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Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG)

BFSG Check for Your Website and Business

The German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) came into force on June 28, 2025. Our guided check helps you determine if your offering falls in scope and which deadlines and requirements apply.

BFSG Scope
Website Check
WCAG 2.1 AA
Next Steps

Clarifying applicability is the single most critical first step to BFSG compliance, preventing wasted engineering effort and eliminating liability risks.

Background

Why You Must Clarify BFSG Scope First

The legal obligations of the Accessibility Strengthening Act took effect on June 28, 2025. Vague classification leads to incomplete compliance or wasted resources.

Strict Statutory Deadline

Since June 28, 2025, websites, online stores, and apps in scope must be fully accessible. No transition periods exist for newly launched offerings.

Severe Fines & Penalties

Non-compliance with the BFSG carries fines of up to 100,000 EUR, alongside authority orders to suspend non-compliant digital services or e-shops.

Precise Resource Allocation

Micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and less than 2 million EUR in annual turnover are exempt from most BFSG obligations. A check prevents wasted budgets.

Scope of Check

What Factors Determine BFSG Applicability

Applicability is not just determined by your homepage, but by the entire nature of your digital operations.

Consumer Services (B2C)

Verifies whether your digital service directly targets consumers, as pure B2B marketing sites are generally not directly subject to BFSG obligations.

E-Commerce & Bookings

Evaluates whether customers can conclude contracts, purchase products, or book appointments on your site. Transactional paths are almost always in scope.

Customer Portals & Logins

Checks if you operate authenticated customer areas, SaaS systems, or billing portals. These internal application states must also be barrier-free.

Media, Telecom & Transport

Covers specific EAA/BFSG categories such as telecommunications, electronic books (e-books/software), and digital ticket or travel booking platforms.

Target Audience

Who Needs a Scope Assessment

Different departments face distinct web accessibility goals. The BFSG check ensures clear, cross-functional alignment.

SMBs & Founders

Gain quick certainty regarding your legal requirements and determine if your business qualifies for the micro-enterprise exemption.

E-Commerce Teams

Learn whether your checkout flows, product filtering, cookie banners, and payment methods must comply with BFSG/WCAG standards.

SaaS Product Teams

Determine if customer-facing web apps and subscription platforms fall under the guidelines of the European Accessibility Act.

Web Agencies

Use the scope check as a standardized first step in client consulting to clarify compliance responsibilities before design work starts.

Compliance & Legal Teams

Establish a documented risk assessment as the base layer for generating your statutory accessibility statement.

Common Scenarios

Typical Cases in BFSG Evaluation

Accessibility obligations often hinge on specific details of your digital service. Here are typical practical examples.

E-commerce Shop with B2C Checkout

Typical Case: Sells physical or digital goods directly to consumers.
BFSG Relevance: Fully in-scope. The entire checkout funnel, product search, listing pages, and payments must be fully accessible.

Pure B2B Marketing Site

Typical Case: Presents company details without online booking or contract signing.
BFSG Relevance: Out of scope. However, web accessibility is strongly recommended to optimize search engine ranking and user reach.

SaaS Customer Portal (B2C)

Typical Case: Allows consumer end-users to manage subscription plans online.
BFSG Relevance: Fully in-scope. Customer dashboards, forms, and settings pages must be styled and coded for accessibility.

Service Business with Booking Flow

Typical Case: Enables consumers to schedule and pay for appointments online.
BFSG Relevance: Fully in-scope. The booking calendar interface and validation checks are classified as consumer services under the BFSG.
Roadmap

Your 6-Step Path to BFSG Compliance

Clarifying applicability is just the beginning. Here is how to structure your compliance process to meet all statutory requirements.

1

1. Clarify BFSG Applicability

Use the BFSG check to verify if your company, website, or mobile application is legally subject to the Act.

2

2. Map Out Critical User Flows

Identify which pages and interactive states (e.g. cookie consent, account settings, search filters) are critical to test.

3

3. Launch Technical WCAG Audit

Run a comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA audit to pinpoint technical accessibility barriers in your source code.

4

4. Remediate & Fix Issues

Address code issues like keyboard traps, contrast ratios, and screen reader labels using precise developer guides.

5

5. Publish Accessibility Statement

Document compliance status and compile a legally compliant Accessibility Statement on your website.

6

6. Establish Continuous Monitoring

Track your codebase automatically with each update to prevent new features from introducing accessibility regressions.

The navable Platform

How navable Extends the BFSG Check

navable is more than a simple scope checker—it is a complete workflow platform to achieve and maintain accessibility compliance.

BFSG Check & Scope

Begin by clarifying the applicability of the law to your digital assets and highlighting key timelines.

Automated Auditing

Scan protected login panels, cookie banner overlays, and dynamic UI elements for WCAG 2.1 AA criteria.

Accessibility Statement

Use our AI generator to compile a fully updated accessibility statement directly from your audit records.

Continuous Monitoring

Track regressions over time and maintain verification records to demonstrate compliance to regulatory bodies.

Frequently Asked Questions about the BFSG Check

References

Standards and Official References

Use these official resources and guidelines to deepen your compliance knowledge.

Act Now

Clarify Your BFSG Scope Today

Since the law is already in force, you should act now. Start with our free BFSG Check and secure your compliance roadmap today.