The new BFSG will soon come into force. It must be implemented by 28 June 2025 and aims to improve the digital participation of the population by obliging economic players to improve accessibility.
๐งโ๐ป The law defines accessibility in such a way that goods and services must be easily accessible and usable for people with disabilities. In addition to visual impairments, it also takes into account physical, cognitive and age-related impairments as well as learning disabilities.
๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐โ ๏ธ
The law stipulates that digital services must be designed to be accessible if a company has at least ten employees or an annual turnover of two million euros. Technical accessibility means that all interactive elements must be accessible. This includes navigation elements, forms and buttons. The content must also be accessible: Alt texts for images, subtitles for videos and a good text structure are essential. Colour schemes, simple language, font sizes and contrasts must also be recognisable for people with visual impairments.
๐ฆ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ก
Online retailers should first take stock of their web presence in order to decide how they can implement the BFSG. As a rule, only a few adjustments are necessary to improve performance and usability for all user groups on the website. Specialised tools and services help to identify weak points, for example. These measures not only affect your own website, but also communication via apps and social media.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ & ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ธ
The BFSG provides for penalties of up to 100,000 euros if companies do not take accessibility seriously. In extreme cases, market surveillance authorities can even order the discontinuation of a service.
To avoid the threat of a wave of warnings, it is therefore worth analysing and implementing measures at an early stage.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป? ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐๐๐โ๏ธ
It can also be useful to involve people with disabilities directly in the development process in order to obtain valuable information and ensure the effectiveness of the measures.
This allows online retailers to contribute to inclusion and expand their customer base, among other things. Investing in accessibility therefore pays off both legally and commercially.
