Accessible Business Website 2025: What the BFSG Requires Now

The topic of accessibility has occupied us at Lindwurm Digital since our founding. One of our clients recently asked us: “Do we really need to implement this — or is it just for large corporations?” The answer surprised him. In this article, we share our experiences and explain what the BFSG means for your company.

Important Notice: This article does not constitute legal advice. The information is based on public sources regarding the BFSG. For legally binding statements, please consult a qualified attorney specializing in this area.

Since June 28, 2025, the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has been in force — and many companies have not yet fully implemented the new requirements. Anyone offering digital products or services must make their website accessible. This is no longer voluntary enhancement but legal obligation. In this article, we explain what the BFSG specifically means, who is affected, and what steps you should take now.

What is the BFSG — and Why Does It Affect Your Website?

The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) implements the European Accessibility Act (EAA) into German law. Detailed information can be found directly at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS). The goal is to enable people with disabilities equal access to digital offerings. Germany is following a Europe-wide trend: comparable regulations have applied in all EU member states since mid-2025.

Specifically, this means: If your company sells products or services to consumers over the internet, your website must meet certain accessibility standards. The accessible website is thus no longer optional additional service — it’s legal obligation. The law affects not only the website itself, but the entire digital presence: web apps, mobile apps, and even PDF documents offered for download must be designed accessibly.

This doesn’t only affect large corporations. Medium-sized companies and smaller online shops are also affected in many cases. Anyone who hasn’t acted yet should urgently become active, as violations can have serious consequences. The good news: The conversion is feasible — and brings concrete business advantages beyond legal compliance.

Who is Affected by the BFSG?

The law targets companies that offer products and services in the B2C sector. In the digital context, the following areas are particularly affected:

E-Commerce and Online Shops

Every online shop that sells goods or services to end consumers falls under the BFSG. This encompasses the entire purchasing process — from product search through shopping cart to payment and order confirmation.

Digital Services

These include, among others:

Online banking and financial services
Telecommunications services
E-book platforms and digital media
Passenger transport services (e.g., booking portals)
Messenger services and communication platforms

Exceptions: Microenterprises

An exception applies to so-called microenterprises — companies with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of at most two million euros. However, this exception only applies to services, not products. And caution: Even microenterprises should take accessibility seriously, as it offers concrete advantages beyond legal obligation.

B2B Companies: Not Directly Affected, But Not Off the Hook

Pure B2B companies that exclusively serve business customers initially don’t fall under the BFSG. However, there are gray areas: As soon as even part of the offering is directed at end consumers — such as a publicly accessible webshop alongside B2B business — the requirements apply. Additionally, more and more business customers and public contracting authorities are demanding proof of accessible digital offerings from their suppliers. Accessibility is thus increasingly becoming a competitive factor in the B2B context as well.

What Does Accessibility Mean for a Website Specifically?

Web accessibility means that all people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with a website — regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive limitations. This includes, among others:

Blind and visually impaired users who use screen readers
Deaf or hard-of-hearing users who rely on subtitles
Motor-impaired users who cannot operate a mouse
Users with cognitive impairments who need clear and simple language

WCAG 2.1 AA: The Technical Standard Behind the BFSG

The BFSG refers to European standard EN 301 549, which in turn is based on the international standard WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) at conformance level AA. The WCAG are based on four basic principles — summarized in the acronym POUR:

1. Perceivable

Content must be presented in ways that can be perceived by all users. This means, for example: Images need meaningful alternative texts, videos need subtitles, and color contrasts must be sufficient.

2. Operable

All website functions must be accessible via keyboard. Time limits must be adjustable, and navigation must be clearly and consistently structured. Animations may not trigger seizures.

3. Understandable

Texts must be readable and understandable. Forms need clear labels and helpful error messages. The website must behave predictably.

4. Robust

Content must be reliably interpretable by various technologies — especially assistive technologies like screen readers. This requires clean, standards-compliant HTML code.

Practical Checklist: Making Your Website Accessible

The following points give you a concrete overview of what you should check and possibly adjust on your website. This list makes no claim to completeness but covers the most common problem areas.

Images and Media

Do all informative images have meaningful alt texts?
Are decorative images correctly marked as such (empty alt attribute)?
Do videos have subtitles and/or audio description?
Are audio contents available as text transcripts?

Structure and Semantics

Do you use logical heading hierarchy (H1 to H6)?
Are lists, tables, and quotes semantically correctly marked up?
Do you use ARIA landmarks for structuring (header, nav, main, footer)?
Is the document language specified in the HTML element?

Navigation and Operability

Is the entire website keyboard operable (Tab, Enter, Escape)?
Is there a visible focus indicator during keyboard navigation?
Does skip navigation exist to bypass recurring content?
Do all interactive elements (menus, dropdowns, accordions) work without mouse?

