Barrier-free future: New laws promote inclusion for everyone!

From June 28, 2025, new accessibility requirements will apply to certain products and services in Germany. This affects products that are placed on the market after the deadline as well as services that are provided after then. The aim of this regulation is to enable people with disabilities, seniors and people with less technical savvy easy access to offers. This is part of the framework set out in the Accessibility Strengthening Act, which serves as an implementation of an EU standard, such as MDR reported.

The regulation stipulates that micro-enterprises, i.e. those with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover of no more than two million euros, are exempt from this obligation. The affected products and services include, but are not limited to, smartphones, laptops, televisions with Internet access, ATMs, banking services, websites, and telephony and messenger services. This is intended to ensure that all user groups have access to these services without outside help.

Details on the Accessibility Strengthening Act

The Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) was passed on July 16, 2021 and comes into force on June 28, 2025. The full name of the law is: Law implementing Directive (EU) 2019/882 on accessibility requirements for products and services. One of the goals of the BFSG is to adapt the previous accessibility requirements to the EU Directive 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act), such as bfsg-gesetz.de explained.

The BFSG regulates accessibility requirements for digital products and services, including websites and online shops. Exceptions apply to private and purely business (B2B) offers as well as to small businesses. In addition, federal and state public bodies must also be barrier-free, which is regulated by relevant state laws.

The most important requirements include, among other things, the provision of text alternatives for images, subtitles for videos, and sufficient font sizes and contrast. The regulation also provides for transition periods within which services and non-barrier-free self-service terminals must be adapted. Violations of the BFSG can result in fines and the shutdown of non-compliant websites.