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Digital Inclusion

How websites and connected products are supposed to become accessible.

Nahaufnahme von zwei Händen, die auf einer Laptop-Tastatur tippen, mit hellem Hintergrund.

June 19, 2025

For people with physical or mental impairments, everyday life is often full of obstacles – not least on the internet. Since 2021, public authorities in Germany have been obliged to make their digital services accessible. However, for online shops and websites of private providers, there have so far been no uniform rules across the EU member states. That is now changing with the European Accessibility Act, which will come into force in Germany on June 28. Our checklist explains what the law means for users and which requirements providers will have to meet.

Who and what does the Accessibility Act apply to?

In Germany, the European directive is being implemented through the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG). It places obligations on manufacturers, retailers, providers, and importers of connected products and digital services.

Frau mit lockigen schwarzen Haaren in hellblauem Hemd arbeitet lächelnd am Laptop in modernem Büro.

Which products are covered by the BFSG?

The new requirements apply to laptops, tablets, smartphones, connected televisions, and e-book readers. ATMs and ticket machines must also become accessible, although these have been granted a transition period until 2040.

Which digital services must become accessible?

The law covers a wide range of digital services. It applies to the websites and apps of banks, messaging services, online retailers, travel portals, streaming services, booking tools like Doctolib, and in general to any service where users can take out digital subscriptions or register. Websites and apps for long-distance passenger transport – by land, water, or air – must also be accessible in the future.

For digital services that users booked before the deadline of June 28, transitional arrangements apply: these may remain unchanged until the end of the contract period – at the latest until June 27, 2030.

Are there any exceptions?

Micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover of no more than two million euros are exempt from the BFSG. However, this applies only to digital services – not to micro-enterprises that manufacture connected products.

Companies may also be exempt from the requirements if compliance would fundamentally change their product or service or impose a disproportionate economic burden. In such cases, they must provide evidence of this to the market surveillance authorities.

What requirements must websites meet?

Web content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Concretely, this means:

  • In principle, content should be perceivable through all senses. A high-contrast color palette ensures that texts and images are easy to read or see. Images and graphics must be provided with text alternatives so that people with visual impairments can have them read aloud by a screen reader.
  • To ensure that hearing-impaired users can also access videos and audio, these must be equipped with subtitles and/or audio descriptions.
  • Web pages must also allow for various adjustments — for example, they should be scalable for different screen sizes.

  • All website functions must be accessible via keyboard, making them usable for people with limited mobility who cannot use a mouse.
  • Navigation should be clear and simple, and pages must be structured so they can be navigated in different ways.
  • Users must be given sufficient time. Shopping carts that empty after a while or forms that reset themselves can make digital life difficult for people with cognitive, motor, or visual impairments. Therefore, users must have the option to adjust or disable such time limits. The same applies to the automatic updating of content.

  • Texts should be written in simple and concise language, so that they are easy to understand even for people with cognitive impairments.
  • Forms and other input options must provide clear instructions and correction suggestions in order to minimize misunderstandings and input errors as much as possible.

  • Robustness means that content and user data can be accessed under different technical conditions. Websites must therefore be compatible with current and future assistive technologies such as screen readers.
  • When websites are further developed, no changes may be implemented that would render these technologies unusable or exclude them.
  • In addition, the information on websites must be provided in a standardized way, so that assistive technologies can detect and correctly interpret it.

How is compliance with accessibility requirements monitored?

The federal states have established a new joint authority in Magdeburg for this purpose. The Market Surveillance Office of the Federal States for the Accessibility of Products and Services (MLBF) conducts random inspections and also takes action in response to complaints from users and associations.

What are the consequences of violations?

If the Market Surveillance Office concludes that a website or product does not meet accessibility requirements, the company must make improvements within a set deadline. Otherwise, fines of up to 100,000 euros may be imposed. In serious cases, companies may be required to withdraw their e-book readers from the market or take their online shop offline until accessibility has been ensured.

Why accessibility benefits everyone

Almost one in ten people in Germany has a recognized severe disability. With an accessible website, companies can reach a broader audience. Even for people without disabilities, an accessible website is more pleasant and easier to use.

And not least: even if we currently enjoy sharp eyesight and excellent hearing, we will inevitably grow older. Accessibility therefore never concerns “just others” — sooner or later, it affects all of us.

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