What the BFSG means for website information
Since June 28, 2025, Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act, the BFSG (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz), has been in force. It transposes EU Directive 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act) into German law and requires certain covered products and services to be provided accessibly.
Accessibility also concerns the information itself: Can people find it, perceive it and understand it? Can assistive technologies read the text aloud meaningfully? Is it suitable for generating alternative formats? If you also use AI-generated texts, professional quality assurance is important.
Automated tools can flag some technical accessibility issues, but they do not give a complete picture of the user experience. Readability scores can also highlight patterns in text, but they cannot show on their own whether intended readers can find, understand and use the information.
Who is affected?
Anyone offering consumers the option to buy, book or enter into a contract online should check whether the BFSG applies. The full list of covered products and services is set out in Section 1 BFSG. In practice, these areas are often relevant:
- Online shops and e-commerce: online services through which consumers can buy, book or subscribe to products or services covered by the law
- Banking services: online banking, transfers and account information
- Telecommunications: phone and internet services
- Passenger transport: booking systems for rail, bus and air travel
- E-books and e-readers
Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual revenue or an annual balance-sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million are exempt from the BFSG service obligations as micro-enterprises (Section 2 No. 17 BFSG). This exemption does not apply to manufacturers of covered products.
Purely informational websites with no purchasing option are generally not directly affected. But as soon as consumers can buy, book, pay or enter into a contract online, a closer check is needed to determine whether a service subject to the BFSG is involved.
What does “accessible” mean for texts?
The Accessibility Ordinance to the BFSG (BFSGV) sets out specific requirements for services in Section 12. Several points relate directly to text quality:
- More than one sensory channel: information must be provided through more than one sensory channel. Text must be capable of being read out meaningfully by a screen reader or speech output.
- Understandability: information must be presented in an understandable way (Section 12 No. 2c BFSGV).
- Alternative assistive formats: text content must be suitable for generating alternative assistive formats (Section 12 No. 2e BFSGV). This calls for a clear structure, logical organization and understandable language.
In concrete terms, long, nested sentences with 40 words, several asides and unclear references can pose a risk. Not necessarily because the facts are wrong, but because the text may be hard for many people and assistive technologies to access. This is where clear administrative writing can help.
BITV 2.0 and Easy Language: where the duty has applied for longer
For Germany's federal public bodies, the Accessible Information Technology Ordinance (BITV 2.0) has applied since 2011. It requires explanatory information in Easy Language and German Sign Language on the home page. This includes information about essential site content, navigation and the accessibility statement.
Easy Language is not simplified German. It is a set of rules in its own right, with specific requirements for sentence length, word choice and layout. People who can benefit from understandable communication include, among others, people with learning difficulties, people with dementia, people with limited German and people with reading difficulties. These groups must not be equated with the official statistics on severe disabilities.
The BFSG also extends accessibility requirements to certain products and services in the private sector. It does not require online shops to provide content in Easy Language. Understandable, well-structured text is still an important part of accessible communication.
What happens in the event of a breach?
Market surveillance is no longer theoretical: the MLBF is set up, accepts reports and has adopted market surveillance strategies for products and services in 2026. How strictly individual cases are handled depends on the specific offer and the breach identified. Anyone who may be affected should not treat accessibility as a later precaution.
What companies should do now
Accessibility is not a one-time project but an ongoing process. At the text level, I recommend three concrete steps:
- Take stock: have your most important texts checked for understandability, including product descriptions, terms and conditions, the checkout process and customer information. Where does a screen reader get stuck? Where might someone with low reading proficiency lose the thread?
- Text optimization: shorter sentences, a clearer structure, fewer technical terms left unexplained. This is not a loss of quality but a gain for all readers.
- Consider Easy Language: if your target audience is particularly broad, or if the contract, legal framework or funding requirements provide for Easy Language, key content should also be available in Easy Language.
Sources
- German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG), in force since June 28, 2025. gesetze-im-internet.de
- BFSG Ordinance (BFSGV), in particular Section 12 on services. gesetze-im-internet.de
- Federal Statistical Office: 7.86 million people with a severe disability at the end of 2023. destatis.de
- BITV 2.0, Annex 2: explanations in Easy Language and German Sign Language for federal public bodies. gesetze-im-internet.de
- Federal Agency for Accessibility: information on the BFSG and its scope. bundesfachstelle-barrierefreiheit.de
- MLBF: Market Surveillance Authority of the Federal States for Accessibility of Products and Services. mlbf-barrierefrei.de
- Section 37 BFSG: fine provisions. gesetze-im-internet.de
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