Accessibility & compliance — the overview
Since 2025, digital accessibility is mandatory for private companies too. Here’s your orientation: the German law, the EU framework, the technical standard and the statement obligation — each in two sentences, with a link to go deeper.
What it’s about
With the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG), digital accessibility has applied to many private companies since 28 June 2025 — especially to online shops and digital services. Who is affected depends on the offering and the company size. The four topics below give you the complete framework.
The four building blocks at a glance
BFSG — the German law
The Accessibility Strengthening Act makes accessibility binding for private providers. Who is affected, which deadlines apply and which fines loom. Learn more →
European Accessibility Act — the EU framework
The EU directive behind the BFSG. It harmonises the requirements across Europe — important if you offer beyond Germany. Learn more →
WCAG — the technical standard
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the benchmark accessibility is measured against: principles, levels (A/AA/AAA) and versions. Learn more →
Accessibility statement — the mandatory documentation
What the statement must contain, who needs it — and why it shouldn’t be confused with the statement for public bodies. Learn more →
How Welcoma supports you
Welcoma doesn’t replace legal advice and doesn’t make your site “compliant at the push of a button”. But it helps in the right places: an on-screen menu that improves usability for your visitors right away, a WCAG scanner (in preparation) that surfaces real issues, and a statement generator as a template for your statement. Real compliance emerges once the causes in the code are fixed — and Welcoma shows you where. For WordPress: accessibility plugin for WordPress.
Frequently asked questions about accessibility compliance
From when is accessibility mandatory for my company?
Since 28 June 2025 the BFSG applies to many private providers — details and exemptions on the BFSG page. Not legal advice.
What’s the difference between BFSG, EAA and WCAG?
The EAA is the EU directive, the BFSG its German implementation, the WCAG the technical standard accessibility is measured against.
Do I need an accessibility statement?
If your offering falls under the BFSG, as a rule yes — what goes into it is on the statement page.
Does an accessibility widget make my site compliant automatically?
No. A widget supports usability; compliance only emerges from fixing the causes in the code.
Where does your site stand?
Check your website and see which barriers are worth fixing first.