge for many website operators. If you need support in setting up your website to be accessible, I am happy to help. I offer comprehensive consultation and professional implementation services for BFSG compliance.