Law in force since 28 June 2025. German websites must comply with BFSG now — non-compliant sites face fines and formal legal warnings (Abmahnungen).

Make your German site legally accessible

Germany's Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz requires websites targeting German consumers to meet full digital accessibility standards. We audit for free, tell you exactly what needs to change, and implement everything to 100% compliance.

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Law name
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG)
EU basis
EU Directive 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act)
Adopted by Bundestag
22 July 2021
In force since
28 June 2025
Technical standard
WCAG 2.2 Level AA · EN 301 549
Audit cost
Free — no commitment required

What is the BFSG?

The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz — Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act — is Germany's national implementation of EU Directive 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act). Unlike previous German accessibility laws which only applied to public sector websites, the BFSG extends binding requirements to private businesses offering products or services to consumers in Germany.

Compliance is measured against WCAG 2.2 Level AA — the internationally recognised Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — and the EN 301 549 standard. Approximately 13 million people in Germany have a disability that benefits from accessible digital design.

Who is affected?

Online shops & e-commerce

Any site where German consumers can make a purchase.

Service booking websites

Enquiry forms, scheduling tools, account portals.

Banking & insurance

Consumer-facing financial services platforms.

Telecoms & media

Platforms offering services to individual consumers.

Transport

Ticketing, schedules, and passenger information sites.

Any consumer-facing business

Any business with web services targeting the German market.

Risks of non-compliance

Consumer protection organisations and German regulatory authorities can already act against non-compliant sites.

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Legal warnings (Abmahnungen)

German consumer organisations can issue formal warnings with injunctions and legal cost claims — a common enforcement mechanism that can arrive without prior warning.

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Fines & penalties

Regulatory authorities may impose financial penalties for persistent non-compliance. Fines scale with severity, duration, and the profile of the breach.

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Reputational damage

Enforcement actions are public. Being identified as non-compliant signals to customers and partners that your business disregards 13 million potential users with disabilities.

How we make your site compliant

From free audit to full certification — we handle everything and charge nothing until you've approved our findings.

01

Website audit

Full WCAG 2.2 and BFSG audit combining automated scanning and manual review. Covers every page type on your site.

02

Findings report

A clear, prioritised report of every compliance gap — what it is, who it affects, the legal risk, and the effort to fix it.

03

Agree scope & price

We discuss the findings, agree the full scope of remediation, and confirm a fixed price and timeline in writing.

04

Full implementation

We make every required change — code, content, structure, metadata, and the mandatory accessibility statement.

Typical compliance requirements

These are the most commonly failing areas we find during audits of commercial German websites.

Image alt text

Every meaningful image needs a descriptive text alternative for screen readers.

Colour contrast

Text must meet minimum contrast ratios (4.5:1 for body text) for users with visual impairments.

Video captions

All video content requires accurate captions or transcripts for deaf or hard-of-hearing users.

Keyboard navigation

Every interactive element must be fully usable by keyboard alone, without a mouse or touch screen.

Visible focus indicators

Keyboard users must always see which element is currently selected.

Form error messages

Validation errors must be clearly described in text and linked to the relevant field.

Language declaration

The page language must be correctly declared in HTML for screen reader pronunciation.

Accessibility statement

The BFSG requires a published accessibility statement and a contact route for reporting barriers.

Transparent, negotiable, and risk-free to start

The audit and report cost you nothing. Implementation pricing is agreed in writing before work begins, based on what the audit finds.

Small site

Fastest turnaround

Up to 20 pages, standard CMS.

Medium site

Scoped per audit

20–100 pages, custom components.

Large / complex

Phased plan

100+ pages or web applications.

Ongoing support

Monthly retainer

Post-compliance monitoring and updates.

✓ Free audit · No lock-in · Fixed price agreed before start · Prices are negotiable for all business sizes

Free — no commitment required

Get your free BFSG accessibility audit

Send us your website URL. We'll run a full audit, produce a clear findings report, and walk you through what's needed — before you spend a single euro.

Request free audit →