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2025-08-24•4 min read•navable Team•
BFSG 2025BarrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetzWCAG 2.1Avoid finesWeb AccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibility ComplianceBFSG penalties

BFSG 2025: How to Avoid Fines up to €100,000

The German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) came into force on June 28, 2025. Violations cost up to €100,000 in fines – but 96% of all problems can be solved quickly. Prevention is significantly cheaper than retroactive corrections.

The new market surveillance authority in Magdeburg is already monitoring and will expand its inspections. Those who act now avoid penalties while simultaneously accessing the market of people with disabilities in Germany.

Early measures are significantly cheaper than later corrections. Act now and secure advantages instead of penalties.

What Companies Face Under the BFSG

The BFSG distinguishes between serious violations (up to €100,000) and other violations (up to €10,000). Serious violations include: selling non-compliant products, forgetting CE markings, or offering non-accessible services.

All companies are affected with more than 10 employees and over €2 million annual revenue in these areas: online shops, banks, telecommunications, transport, and media.

Monitoring initially runs through complaints but will become more systematic. Authorities can inspect, demand improvements, recall products, or ban services. Additionally, warning letters from competitors threaten.

Transition periods are few: New services must be compliant immediately. Existing contracts have until 2030.

The "Big 6": 6 Problems Cause 96% of All Violations

WebAIM Million 2025 Study confirms: Six problem types are responsible for 96% of all automatically detectable accessibility violations. With targeted measures, you can solve most problems quickly.

1. Insufficient Color Contrast (79.1% of websites) WCAG 2.1 requires at least 4.5:1 contrast for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Tools like WebAIM Contrast Checker or Chrome DevTools can easily check contrast.

2. Missing Alt Texts (about one-third of all images) Descriptive alt texts for important images, alt="" for decorative images. Alt texts should convey the purpose and content of the image in context - the function for functional elements, the content for informative images.

3. Unlabeled Form Fields (34.2% of form fields) With <label for="fieldId"> or aria-label, you make fields accessible to screen readers.

4. Empty Links and Buttons Instead of "click here," use descriptive texts like "download product catalog."

5. Missing Language Declaration <html lang="en"> in the HTML head is sufficient for correct screen reader output.

6. Poor Keyboard Navigation All functions must be operable without a mouse. Visible focus indicators show where you currently are.

These six measures significantly improve your accessibility score with manageable effort for a normal website.

Your 3-Phase Plan for Quick Compliance

Phase 1: Solve Critical Problems (Week 1)

Scan your website with axe DevTools or WAVE and fix immediately:

  • All critical contrast errors
  • Missing labels in forms
  • Alt texts for important images (logo, navigation, hero images)

One day of work already brings significant improvements.

Phase 2: Systematic Expansion (Week 2-3)

  • Provide all links with meaningful texts
  • Add HTML language declaration to all pages

These measures significantly improve your compliance.

Phase 3: Perfect (Month 2)

  • Test complete keyboard navigation (put away mouse, navigate only with Tab key)
  • Visible focus indicators for all clickable elements
  • Check logical heading structure (H1-H6)
  • Understandable error messages in forms

Technical Tip: Set focus indicators with CSS for a quick visible focus indicator:

button:focus { outline: 2px solid #0066cc; outline-offset: 2px; }

Tools for Developers: Automatically Test and Improve

Quick tests without prior knowledge:

  • Chrome DevTools Lighthouse for free accessibility audit
  • Axe DevTools browser extension finds about 30-40% of all problems automatically
  • WAVE browser extension from WebAIM for detailed accessibility analysis

Individual consultation: We're happy to advise you on how to integrate accessibility checks into your development process – from automated tests to manual testing procedures.

Why Accessibility Pays Financially

Early action is cheaper: Accessibility experts confirm: fixing problems in the design phase costs significantly less than retroactive corrections in production.

German reality: The BFSG provides for fines up to €100,000, plus legal and procedural costs. Proactive compliance measures are significantly cheaper than retroactive corrections and protect against repeated penalties.

Better reach target groups: People with disabilities and their families represent an important customer group. Accessible websites significantly improve user experience and can lead to higher customer loyalty.

Save costs: Accessible websites reduce support inquiries since users need help with navigation less frequently.

Successful companies report high returns on investment within three years.

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