Accessible Practice Websites 2026: What German Medical Practices Need to Know

Over the past months, we have seen many questions from medical practices about whether their website must be accessible under Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG). Since the BFSG fully came into force on 28 June 2025, there is still uncertainty: Who is affected? How does the micro-enterprise exemption work? And when is an accessibility statement required?

As of March 2026, the initial panic has subsided, but the topic is more relevant than ever – not only from a legal perspective, but also because patients increasingly expect digital accessibility as a basic standard.

Legal notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For a binding assessment of your specific situation, please consult a qualified lawyer or your professional association.

1. Micro-Enterprise Exemption: Who Is Actually Exempt?

The exemption for micro-enterprises continues to apply and is relevant for many smaller practices. A business qualifies as a micro-enterprise if it:

• employs fewer than 10 persons and
• has an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than 2 million euros.

Micro-enterprises that provide services within the scope of the BFSG are exempt from the BFSG obligations for services. However, this does not mean that accessibility is irrelevant overall – especially if interactive online services are already used or other legal requirements apply.

2. The Trigger: When Does Accessibility Become Mandatory?

The BFSG covers, among other things, "services in electronic commerce". For medical practices, this mainly concerns online features that initiate a treatment relationship.

Typical examples:

Online appointment booking directly on the practice website: According to the Federal Office for Accessibility and medical chambers, practice websites with integrated online appointment tools are considered services in electronic commerce. In such cases, not only the booking tool, but the entire practice website should be accessible, because the path leading to the tool must also be usable without barriers.

Contact forms, online enquiries, prescription requests: Forms used to prepare or initiate treatment can also qualify as services in electronic commerce.

Special case: Linking to external portals only (e.g. Doctolib)

Practice websites that merely link to a third-party booking portal (without embedding the tool) are, according to the Federal Office for Accessibility and several chambers, in many cases not treated as BFSG-relevant services in electronic commerce. Nevertheless, patients will usually expect even these "pure" practice websites to be easy to use and largely barrier-free.

3. "Information on Accessibility": Do You Need an Accessibility Statement?

In the private sector, the BFSG refers to an "Information on Accessibility" document. If a practice falls under the BFSG with its website (for example, due to an integrated appointment booking tool and no micro-enterprise exemption), such information must be provided.

This Information on Accessibility should:

• be easy to find (typically in the footer),
• clearly explain to what extent requirements are met,
• describe remaining barriers and planned improvement measures.

For practices, it is advisable to base this information on the results of a technical audit (e.g. against WCAG 2.1 / EN 301 549) to ensure there is a documented, traceable basis. To support you navable offers an Accessibility platform that gives you an automated, documented starting point – including the foundation for your information on accessibility.

4. Why Accessibility Is a Growth and SEO Lever

Beyond compliance, accessibility is a concrete quality and growth factor for your practice.

Analyses including a Semrush and AccessibilityChecker.org study of 10,000 websites show that:

• WCAG-compliant, more accessible websites achieve around 23% more organic traffic on average.
• These sites rank for 27% more keywords and show higher authority scores.

For medical practice websites, this translates into:

Stronger visibility: Clear heading structures, descriptive alt texts, meaningful link wording and a logical navigation help search engines understand and index your content more effectively.

Better reach in key patient groups: Older patients (60+), who are often core to a practice's business, directly benefit from high contrast, good readability and straightforward interactions.

Fewer drop-offs and support calls: The more intuitive and accessible the digital path to your practice is, the fewer patients abandon online processes or resort to phone calls.

5. Status for 2026

In 2026, accessibility for practice websites is clearly no longer just a compliance checkbox. It is:

• an important part of being prepared for legal requirements,
• a visible marker of quality and patient focus,
• a lever for online visibility and sustainable practice growth.

Practices that remove digital barriers make it easier for patients to find and use their services, build trust – and win new patients over the long term.

Start now with a free accessibility scan of your practice website and get a first overview of where you currently stand.

Sources

• Federal Office for Accessibility – Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG)
• Federal Office for Accessibility – FAQ on services in electronic commerce
• Bavarian State Dental Chamber – Online appointment booking on practice websites
• Baden-Württemberg Medical Chamber – Accessibility of practice websites
• Medical Chamber of Lower Saxony – BFSG comes into force on 28 June 2025
• Hamburg Chamber of Dentists – Notes on the BFSG
• Herzmedizin.de – Online tools for medical practices: new accessibility requirements
• Händlerbund – BFSG: How to calculate the number of employees
• bfsg2025.de – Who qualifies as a micro-enterprise?
• FTAPI – Accessibility Strengthening Act 2025: who is affected?
• IHK Köln – BFSG checklist
• Semrush & AccessibilityChecker.org – 10,000-website accessibility & SEO study (23% traffic uplift)