Accessible website under the BFSG: Who is affected and what needs to be done

The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has been in force since June 28, 2025. It requires certain products and services to be usable by people with disabilities. For websites, this mainly affects services in electronic commerce for consumers, such as online shops or websites through which bookings are made or contracts are concluded. microenterprises, which only offer services, are excluded.

This article does not replace legal advice. It helps you assess whether your website is affected and shows what accessible design means in practice. Status: October 2026.

Who is affected?

Whether your website falls under the BFSG depends on three questions:

1. Do you offer something to consumers via the website? Purely business-to-business offers (B2B) are, according to information from several Chambers of Industry and Commerce, not covered.
2. Can a contract be concluded via the website?This refers to electronic commerce: ordering, booking, appointments with contract conclusion, paid registrations.
3. Are you a micro-enterprise?According to the Federal Competence Centre for Accessibility, these are companies with fewer than ten employees and annual revenue of no more than 2 million euros. Those that only offer services are excluded. Those that place products on the market are not.

The examples are assessments, not legal advice. If in doubt, the Federal Competence Center for Accessibility or your IHK can help. Complaints from consumers are handled by the market surveillance authority of the federal states.

What makes an accessible website

The benchmark is the recognized rules for web accessibility, which are based on four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. In practice, this means:

• Sufficient contrast between text and background.
• Keyboard accessibility: Every menu, every form, and every button must be accessible without a mouse.
• Alternative textfor images that convey content.
• Clear heading structure, so screen readers can navigate the page.
• Labeled form fields and understandable error messages.
• Scalable text: The page must remain usable at 200% zoom.
• Accessibility statement:Affected providers inform users about the accessibility status of their service.

How to proceed

1. Clarify whether your website falls under the BFSG.
2. Check the website: automated tests cover only part of it; keyboard and screen reader tests are also required.
3. Sort defects by impact: prioritize the ordering and booking process.
4. Fix issues, document them, publish the accessibility statement.
5. Keep accessibility in mind for every new piece of content, such as alt text and contrast.

Accessibility also helps with Google

Many requirements overlap with good search engine optimization: clear headings, labeled images, fast and clearly structured pages. AI search engines also read well-structured pages more easily. Accessibility is therefore part of a website relaunchto consider from the outset.

We take accessibility into account for every website we build or redesign as part of AI visibility from bettersorted.

Frequently asked questions

Since when has the BFSG been in effect?

The Accessibility Strengthening Act applies to products and services offered since 28 June 2025.

Does every company website have to be accessible?

No. The BFSG covers certain products and services for consumers; for websites, it mainly applies to electronic commerce. A purely informational website without contract conclusion, or a purely B2B offering, is generally not considered to fall under it. Microenterprises providing services are exempt.

What is a microenterprise under the BFSG?

A company with fewer than ten employees and annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than 2 million euros. The exemption applies only to services, not to products.

Is an accessibility plugin enough?

Usually not. Plugins that display a toolbar with font-size controls or a contrast mode do not fix structural issues on the page, such as missing labels or keyboard traps. Accessibility has to be built into the website itself.

As of October 2026. No legal advice.