Question 1

What is the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG)?

Accepted Answer

The BFSG implements EU Directive 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act) into German law. Since June 28, 2025, it requires businesses to make their digital products and services accessible. Affected are online shops, banking services, telecommunications and e-books among others. Technical requirements are based on the harmonized standard EN 301 549, which references WCAG 2.1 AA for web content.

Question 2

Is my company affected by the BFSG?

Accepted Answer

If you sell products or services online to consumers (B2C) and your company has more than ten employees or annual turnover above two million euros, you are very likely affected. Pure B2B offerings do not fall under the BFSG. Micro-enterprises are partially exempt, though the exemption does not apply across the board to all electronic commerce services.

Question 3

What penalties apply for BFSG violations?

Accepted Answer

Market surveillance authorities can impose fines of up to 100,000 euros (BFSG Section 37). Additionally, consumer protection and disability associations can file injunction lawsuits. In severe cases, distribution of non-conformant digital products can be prohibited.

Question 4

Are there transition periods for existing websites?

Accepted Answer

Services begun before June 28, 2025 may continue in their current form until June 28, 2030. New service contracts after the deadline must be immediately conformant. Every substantial change or new publication of a website after June 28, 2025 must meet accessibility requirements.

Question 5

Does my newsletter need to be accessible?

Accepted Answer

A marketing newsletter does not directly fall under the BFSG. However, emails containing transaction information (order confirmations, invoices, contract documents) can be considered part of the digital service and should therefore be accessibly designed.

Question 6

Do I need formal certification?

Accepted Answer

The BFSG does not prescribe formal certification. However, you must publish an accessibility statement on your website and be able to document conformance. A professional WCAG audit is the best foundation for this evidence.

Question 7

What are the WCAG and which version applies?

Accepted Answer

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard for accessible web content, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The current version is WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023. EN 301 549 references WCAG 2.1 AA as the minimum standard; we recommend WCAG 2.2 AA as the current state of the art.

Question 8

What does WCAG 2.2 AA conformance mean?

Accepted Answer

WCAG defines 78 success criteria at three levels: A (basic), AA (recommended) and AAA (optimal). Conformance level AA encompasses all A and AA criteria, meaning 56 of 78 criteria. AA is the internationally recognized standard and is referenced by EN 301 549 as the minimum requirement.

Question 9

Are automated accessibility tools sufficient?

Accepted Answer

No. Automated tools like axe-core and Lighthouse detect only 30 to 50 percent of all accessibility issues (Source: WebAIM 2024). Complex barriers like inconsistent screen reader output, incomprehensible error messages or poor keyboard accessibility require manual expert evaluation and testing with assistive technologies.

Question 10

What is the difference between ARIA and semantic HTML?

Accepted Answer

Semantic HTML (headings, landmarks, lists, forms) conveys meaning directly through native HTML elements. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) supplements missing semantics for interactive widgets like tabs, modals and dropdown menus. The first rule of ARIA: do not use ARIA if a native HTML element can do the job (Source: W3C WAI).

Question 11

Does accessibility work with JavaScript frameworks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. React, Vue, Angular and Svelte are fully compatible with accessible development. Challenges lie in client-side routing, dynamic content and focus management. With the right patterns and libraries these challenges are solvable. More on our accessible web development page.

Question 12

What are accessibility overlays and why don't they work?

Accepted Answer

Accessibility overlays are JavaScript widgets intended to retroactively adapt a website. Leading accessibility experts and disability associations explicitly warn against these tools: they do not solve the structural problems in the source code and can even worsen the experience for people with disabilities. The BFSG requires structural accessibility in the source code (Source: W3C WAI, Overlay Fact Sheet).

Question 13

What does an accessibility audit cost?

Accepted Answer

Costs depend on the scope of the website being audited. An audit for a mid-sized corporate website (15 to 30 page types) starts in the low four-figure range. For complex online shops with checkout and customer portal, costs are correspondingly higher. In the free initial consultation we provide a realistic estimate for your project.

Question 14

How long does accessible optimization take?

Accepted Answer

For a typical corporate website: two to three weeks audit, two to four weeks remediation, one week re-audit, totaling five to eight weeks. For an online shop: three to five weeks audit, four to eight weeks remediation, one to two weeks re-audit, totaling eight to fifteen weeks.

Question 15

Is retroactive optimization cheaper than a relaunch?

Accepted Answer

In most cases yes. Retroactive accessibility optimization is significantly cheaper than a complete relaunch, as the existing website structure is preserved and identified barriers are specifically fixed. Only with fundamentally problematic codebases do we recommend a relaunch with accessible redevelopment.

Question 16

Do you offer ongoing maintenance contracts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, our compliance monitoring is available as an ongoing service. Monthly or quarterly packages include automated scans, manual spot-check audits, accessibility statement updates and a fixed contingent for fixing newly occurring barriers.

Question 17

Can we do the remediation internally?

Accepted Answer

Yes, many of our clients perform remediation internally based on our audit report with detailed solution proposals. In this case we recommend an accompanying training course for your development team and a re-audit after completion.

Question 18

How are costs calculated: fixed price or time-based?

Accepted Answer

Audits are calculated as fixed price based on the defined scope. Remediation can be either fixed price (when the audit report clearly bounds the effort) or time-based (when complexity is hard to predict). Monitoring packages have fixed monthly or quarterly prices.

