Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG): What Companies Need to Know Now
The Accessibility Strengthening Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, BFSG) has been in force in Germany since 28 June 2025, requiring companies to make their digital products and services accessible. Whether website, online shop, or app: businesses that fail to meet the legal requirements risk fines, warning letters, and the loss of customers.
SiteCockpit supports you with implementation: automated audits, an accessibility widget, and a legally compliant accessibility statement.
The Key Facts at a Glance
The Accessibility Strengthening Act at a Glance
The BFSG has been in force since 28 June 2025 and requires companies in Germany to make their digital offerings accessible. These four key points summarize what matters now.
-
In force since 28 June 2025 – no transition period for websites and online shops
-
Applies to companies with at least 10 employees or at least €2 million in annual revenue
-
Microenterprises providing services are exempt
-
Fines of up to €100,000 possible for violations
BFSG in force since 28 June 2025
No transition period for websites and online shops
Fines of up to €100,000 possible
Microenterprises (services) exempt
What Is the Accessibility Strengthening Act?
The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) is Germany's implementation of EU Directive 2019/882, the European Accessibility Act (EAA). The law was passed by the German Bundestag on 22 July 2021 and has been fully applicable since 28 June 2025.
The goal of the law is to enable people with disabilities to participate equally in digital life. To this end, the Accessibility Strengthening Act defines binding accessibility requirements for products and services that manufacturers, retailers, and service providers must meet.
The specific requirements are set out in the Accessibility Strengthening Act Ordinance (BFSGV) and are based on the European standard EN 301 549, which in turn builds on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Who Does the Accessibility Strengthening Act Apply To?
The Accessibility Strengthening Act applies to manufacturers, retailers, importers, and service providers who offer certain products and services to consumers. Among other things, the law covers all of e-commerce, banking services, e-books, telecommunications services, and passenger transport.
For websites and online shops, this means: anyone offering services in electronic commerce must meet the BFSG's accessibility requirements. This applies in practice to almost anyone selling products or services online to consumers.
-
Companies with at least 10 employees and over €2 million in annual revenue
-
Online shops, booking portals, and digital customer portals
-
Manufacturers and retailers of computers, smartphones, and self-service terminals
-
Providers of banking services, e-books, and telecommunications services
Exemptions and Microenterprises
Not every company falls under the Accessibility Strengthening Act. Microenterprises providing services are exempt from the law. A microenterprise is defined as a business employing fewer than 10 people and generating annual revenue or a balance sheet total of no more than €2 million.
Important: this exemption does not apply to manufacturers and retailers of products. Even microenterprises placing products covered by the BFSG on the market must meet the accessibility requirements.
In addition, companies may apply for an exemption if implementation would constitute a disproportionate burden. However, this must be documented and justified.
What Requirements Does the Accessibility Strengthening Act Place on Websites?
The BFSG refers to harmonized standards, in particular EN 301 549. For websites, this European standard is based on WCAG 2.2 (Level AA). To ensure your website meets the law's accessibility requirements, digital content must follow four core principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
-
Alt text for images and media
-
Full keyboard navigation
-
Contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for text
-
Clearly structured content with semantic HTML
Perceivable: all information must be accessible through at least two sensory channels. This includes alt text for images, captions for videos, sufficient color contrast, and scalable font sizes. With easyAlt, you can generate missing alt text automatically using AI.
Operable: all functions must be fully accessible via keyboard. Users need enough time to read content, and navigation must be consistent and predictable. easyVision offers individually configurable settings such as contrast, focus, or reading modes.
Understandable: text must be written in clear language. Forms need understandable labels and error messages. Navigation must be intuitive and consistent. With easyTranslate, you can translate your content accessibly into other languages.
Robust: content must be compatible with various browsers, devices, and assistive technologies such as screen readers.
What Happens if You Violate the Accessibility Strengthening Act?
Compliance with the Accessibility Strengthening Act is monitored by the German states' market surveillance authorities. Violations can lead to serious consequences:
Fines of up to €100,000
Market surveillance authorities can impose fines of up to €100,000 if companies fail to meet their legal obligations.
Warning Letters and Cease-and-Desist Claims
Consumers, associations, and competitors can issue warning letters to companies that neglect their obligations under the Accessibility Strengthening Act. More on warning letters.
Sales Bans on Products
Market surveillance authorities can restrict or prohibit the provision of products and services if accessibility requirements are not met.
Reputational Damage and Lost Reach
Websites that aren't accessible exclude up to 15% of the population. Search engines increasingly favor accessible content in search results.
Transition Periods and Timeline of the Accessibility Strengthening Act
The provisions of the Accessibility Strengthening Act have applied since 28 June 2025. For websites and online shops, there is no transition period. All digital services in electronic commerce have had to meet the accessibility requirements since this date.
However, extended transition periods apply to certain areas: services provided using products that were already in use before 28 June 2025 may continue to be operated until 27 June 2030. Self-service terminals that are not accessible have a transition period of up to 2040 at the latest.
In other words: anyone operating a website or an online shop needs to act now. A step-by-step implementation with regular audits is the most efficient way to reach legal compliance. easyMonitoring automatically checks your pages against WCAG 2.2 and gives you prioritized recommendations.
BFSG in force since 28 June 2025
No transition period for websites and online shops
Fines of up to €100,000 possible
The Accessibility Strengthening Act and B2B: Does It Apply to Business Customers Too?
The Accessibility Strengthening Act primarily protects consumers. Purely B2B offerings aimed exclusively at business customers don't fall directly under the law. However, there are gray areas: as soon as an online shop or digital service is also open to consumers, the BFSG's obligations apply.
In addition, more and more business customers are themselves relying on accessible supply chains and prefer partners that meet legal standards. Accessibility can therefore become a competitive advantage in the B2B space as well.
The Accessibility Strengthening Act in a European Context
The BFSG is the national implementation of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), EU Directive 2019/882. All EU member states were required to transpose the directive into national law by June 2022 at the latest and to apply its provisions from 28 June 2025.
In Germany, the law's official title is "Act Implementing Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Accessibility Requirements for Products and Services". It is commonly referred to in English as the German Accessibility Strengthening Act or simply as part of the EAA.
EU-wide harmonization means uniform accessibility standards now apply across the European single market. In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) is responsible for shaping the regulations, while the states' market surveillance authorities monitor compliance.
New: AI-Powered Accessibility
Meet Requirements Automatically with easyAI
With easyAI, you generate missing alt text and multilingual translations automatically, right in your dashboard. Powered by European AI and DeepL.
easyAlt generates descriptive alt text for images using AI, so screen readers can make all your content accessible to your customers. easyTranslate translates your website live into other languages, supporting people who don't speak German as their first language.
AI credits are included in every plan.
Checklist: Implementing the Accessibility Strengthening Act Step by Step
Step 1: Check whether you're affected. Determine whether your company falls under the Accessibility Strengthening Act. The number of employees, annual revenue, and the type of products and services offered are decisive.
Step 2: Assess the current state. Run an audit of your website. SiteCockpit's free live check gives you an initial assessment in under 60 seconds.
Step 3: Implement measures. Fix the barriers identified. SiteCockpit prioritizes the most important measures and supports you with concrete recommendations.
Step 4: Create an accessibility statement. Document the accessibility status of your website with a legally compliant statement. easyStatement makes this possible in just a few minutes.
Step 5: Monitor continuously. Accessibility isn't a one-time project. easyMonitoring continuously monitors your pages and notifies you of new action items.