Which framework fits your offering?
Public bodies: distinguish federal and state level
For federal public bodies in Germany, the framework is set in particular by the BGG (Disability Equality Act) and the BITV 2.0 (Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance). This can also include certain institutions outside the direct federal administration. For state and municipal institutions, the regulations of the respective federal state (Land) must be checked. A municipal website is therefore not assessed under the federal BGG alone.
Private offerings: the specific service, not a blanket website obligation
The BFSG (Accessibility Strengthening Act) covers certain products and services, including e-commerce services for consumers. An online shop can therefore be covered even if the goods it sells are not among the products named in the law. The mere existence of a company, club or practice website, on the other hand, does not create a general BFSG obligation for every website. Look in particular at online ordering and booking with regard to a consumer contract.
Define exemptions carefully
The BFSG contains an exemption for micro-enterprises that offer or provide services. The definition combines fewer than ten employees with an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total of no more than two million euros. This service exemption does not apply across the board to covered products. Other exemptions and transitional provisions must fit the specific circumstances; they are not a general free pass for new websites.
Your practical checklist
Document responsibility and scope
Record operator, responsible body, federal state, target group and the features offered. Assign BGG/BITV, state law or a specific BFSG service. Clarify open borderline cases with experts before you publish a legal statement.
Capture representative pages and complete journeys
Include navigation, search, contact forms, login and any ordering or booking journeys. Documents and embedded services belong in the inventory. For a covered shop, it is not enough to look only at the buy button.
Check automatically and manually
Start with the website check and add important page types. Then test keyboard operation, focus order, zoom, error messages and key tasks with a screen reader. Document the test scope and the date of the results.
Fix barriers at the source
Correct labels, structure, contrast, focus states and meaningful image descriptions in the CMS or code. Check payment and authentication functions, including error situations. Involve third-party providers instead of just covering barriers with a widget.
Organise content and feedback appropriately
For federal bodies that are covered, planning also includes the specific BITV requirements for explanations in German Sign Language and easy read (Leichte Sprache). An AI draft in plain language does not automatically meet these requirements. Name the people responsible for feedback and improvements.
Check again after changes
Test new templates, content and integrations again. Compare scans with the same test scope and add manual acceptance checks. Keep a traceable record of known limitations and of barriers that have actually been fixed.
Publish the right information
Public accessibility statements, including feedback and enforcement information, must be distinguished from the information on covered services under the BFSG. Use the right legal framework for your body or service. The Accessonaut generator provides an editable draft; you must add known barriers, test methods and responsibilities accurately.
Create and maintain a draft statementApply it to your area of work
The legal form alone does not tell you which requirements apply. Also check who runs the service, what exactly it offers and the people who use it.
From the first check to lasting improvement
The free check examines one publicly accessible page. Use the result as a starting point and add manual tests. A successful automated result proves neither full WCAG conformance nor compliance with all legal obligations.
- Check more pages and monitor changes
- Review image texts in the context of the page
- Develop understandable texts with expert review
A widget can offer personal reading aids. It does not replace fixes in the source code, sign-language content, testing with assistive technologies or an appropriate legal assessment.
Check your website for freeOfficial sources and status
Content reviewed on 8 November 2026. Scope, exemptions and the competent procedures must fit your specific offering. You will find updates and the original texts at the linked bodies. The official sources are in German.