Table of contents
- Which online shops are affected by the BFSG?
- What does “accessible” mean in concrete terms?
- What are the consequences of violations?
- An accessible shop in 5 steps
- Beware of “overlay tools”
- How we implement accessibility
- The 10 most common barriers in online shops
- Accessibility statement: what belongs in it
- Accessibility pays off
- Self-test: check your shop in 15 minutes
- Frequently asked questions
Since 28 June 2025 the German Accessibility Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, BFSG) has applied in Germany. It implements the European Accessibility Act and obliges many companies to make their digital services accessible, including numerous online shops. A good year later, many shops have still not been adapted. Here you can find out whether you are affected and what you should do.
Note: this article does not replace legal advice. Please consult a lawyer or a specialised advisory service to assess your specific case.
Which online shops are affected by the BFSG?
Among other things, the BFSG applies to services in electronic commerce, i.e. typically online shops and booking platforms through which consumers conclude contracts. Pure B2B shops are generally not covered.
Exception for micro-enterprises: companies that provide services and have fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than €2 million are exempt from the requirements for services. Accessibility still pays off, because it improves usability for all customers.
What does “accessible” mean in concrete terms?
The technical benchmark is the European standard EN 301 549, which is based on WCAG 2.1 (level AA). Put simply, your shop must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust, including for people with visual, hearing or motor impairments. Typical requirements:
- Contrast: text must stand out sufficiently from the background (at least 4.5:1 for normal text).
- Keyboard operation: navigation, filters, cart and checkout must work without a mouse, with a visible focus.
- Alternative texts: product images and icons need meaningful descriptions.
- Forms: visible labels, understandable error messages right at the field.
- Structure: a clean heading hierarchy and landmarks for screen readers.
- Videos: subtitles for spoken content.
- Scalability: content must remain readable and usable when zoomed in.
In addition, you must provide information on the accessibility of your service, usually in the form of an accessibility statement on the website.
Is your shop ready for the BFSG?
We check your shop for the most important barriers and show you what needs to be done, with a fixed price for the implementation.
Free consultationWhat are the consequences of violations?
Compliance is monitored by the joint market surveillance authority of the German federal states. Violations can result in orders to make improvements and fines of up to €100,000. On top of that comes the risk of legal warnings under competition law. But the most important reason is a different one: barriers cost revenue, because every customer who cannot use the checkout buys elsewhere.
An accessible shop in 5 steps
- Check whether you are affected: a B2C shop? More than 9 employees or more than €2 million turnover?
- Carry out an audit: automated tests (e.g. Lighthouse, WAVE) plus a manual check with keyboard and screen reader.
- Check your theme and plugins: many problems lie in sliders, pop-ups, cookie banners and filters.
- Implement: contrast, focus states, alt texts, form labels, headings, subtitles.
- Publish an accessibility statement and check the shop again regularly, especially after updates.
Beware of “overlay tools”
There are plugins that promise to make a shop accessible with one click. Such overlays can improve individual points, but they do not replace a clean implementation in the code and are viewed critically by many experts. Rely on real adjustments in the theme instead.
How we implement accessibility
For new websites and shops we pay attention to accessible design from the start: sufficient contrast, keyboard operation, visible focus states, alt texts and a meaningful structure. We check existing WooCommerce or Shopify shops and implement the necessary adjustments. More about our shop services: WooCommerce and Shopify.
The 10 most common barriers in online shops
| Barrier | Why it is a problem | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Light text on a light background | hard to read | contrast of at least 4.5:1 |
| Invisible focus | keyboard users lose their orientation | a clear focus outline |
| Images without alt text | the screen reader only says “image” | meaningful alternative texts |
| Icons without labels | function unclear | text label or aria-label |
| Form fields with placeholder only | the label disappears while typing | visible labels |
| Error messages only in red | colour alone is not enough | text and symbol at the field |
| Automatic sliders | hard to operate | pause function or none at all |
| Cookie banner not keyboard-operable | blocks the entire shop | an accessible consent tool |
| Videos without subtitles | inaccessible to deaf people | subtitles |
| Click areas too small | hard to hit | at least approx. 44 × 44 pixels |
Accessibility statement: what belongs in it
The information on accessibility should be understandable and easy to find, for example via a link in the footer. Typical content:
- a general description of your service,
- how the accessibility requirements are met,
- any known limitations and alternatives,
- contact options for feedback,
- the responsible market surveillance authority.
Accessibility pays off
Accessibility is not only an obligation, it is also good business. An accessible shop is easier to use for everyone: for older people, for customers with a small screen, a poor connection or in bright sunlight. A clear structure, good contrast and understandable forms also improve usability and often visibility in search engines. In short: what removes barriers usually also reduces abandoned purchases.
Self-test: check your shop in 15 minutes
It does not replace a full audit, but this quick test shows you where you stand:
- Keyboard only: press the Tab key repeatedly. Can you always see where you are? Can you get to the cart and through the checkout?
- Zoom to 200%: does text remain readable without content being cut off or overlapping?
- Check contrast: test text and button colours with a free contrast checker.
- Images without images: read the alternative texts of your most important product images. Do they describe what can be seen?
- Briefly test a screen reader: on a Mac with VoiceOver, on Windows with the free NVDA. Is the home page understandable?
- Form test: deliberately submit a form incorrectly. Do you understand the error message, and is it next to the right field?
If you stumble on two or more points, a professional audit is worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions
Does the BFSG also apply to my company website without a shop?
A purely informational website without contracts being concluded with consumers is generally not covered by the BFSG. As soon as consumers can book or buy online, you should have it checked.
Is an accessibility plugin enough?
Usually not. Plugins can help, but real accessibility comes from clean design and clean code.
What does it cost to make a shop accessible?
That depends on the condition of the shop. With modern themes the adjustments are often manageable, for old shops a relaunch can make more sense. After an audit you will know exactly.
Agency for web design, online shops & AI from Hanau
