Germany’s BFSG in 2025: which online shops should assess accessibility?

Important requirements under Germany’s Accessibility Strengthening Act, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz or BFSG, were due to become applicable on 28 June 2025. This created uncertainty for many shops: am I covered? Does the whole website need rebuilding? And will a few technical adjustments be enough? Instead of offering blanket answers, this article examines the scope and the questions operators should usefully clarify.

What was scheduled for 28 June 2025

Important requirements under the German BFSG became applicable on 28 June 2025. The law implements European requirements for certain products and services. For many shop operators, a particularly relevant point is that e-commerce services can fall within its scope.

Nevertheless, saying “Every website must be completely accessible from June” would be too broad. The particular service, its audience and statutory exceptions matter. Germany’s Federal Accessibility Centre, the Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit, provides specific information for online shops. This article offers orientation and does not replace an individual assessment.

Who may be affected by the law

Whether an offering is covered does not depend solely on its shop software. Selling to consumers online may require a different assessment from a business website without relevant booking or purchasing processes. In addition, microenterprises providing services may be exempt under certain conditions. The official definition includes criteria concerning fewer than ten employees and annual turnover of no more than €2 million; different rules apply to covered products.

Your first task is therefore to establish what services your website actually provides. Document the decision and have uncertain cases assessed by a qualified specialist rather than relying on general statements in social media.

Which barriers are particularly disruptive in a shop

Accessibility starts with the tasks that matter for a purchase. Can visitors navigate using only a keyboard? Can they tell which form field currently has focus? Are prices and error messages understandable? Are product images described meaningfully? And does the checkout remain usable when significantly magnified?

Many of these improvements benefit everyone. A clearly labelled button reduces mistaken clicks, clear contrasts make offers easier to read on a smartphone, and understandable forms reduce abandoned purchases. Accessibility is therefore part of good user guidance, as well as a technical assessment area.

A realistic assessment plan before the deadline

List your most important user journeys: finding a product, checking its details, adding it to the basket, entering information and completing an order. Test every journey with a keyboard and, where possible, assistive technologies. Record issues with their priority and the person responsible. Avoid treating a single overlay as a complete solution.

Involve developers, design colleagues and external specialists where necessary at an early stage. Document changes and test them again. Specific information duties may also apply to offerings covered by the legislation; official BFSG documentation is the appropriate starting point.

Conclusion

The BFSG became important for certain digital offerings in Germany in 2025. A careful assessment of whether you are covered, combined with understandable core purchasing processes, is more useful than a last-minute symbolic fix. My suggestion is to begin where users actually need to complete tasks.

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

Note: This article provides general information in a German or European context and does not replace individual legal advice.