Accessible online shops: practical priorities after Germany’s BFSG launch

The BFSG has started. Since 28 June 2025, certain offerings in Germany have been subject to binding accessibility requirements. Determining their legal scope remains important, but there are also practical improvements that almost any online shop can make. This article focuses on keyboard operation, forms, product images and understandable purchasing processes.

Why everyday testing is worthwhile

Since 28 June 2025, Germany’s BFSG requirements have applied to certain products and services. For affected online shops, this is a reason to review purchasing processes systematically. Even where a statutory exception applies to a particular business, users still benefit from clear, accessible journeys.

Accessibility cannot be reduced to one colour-contrast value. People use websites with different abilities, devices and assistive tools. A checkout that works only with a mouse excludes people who use a keyboard, for example. A sound implementation considers several barriers across the complete purchasing process.

Check navigation and forms first

A good place to start is the keyboard. Can you use Tab to reach all the important controls? Is the current focus visible? Do menus open and close as expected? Are error messages shown at the affected field and explained in understandable language? “Invalid input” without an explanation is not particularly helpful. “Please enter a five-digit German postcode” is more specific in a checkout for that market.

Form fields also need proper labels. Placeholder text alone is not always sufficient because it disappears while someone types. For a newsletter subscription, for example, an unambiguously labelled email field matters more than a particularly elaborate animation.

Images, contrasts and motion

Product images should do more than look decorative. Alternative text describes the image’s essential information where that information is not already given in the surrounding text. A product photograph might describe its colour and visible shape; “Image123.jpg” is not helpful. A genuinely decorative image should have empty alternative text.

Also ensure sufficient contrast and that content does not disappear when zoomed. Automatic sliders and timed actions make a site more difficult for some people to use. If movement is unavoidable, users should be able to pause it. For advertising banners, keeping an advert fixed during a page visit can be a more comfortable alternative.

How to make improvements measurable

Before changing the site, define three concrete tasks, such as “find a product”, “read delivery information” and “complete an order”. Document where difficulties occur. Repeat the same tasks after implementation. Automated testing tools discover many technical errors, but they do not replace usability checks using realistic scenarios.

Work through a prioritised list: first unusable functions, then missing labels, followed by layout and refinements. This creates a manageable improvement process rather than an unwieldy project. The legal requirements applying to the individual offering still need a separate assessment.

Conclusion

An accessible shop is more than a website with larger text. What matters is that people can find information and complete a purchase independently. Start with navigation, forms and checkout. Small changes that can be tested are more valuable than a promise of accessibility on its own.

Sources and further reading

The following original sources and official documentation provide further background. Always check the current position for legal and other changing topics.

• www.bundesfachstelle-barrierefreiheit.de
• www.bundesfachstelle-barrierefreiheit.de