Accessible websites: usable by everyone, not just an obligation

First of all: this section is a guide, not legal advice. If in doubt, a lawyer will assess your business. The law and its interpretation change; check current information from the responsible authorities.

The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) implements a European directive and has applied since 28 June 2025. As we understand it, it is aimed primarily at providers of products and services for consumers. On the web, e-commerce is particularly affected, that is, online shops and offerings through which consumers conclude contracts. Offerings aimed purely at businesses (B2B) are not covered. Micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees, turnover or balance sheet total of no more than €2 million) are exempt from the BFSG for services, but not for products.

A decision aid for a first picture

1. Do you sell online to consumers, or conclude contracts with them online? If not, it is less likely that you are affected; if so, go on to question 2.
2. Do you offer services and are you a micro-enterprise in the sense described above? Then the exemption may apply. Have this confirmed. If you sell products, the exemption does not apply.
3. Is your offering a banking service, telecommunications, passenger transport, an e-book or a similarly regulated area? Then separate rules apply.
4. Do you run your site on behalf of third parties (for example, retailers on your platform)? Check roles and responsibility separately.

Regardless of any obligation, accessibility improves usability for many people and largely overlaps with good web design. Public bodies are subject to separate requirements. Which obligations apply in your case (for example an accessibility statement, a way to give feedback, labelling) is something the legal review will clarify.

The contrast between text and background is expressed as the ratio of two brightness values. The higher the value, the easier it is to read. At level AA, WCAG requires at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text, at least 3 to 1 for large text (roughly from 24 pixels, or 18.5 pixels in bold), and likewise 3 to 1 for important controls and graphical cues.

A common case: light grey text on a white background. The grey with the colour value #777777 reaches around 4.48 to 1 on white and so narrowly fails; #767676 comes in at around 4.54 to 1 and narrowly passes. A difference that small decides whether a design meets the requirement. Free contrast calculators, in browser developer tools and online, show the value immediately.

Practical rules for colour

• Check every combination of text and background, including text on images and gradients.
• Never rely on colour alone: marking a required field only in red is invisible to people with colour blindness. Add a symbol or some text.
• Buttons and input fields need a visible border or a surface contrast of at least 3 to 1 against their surroundings.
• Links within running text should not be distinguished by colour alone; an underline is the safest option.
• Also test your page with a colour-blindness simulator and at high screen brightness outdoors.

Your brand's colour palette does not have to become dull as a result. A darker variant of the main colour for text and a lighter one for surfaces produce combinations that are easy to read. You can find more on choosing colours under Colour palette.

Screen readers do not read a page like a photograph but as a structure: headings, lists, links, form fields. Users often jump from heading to heading, just as sighted people skim a page. Good structure is therefore the foundation.

Most of this is clean code, which also helps search engines. Anyone who marks things up properly gains twice over.

Audio and video need alternatives. Deaf people need subtitles, blind people need a description of the important visual content, and everyone benefits from a searchable transcript. Motion can impair or distract people, so there are clear rules:

• Subtitles for recorded videos with sound, and for live video as far as possible.
• A transcript or text version for audio-only content.
• No autoplay with sound. If something starts automatically and runs for more than five seconds, it needs a way to pause it.
• No flashing elements. Flashing more than three times per second can trigger seizures in sensitive people.
• Respect for system settings. Anyone who has set “reduce motion” on their device should not see large animations.
• Allow time. Carousels and notices that change by themselves must be pausable, and important notices should not disappear after a few seconds.

The simplest approach is to use animations sparingly and only where they explain something. That also adds to the page's speed.

1. Zoom test: Enlarge the page in your browser to 200 per cent. Does everything stay readable and usable, without content being cut off or you having to scroll sideways?
2. Keyboard test: Operate the menu, a form and a button using only Tab, Enter, Space and Esc.
3. Contrast test: Use a contrast calculator to check running text, links, buttons and form fields.
4. Structure test: Use a browser extension to display the heading structure. Is there an H1? Do the levels follow a logic?
5. Alt text test: Turn off images or have the text displayed. Can you still understand the page?
6. Form test: Submit a form with deliberate mistakes. Does an understandable message appear at the right field?
7. Quick screen reader test: Switch on your operating system's screen reader for a few minutes and listen to your home page. Do you understand what it says?

Note down every finding with the page, a description and its urgency. Fix first whatever blocks the main action (form, contact, order). These steps also show you how closely design and user guidance are intertwined.

Accessibility is not created in a single step at the end, but spread across the whole project. The table shows which role has which task in which phase.

It is important to end each phase with a check question: can what is being produced now be understood without a mouse, without colour and without images? That way a barrier is spotted while it still costs little to fix.

A bicycle retailer (entirely made up) runs an online shop for accessories. He is a provider to consumers in online retail and is therefore checking with his legal adviser whether and how the BFSG applies to him. Whatever the outcome, the checkout is the most critical part. The points to check, along the way:

The retailer documents the results, fixes first whatever prevents purchases, and plans the rest. This order applies to any site: main function first. For more on shops, see the page Online shops.