Is your website accessible under the German Accessibility Act?
The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), Germany's implementation of the European Accessibility Act, has applied since 28 June 2025. The free check scans your website for the defects that come up most often in practice and shows you where you stand.
Note: technical analysis, not legal advice.
Free instant check
Measurement 1 of 3 modulesDoes the law actually apply to you?
It does not cover every website. The following covers the cases we see most often.
Usually covered
- Online shops and other offerings aimed at consumers
- Booking and appointment flows that conclude a contract
- Banking services and payment processing
- E-books and the software used to read them
- Passenger transport, telecommunications, self-service terminals
Micro-enterprise exemption
Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and at most 2 million euros in annual turnover or balance sheet total are exempt when they provide services only (§ 3 (3) BFSG). The exemption does not extend to products.
Pure B2B and brochure sites
Purely informational websites, pure B2B offerings and classic brochure sites are not directly covered. Accessibility is still worth it there: it improves usability for everyone and is increasingly a requirement in tenders.
This is orientation, not legal advice. Whether your specific offering is covered is a question for a lawyer if in doubt.
What the free check looks at
The lite check reads your homepage and reports the defects that can be detected automatically with confidence.
- Images without alternative text
- Form fields without labels
- Links and buttons with no discernible text
- Missing language attribute and missing page title
- Missing H1 heading and missing skip link to the main content
- Zoom disabled on mobile devices
- Missing or unlinked accessibility statement
- A pointer to colour contrast and keyboard flow, which need a real browser to assess
Automated accessibility pre-scan (covers ~30 to 40% of the WCAG 2.1 AA criteria). A conclusive compliance statement requires an additional manual review.
Measure first, then decide
The lite check is free and shows you instantly where you stand. The full audit delivers the complete report with a prioritized action plan.
Lite check
free
Free · Result in about 30 seconds · No credit card
- AI visibility score (teaser)
- Accessibility traffic light
- Result online instantly
Module check
129 € one-time
One-time · Usable right away · No subscription
- Accessibility check alone (€129)
- AI visibility check alone (€99)
- Upgradable to the full audit at any time
Full audit
490 € one-time
Invoice on request · Report as PDF right after payment · No subscription
- All AI engines, full prompt set
- Competitor comparison: who gets recommended instead
- Complete accessibility defect report + statement draft
- Prioritized action plan as PDF
Comparable GEO/AI-visibility audits cost €1,500 to €6,000 one-time on the German market, accessibility (WCAG/EAA) short analyses €490 to €1,200 (full WCAG audits €1,500 to €8,000). namedly bundles the GEO and accessibility review in one report for €490.
Sources: neuroflash: GEO agency, services and costs · barrierefreie-agenturen.de: accessible website costs 2026 · barrierefix.de: what does an accessibility audit cost? (2026)
Frequently asked questions
Since when does the BFSG apply?
Since 28 June 2025. The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz transposes the European Accessibility Act into German law.
What happens in case of non-compliance?
Fines can reach 100,000 euros. That said, no fines issued by the market surveillance authority have become publicly known so far. What has actually happened are warning letters from private law firms demanding roughly 600 to 2,700 euros, some of which specialist lawyers consider legally questionable themselves.
Who enforces it?
The joint market surveillance body of the German federal states for accessibility (MLBF) in Magdeburg. It works primarily reactively, following up on complaints rather than auditing broadly on its own initiative.
Is an automated scan enough for compliance?
No. According to the prevailing expert consensus, automated testing covers only around 30 to 40 percent of the necessary checks; the rest requires human assessment. Our check therefore gives you a solid first finding, not a compliance statement.
What does the full accessibility report cost?
The check with the traffic light is free. The full defect report is available as a single module for 129 euros: it runs a real browser scan against WCAG 2.0/2.1 level A and AA in two screen sizes, with screenshot evidence for the most severe findings and a draft of your accessibility statement. The 490 euro full audit includes it alongside the AI visibility analysis.
Do I need an accessibility statement?
Providers in scope must inform users about the accessibility of their offering. The accessibility module and the full audit both include a prepared draft that you only need to review and adapt to your situation.