Accessibility Basics
The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG)
Accessibility means designing services so that they are usable by as many people as possible, regardless of their abilities or limitations. In Germany, the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has regulated the accessibility of digital products and services since June 28, 2025. It implements EU Directive 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act) into German law with the aim of promoting the equal participation of people with disabilities in economic life.
Important
The Accessibility Test feature is meant to give you an overview of your content's accessibility and any possible issues, however it does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about statutory requirements, always consult a qualified lawyer!
Applicability at the enterprise level
The Accessibility Strengthening Act applies to:
- Companies in the B2C sector that offer products (e.g., computers, smartphones, e-books) or services (e.g., websites, apps, emails) to end consumers
- Micro-enterprises (more than 10 employees, annual turnover of more than €2 million), provided they offer products
- Companies in the B2B sector, provided they offer services and products for B2C companies
Certain companies are exempt from the Accessibility Strengthening Act. These include micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2 million, provided they exclusively offer services. Companies in the B2B sector are also not affected, as long as they do not provide services and products for B2C companies.
Applicability to email communication
The Accessibility Strengthening Act applies to:
- Transactional communications directly related to a service, such as order confirmations, invoices, and shipping notifications
- Contract-related marketing communications, such as offers within existing contracts, responses to orders or inquiries, and emails based on previous purchases
In general, unrelated marketing communications, such as general product advertising, that are not related to a service, are exempt from the Accessibility Strengthening Act.
Note
To ensure that all relevant emails are accessible and to meet the needs of all users, implementing accessibility guidelines is recommended for every company and all digital communication.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) is based primarily on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), particularly version 2.1 at the conformance levels A and AA. WCAG is a set of internationally recognized guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make digital content more accessible to people with disabilities.
The four fundamental principles of WCAG, which thus also form the basis of the Accessibility Strengthening Act, are:
- Perceivable: Content must be accessible to all senses (e.g., through text alternatives for images).
- Operable: Navigation and all functions must be operable (e.g., with a keyboard).
- Understandable: Information and operation must be easy to understand.
- Robust: Content must work with various technologies, including assistive technologies.
The Accessibility Strengthening Act adopts these principles and the more specific success criteria of WCAG 2.1 (Levels A and AA) to establish binding requirements for the accessibility of digital products and services in Germany. The goal is to ensure equal participation of people with disabilities in digital life.