Colors and Contrasts

Do text and background meet a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 (normal text) or 3:1 (large text)?
Is information not conveyed exclusively through color (e.g., errors only in red)?

Forms

Do all form fields have visible and programmatically linked labels?
Are required fields clearly marked — not just through color?
Are error messages understandably and helpfully formulated?
Is focus set on the corresponding location when errors occur?

Responsive Design and Scaling

Is the website fully usable at 200% zoom?
Does the layout work on various screen sizes without horizontal scrolling?
Are touch targets on mobile devices large enough (at least 44 × 44 pixels)?

Technical Foundations

Is the HTML code valid and semantically correct?
Are ARIA attributes used correctly and sparingly?
Does the page load performantly — even with slow connections?

Consequences of BFSG Violations

The BFSG is not toothless. Violations face concrete consequences:

Market Surveillance and Fines

The responsible market surveillance authorities can check compliance with the BFSG. Violations face fines of up to €100,000. In serious cases, a sales ban for the affected product or service can also be imposed.

Warning Risk

Consumer protection associations and competition associations can issue warnings for BFSG violations. Especially in the e-commerce sector, this is a realistic scenario — warnings for lack of accessibility could develop similarly to the warning waves for GDPR violations in recent years. What exactly must be observed regarding GDPR can be found in our GDPR checklist for websites.

Reputation Damage

Beyond legal risks, there’s also danger of reputation damage. Companies that ignore digital accessibility signal lack of inclusion and social responsibility — an increasingly critical factor for brand perception and customer loyalty.

Transition Periods and Grandfathering

For products and services that were already on the market before June 28, 2025, transition periods partially apply. Existing service contracts may be continued under certain conditions until June 27, 2030. However, this doesn’t mean you should remain inactive until then: New offerings, significant changes to existing websites, and completely revised web presences must immediately meet the requirements. Early action also avoids time pressure that arises when the transition period expires.

Accessibility as Opportunity — Not Just Obligation

Implementing accessibility brings advantages that go far beyond mere legal compliance:

Better User Experience for Everyone

Accessible websites are generally better structured, faster loading, and more intuitively operable. All users benefit from this — not just people with disabilities. Older users, people with temporary impairments (e.g., broken arm), or users in difficult environments (bright sunlight, loud surroundings) also have advantages.

SEO Benefits

Many accessibility measures overlap with SEO best practices. Semantically correct HTML code, meaningful alt texts, clear heading structure, and fast loading times are factors that Google also evaluates positively. Making a website accessible often improves search engine ranking as well.

Larger Target Audience

About 7.8 million people with recognized severe disabilities live in Germany — that’s around 9.4% of the population (Source: Federal Statistical Office). Millions more people with lighter impairments are added to this. According to an Aktion Mensch study, over 75% of people with disabilities regularly encounter barriers on the internet. Accessible websites open up this significant part of the population as potential customers.

The Path to an Accessible Website: Step by Step

Converting to an accessible website doesn’t have to be implemented as a one-time mammoth project. A structured, gradual approach is often more sensible and sustainable. If a complete fresh start makes sense, our website relaunch checklist helps with planning:

1. Conduct Accessibility Audit

A solid assessment comes first. A professional accessibility audit systematically uncovers all barriers on your website and prioritizes them by severity. Automated tools like axe, WAVE, or Lighthouse can provide an initial overview but don’t replace manual review by experts.

2. Create Action Plan

Based on the audit, a concrete action plan is created. Critical barriers — such as missing keyboard navigation or insufficient contrasts — should be addressed first. Less serious points can follow in a second step.

3. Technical Implementation

The identified barriers are addressed step by step. This can range from simple adjustments (adding alt texts, adjusting contrasts) to more extensive reconstructions (revising navigation, improving form logic).

4. Publish Accessibility Statement

An accessibility statement belongs on every website. It informs users about the state of accessibility, known limitations, and a contact path for feedback.

5. Continuous Maintenance

Accessibility is not a one-time project but an ongoing process. New content, updates, and redesigns must be continuously checked for accessibility. Train your team so accessibility is considered from the beginning.

Lindwurm Digital: Your Partner for Accessible Websites

We at Lindwurm Digital GmbH support companies in designing their websites BFSG-compliant and sustainably accessible. Our offering includes:

Comprehensive accessibility audits according to WCAG 2.1 AA with detailed results report and prioritized action plan
Technical implementation of all necessary adjustments — from quick fixes to fundamental overhauls
Training for your team so new content is created accessibly from the start
Ongoing support with regular reviews and continuous optimization

The BFSG has been applicable law since mid-2025. If you haven’t acted yet, now is the right time. The earlier you start, the better you can minimize risks while utilizing the advantages of an accessible website.

Let’s make your website fit for the future together.

→ Request Accessibility Audit — We analyze your current situation and show you the fastest path to an accessible website.

Lindwurm Digital GmbH — Web development and digital solutions.