Do websites have to be accessible? The duty since 28 June 2025
Germany's accessibility act requires many businesses to make their digital offerings accessible.
Who the duty applies to
The law covers products and services aimed at consumers. On the web this mainly concerns e-commerce: whoever sells online or takes bookings that form a contract is usually covered. An online shop almost always is.
A plain business-card website without ordering or booking is often not directly covered. Accessibility is still worth it, because more people can use your site without obstacles.
The microenterprise exemption
Microenterprises offering services are exempt: fewer than 10 employees and at most 2 million euros in annual turnover or balance sheet total. Note that the exemption applies to services, not to manufacturers of products.
What is actually required
The requirements follow the European standards for digital accessibility (EN 301 549, building on the WCAG guidelines). In practice that means, for example: sufficient contrast, keyboard operability, alternative texts for images, labeled forms and understandable language.
On top of that comes the accessibility statement: a document on your website that describes the state of things and names a contact channel for feedback.
What happens if you do not comply
Market surveillance authorities can object to defects and require fixes. On top of that, a site with barriers loses visitors who would have liked to buy.
How far along are German websites?
We tested 14,984 German business home pages automatically against nine criteria. Exactly 111 of them had no findings at all, which is 0.7 percent. On all the others the check found 2.3 barriers on average.
The most common gap is the skip link to the content, missing on 98 percent of pages. Almost half do not mark up their main content, close to 30 percent have no main heading, and on WooCommerce shops pinch zoom is disabled in 36 percent of cases.
How to find out where your website stands
Our free quick test checks your home page in under a minute directly in the browser and puts every finding into context: what the free widget covers right away, what has to be fixed in the code and what only a human can judge.
The free check, the report and our emails are in German.
FAQ
Does this apply to my website as a tradesperson?
If your site only informs and offers contact details, usually not directly. As soon as customers can book or buy online, things change.
Is a widget enough to meet the duty?
No. A widget like Accessify gives your visitors helpful controls right away. Errors in the code still have to be fixed in the code, and the accessibility statement is part of it as well.
Since when does all this apply?
The law came into force on 28 June 2025. It implements a European directive, the European Accessibility Act, which is why similar rules apply across the EU.
This page explains the situation in general terms and does not replace legal advice.