Question 19

Which shop platforms can you optimize for accessibility?

Accepted Answer

We work with all common e-commerce platforms: Shopware Community Edition, CMS-based shops, custom solutions based on JavaScript frameworks and headless commerce architectures. Accessibility principles are identical across platforms; technical implementation is adapted to your platform.

Question 20

Do product images also need accessible descriptions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, informative product images need descriptive alt texts. For product photos the alt text should describe the product and relevant features. Purely decorative images receive an empty alt attribute (alt="") so screen readers skip them. For extensive catalogs we recommend a systematic alt text strategy.

Question 21

How accessible are CMS default themes?

Accepted Answer

Accessibility of CMS themes varies widely. Many default themes have basic accessibility issues: missing landmarks, insufficient contrast settings, non-keyboard-accessible menus and missing ARIA attributes. An audit shows exactly which theme-specific adjustments are required.

Question 22

Can third-party plugins and widgets cause barriers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, third-party plugins are a frequent source of accessibility issues. Chat widgets, cookie banners, social media embeds and payment forms often have significant accessibility deficiencies. We test all integrated widgets and recommend accessible alternatives or configuration adjustments.

Question 23

What about PDFs and downloadable documents?

Accepted Answer

PDFs offered for download on your website should also be accessible: structured headings, alt texts for images, correct reading order and tagged PDF format. We advise on creating accessible PDFs and check existing documents for accessibility.

Question 24

Does my intranet need to be accessible?

Accepted Answer

The BFSG primarily targets products and services for consumers. Internal systems do not directly fall under the BFSG. However, employers may be obligated under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) to provide employees with disabilities accessible work tools. Accessible intranet is also an important contribution to workplace inclusion.

Question 25

What prior knowledge do training participants need?

Accepted Answer

For developer training: basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. For designer training: experience with design tools. For content training: experience with your CMS. Accessibility prior knowledge is not required for any format. We adjust the level to your team's knowledge.

Question 26

Do training sessions take place on-site or remotely?

Accepted Answer

Both are possible. Remote training via video conference works equally well thanks to screen sharing and collaborative code editors. For remote training we recommend shorter blocks of three to four hours over multiple days to maintain concentration.

Question 27

How lasting are the training effects?

Accepted Answer

Sustainability depends on whether what is learned is applied in daily work. Our training is practice-oriented and works with your real projects. We recommend refresher training after six to twelve months and integrating automated accessibility tests into the development pipeline.

Question 28

Can different roles be trained together?

Accepted Answer

For fundamentals (WCAG overview, accessibility principles) all roles benefit from joint sessions. For in-depth modules we recommend role-specific groups: developers work with code, designers with design tools, editors with the CMS. Practical exercises and tools differ significantly.

Question 29

Do you offer individual coaching for developers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for small teams or individual deepening we offer individual coaching. These are particularly effective when a developer is working on a specific project and needs targeted support with accessible implementation.

Question 30

Do participants receive training materials?

Accepted Answer

Yes, every participant receives training materials, checklists and reference cards. Remote training can be recorded on request. Follow-up questions are answered free of charge for 30 days after training.

Question 31

How will the accessibility landscape change in coming years?

Accepted Answer

The W3C is working on WCAG 3.0, which pursues a fundamentally new approach to evaluating accessibility: instead of binary pass/fail assessments per criterion a continuous scoring model will be introduced. WCAG 3.0 is currently in draft stage, adoption is not expected before 2027. EN 301 549 will foreseeably be updated to WCAG 2.2 soon. Companies implementing WCAG 2.2 AA today are therefore well positioned.

Question 32

How do we permanently integrate accessibility into our development processes?

Accepted Answer

Three measures are decisive: first training for all relevant roles (developers, designers, editors). Second automated accessibility tests in the CI/CD pipeline that detect new barriers at every commit. Third regular manual audits (at least annually) covering aspects automated tools cannot capture.

Question 33

Is accessibility worthwhile for websites with little traffic?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for several reasons: first the accessibility obligation under the BFSG is independent of visitor numbers. Second accessibility improves general user experience and SEO performance, which can increase traffic medium-term. Third the effort for websites with few page types is usually manageable.

Question 34

What happens if we are only partially conformant?

Accepted Answer

Partial conformance is better than no conformance. In the accessibility statement you can indicate partial conformance status, name non-conformant areas and present the planned timeline for full conformance. Market surveillance authorities will likely consider whether a company is making recognizable efforts.

Question 35

How do we measure progress of our accessibility efforts?

Accepted Answer

We recommend three metrics: WCAG conformance degree (proportion of met criteria), number of critical barriers (trend over time) and Lighthouse Accessibility Score (as a quick automated indicator). Our compliance monitoring delivers these metrics regularly enabling objective progress assessment.

Question 36

Can we use accessibility as a marketing advantage?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though with moderation. An accessibility statement on the website demonstrates responsibility. The improved user experience appeals to all visitors, not just people with disabilities. In public sector tenders BITV 2.0 conformance is frequently an award criterion. However avoid exaggerated promises: accessibility is a continuous process, not a one-time achievement.

Frequently asked questions about digital accessibility

Legal Questions About the BFSG

Technical Questions About WCAG and Accessibility

Questions About Costs and Project Workflow

Questions About Specific Website Types

Questions About Training and Team Building

Questions About Long-term Accessibility Strategy