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The Accessibility Enhancement Act (BFSG) has been in full force in Germany since June 28, 2025. For the first time, it obliges private economic actors to make their digital offerings—i.e., websites, apps, and online services—accessible. For B2B companies, the question may arise: Does this affect us at all? The short answer is – legally speaking, no. The strategically relevant answer is much more complex.
The BFSG transposes European Directive 2019/882 into German law. For the first time, private economic operators are now obliged to ensure accessibility – albeit exclusively in the B2C sector.
The law applies to online shops, banking services for consumers, passenger transport, e-books, and self-service terminals. Purely B2B offerings, micro-enterprises, and private offerings are exempt.
Important for you: B2B companies that exclusively offer services to other companies and have no direct contact with end consumers are not affected by the law.
We'll show you why your company should still address digital accessibility. To do this, it's worth taking a look at the technical standards prescribed by the BFSG.
The BFSG requires compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at conformity level AA. These are based on four principles:
The WCAG 2.2 – first published in October 2023 and updated in December 2024 – supplements these requirements with new success criteria that further improve usability and comprehensibility in particular. New features include: a keyboard focus that is always visible and not hidden, assistance with authentication without cognitive tests such as captchas (e.g., alternative verification methods), consistent placement of help functions (e.g., contact or FAQ), and the avoidance of complex gestures or precise movements during operation.
You may be thinking: Why should you, as a B2B company, implement these standards if you are not required to do so?
People do not lose their limitations in a professional context. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are 7.9 million severely disabled people living in Germany, 575,000 people with functional limitations in their arms or legs, and 190,000 with hearing impairments—many of whom are of working age. In addition, there are 6.2 million functionally illiterate people and another 10.6 million people with reading and writing difficulties.
But permanent limitations are only part of the reality. Situational factors affect everyone: sunlight on the display, a baby in your arms, fatigue after long meetings. Accessibility means equal access for all people – in every situation.
Practical example: A software provider loses a major contract because its demo platform is not compatible with screen readers. The decision-maker at the potential customer is visually impaired – the order goes to a competitor.
Accessibility fundamentally improves the user experience for everyone. Clear structures, unambiguous navigation, sufficient contrast – every user benefits from this.
This is evident in concrete terms: expanded target groups through inclusive design, higher conversion rates through appropriate, non-discriminatory language, reduced bounce rates through structured information and keyboard operation – because this also enables easy navigation for people without a mouse, such as those with motor impairments – and enhanced visibility through compatibility with assistive technologies.
Practical example: A mechanical engineering company redesigns its online configurator to be accessible. All input fields are labeled, contrasts are improved, and operation is made possible entirely via keyboard. The result: Not only do users with disabilities benefit – experienced engineers also find their way around more quickly and can complete configurations faster, as the user guidance is clearer and operating errors are less frequent.
Search engines require similar structural information to screen readers: semantically correct HTML, meaningful heading hierarchies, and descriptive alt text. An accessible website is demonstrably better understood, indexed, and ranked—in classic search results and increasingly also in AI-supported responses such as ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews. Studies now show that improvements in accessibility are often accompanied by measurably higher organic traffic and better visibility.
The legal situation is not static. Your business partners in the B2C sector may increasingly demand accessible solutions from B2B suppliers as well. Other markets may have stricter regulations. Accessibility is increasingly becoming a selection criterion in public tenders.
Practical example: An IT service provider can participate in an EU-wide tender because its platform is already accessible. Competitors without the appropriate preparation are excluded.
Digital inclusion is part of social responsibility. Companies that voluntarily commit to accessibility position themselves as socially responsible and forward-looking. At a time when ESG criteria are becoming increasingly important for investors, talent, and business partners, accessible websites tap into larger target groups and create access that competitors may still be ignoring.
1. Determine the status quo: A professional accessibility audit identifies critical barriers, quick wins, and long-term optimization potential.
2. Prioritize strategically: Not everything has to be perfect right away. Focus on three key requirements first:
Prioritize core functions such as contact forms and product searches, high-traffic areas, and elements that your employees also use.
3. Train your team: Accessibility affects content managers, designers, and developers alike.
4. Establish processes: Integrate accessibility into your standard workflows: checklists for new features, automated testing in development, regular reviews.
5. Communicate your commitment: Create an accessibility statement, offer feedback channels, and demonstrate continuous improvement.
In Germany alone, around 9.5% of the population—approximately 7.9 million people—belong to the target group that can be better reached through optimized accessibility. This is potential that would otherwise remain untapped.
For new developments, accessibility can incur additional costs of around 5-15% – a manageable investment. For existing websites, the cost depends on the current state. A professional audit enables prioritized implementation. Step-by-step improvement is legitimate and sensible.
The return on investment: larger target group, fewer support requests, better SEO performance, reduced risk of future adaptation costs.
The BFSG may not legally oblige B2B companies to comply, but anyone who concludes from this that they do not need to concern themselves with digital accessibility is missing out on a strategic opportunity. The question is not whether you should address accessibility, but when you should start. Because those who think about accessibility today are shaping the digital experience of tomorrow.
Uhura supports you with accessibility audits, UX and GEO/SEO visibility to test and optimize your current digital applications and website. Just ask.
