Information on the Accessibility Reinforcement Act*
There are many barriers on the internet that make access difficult or impossible for people with disabilities or age-related restrictions.
Since June 28, 2025, a legal regulation has been in force throughout the EU that aims to improve this situation.
It will make it mandatory for many providers and companies to make their digital offerings on the internet accessible.
This affects, among other things Websites & web shops, mobile apps and business services with digital access.
The law is called the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz in German, implements EU standard 301 549 and is commented on here, for example.
The EU standard refers to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
We have tried to answer the most important questions as simply as possible:
(*Please note: We are not lawyers and cannot and must not provide legal advice. Nevertheless, we have provided the information on this page to the best of our knowledge and after thorough research. Please consult a specialist lawyer if you have any legal questions.)
What kind of barriers are we talking about?
Barriers for blind and visually impaired people
- No or illogical labelling of images (missing or poor alt attribute)
- Websites that cannot be used with screen readers
- Lack of contrast between text and background
- Non-scalable texts or fixed font sizes
- No semantic HTML.. makes navigation with assistive technology more difficult
Barriers for people with motor impairments
- Not operable without mouse (no keyboard navigation possible)
- Small or hard-to-reach buttons
- Missing jump labels or no option to skip navigation
- No focus indicator visible (keyboard focus disappears visually)
Barriers for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
- Videos without subtitles or without transcript
- Audio content without alternative presentation
- Live content without sign language interpretation (e.g. government webinars)
How does the implementation of accessibility affect the appearance of my website?
The measures to create accessibility are mainly carried out invisibly "under the bonnet". They mean, for example, that a website can be operated entirely via the keyboard or is easier to read by screen readers.
The most noticeable change for people without special needs may be a higher contrast between the font and the background. Light grey text on a white background is now a thing of the past.
Accessibility always pays off
In addition, accessibility optimisations also have a side effect. Many accessibility measures overlap with proven SEO practices and therefore have a positive effect on the ranking in search results.
Which websites are affected? Do I HAVE to fulfil the requirements?
We have tried to summarise the conditions for the obligation to provide an accessible website in a graphic.
As always, we are not lawyers and cannot and must not provide legal advice. If necessary, we recommend asking your own lawyer ...
* Services under the Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG) are not limited to an online shop, but generally relate to digital services that contribute significantly to business activities and are interactive. We cannot judge whether a contact form or the provision of a telephone number contributes significantly to business activity.
The law applies to all companies that offer products and services, including website operators with online shops, online bookings of craft services, contact forms and appointment booking screens. Company websites are therefore fundamentally affected by the scope of the regulations if the website includes such offers.
Which companies are exempt?
The law does not necessarily apply to companies with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2 million.
Companies with fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover of less than €10 million may be exempt from certain requirements of the law if they can prove that implementing the accessibility requirements would represent a disproportionate burden.
Irrespective of this, a WCAG-compliant website is useful and recommended.