BFSG, EAA, WCAG & Co: The Acronym Jungle of Web Accessibility

BFSG, EAA, WCAG 2.1, EN 301 549, BITV, WAD – when dealing with web accessibility, you quickly feel like you're drowning in alphabet soup. Since June 2025, the BFSG has been in force, and suddenly thousands of companies must grapple with terms that sound more like secret codes than practical guidelines.

The good news: Behind these acronyms lies a logical system. This guide sheds light on the confusion and shows you exactly what each standard means – specifically for the German market.

The Foundation: WCAG 2.1

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and is the international standard on which everything else is built. Developed by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), WCAG is the technical foundation for virtually all accessibility laws worldwide.

The three conformance levels:

• Level A: Minimum requirements (e.g., alt texts for images)
• Level AA: Recommended standard (e.g., sufficient contrast)
• Level AAA: Highest level (e.g., enhanced contrast ratios)

Most laws – including the BFSG – require Level AA as the minimum standard. WCAG 2.1 is based on four principles, known as POUR:

• Perceivable: Content must be accessible to all senses
• Operable: Navigation works with keyboard and assistive technologies
• Understandable: Clear language and consistent functions
• Robust: Compatible with current and future technologies

The European Level: EN 301 549

EN 301 549 is the European technical standard for digital accessibility. It fully incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA and extends the requirements to additional technologies such as software, mobile apps, and self-service terminals.

What EN 301 549 covers:

• Websites and mobile applications
• Non-web software and desktop applications
• Electronic documents (PDFs, Office files)
• Hardware (e.g., ATMs, ticket machines)
• Support services and documentation

EN 301 549 is the technical reference standard for EU laws – including the EAA and BFSG. If you meet EN 301 549, you automatically meet WCAG 2.1 AA as well.

The EU Framework: European Accessibility Act (EAA)

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is the EU directive that has been in effect in all member states since June 28, 2025. Unlike WCAG (technical guideline), the EAA is a law that obligates companies to implement accessibility.

What the EAA regulates:

• E-commerce and online shops
• Banking services (online banking, ATMs)
• Transport and ticketing services
• Telecommunications services
• E-books and associated software
• Self-service terminals (ticket machines, check-in kiosks)

Important: The EAA applies to B2C businesses (Business-to-Consumer). Pure B2B offerings are exempt.

The German Implementation: BFSG

The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) is Germany's national implementation of the EAA. It has been fully in force since June 28, 2025 and goes beyond the EAA in some aspects.

The BFSG requires:

• Compliance with EN 301 549 (= WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Public accessibility statement on the website
• Contact option for accessibility issues
• Documentation to be kept for 5 years

Who is affected?

• Online shops and e-commerce platforms
• Banking and financial service providers
• Telecommunications providers
• Transport and travel booking services
• Digital services for consumers

Who is exempt?

• Micro-enterprises (under 10 employees, under €2 million revenue)
• Pure B2B offerings
• Public institutions (these fall under BITV)

The penalties are serious:

• Fines between €10,000 and €100,000
• Products can be removed from the market
• Services can be prohibited

Public Sector: BITV 2.0

The Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung (BITV 2.0) applies specifically to public bodies in Germany – government agencies, universities, public institutions. It is also based on WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549.

BITV and BFSG run in parallel: BITV for public bodies, BFSG for private companies. Many technical requirements are identical.

The EU Directive for Public Bodies: Web Accessibility Directive

The Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) or EU Directive 2016/2102 has required public bodies in the EU to have accessible websites and mobile applications since 2016. Germany has implemented the WAD through BITV 2.0.

How Everything Connects

The system is like a tower of building blocks:

1. Technical Foundation: WCAG 2.1 (international technical guidelines)
↓
2. European Standard: EN 301 549 (extends WCAG for EU context)
↓
3. EU Law: EAA (obligates companies across Europe)
↓
4. National Law: BFSG (German implementation with specific details)

For public bodies in parallel:
Web Accessibility Directive → BITV 2.0

What You Need to Implement Concretely

Whether BFSG, BITV, or EAA – technically, everything comes down to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This means concretely:

Visual Accessibility:

• Contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for text
• Scalable font sizes and spacing
• Content understandable without color

Keyboard Navigation:

• All functions operable via keyboard
• Visible focus indicator
• Logical tab order

Content & Structure:

• Alt texts for all images
• Correct HTML semantics (headings, lists, landmarks)
• Clear language and labels

Forms & Interactions:

• Labeled form fields
• Clear and helpful error messages
• Sufficient time for actions

Multimedia:

• Captions for videos
• Transcripts for audio content
• No auto-playing content

Testing & Certification

Automated tests can find about 57% of accessibility problems. Tools like the navable Accessibility Audit automatically scan your website and identify WCAG violations.

Manual tests are still necessary for:

• Keyboard navigation
• Screen reader compatibility
• Logical structure and comprehensibility

The navable Widget offers automatic code improvements in the Pro version: It adds missing ARIA labels, optimizes contrast, sets language attributes, and improves keyboard navigation – directly in your code. Additionally, users receive personalization features for fonts, colors, and reading modes. The best solution: Combination of widget optimizations and targeted technical implementation for complete BFSG compliance.

Implement Now: From Theory to Practice

You now understand the standards – but how do you approach implementation? Start simple, start now:

1. Today: Run an automated accessibility scan
2. This Week: Fix the most common problems (contrast, alt texts)
3. This Month: Achieve complete BFSG compliance

How exactly you proceed, which tools you need, and how to solve the "Big 6" problems that cause 96% of all violations – we show you step by step in our BFSG Compliance Guide.

The Acronyms at a Glance:

The acronyms aren't that complicated when you understand the system behind them. For most German companies: Meeting BFSG = Meeting EN 301 549 = Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA.