BFSG & European Accessibility Act 2025: The Definitive Compliance Guide
Everything commercial websites, e-commerce stores, and SaaS applications need to know about the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and EN 301 549 standards.
On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) take full legal effect. For the first time, digital accessibility requirements extend beyond public sector bodies to private commercial businesses offering B2C digital services.
Here is a practical breakdown of core obligations, technical standards, and next steps for engineering and product teams.
1. Who is Covered by the Act?
The regulation applies to all economic operators providing digital consumer services across the EU, including:
- E-Commerce & Online Stores: Product catalogues, shopping carts, and checkout payment gateways.
- Banking & Financial Services: Online banking, account portals, and loan applications.
- Transport & Ticketing: Booking platforms for rail, flights, and public transit.
- Digital Media & E-Books: Video on demand, digital readers, and streaming apps.
- Telecommunication Services: Messaging platforms and customer portals.
2. Technical Requirements under EN 301 549
The legal framework references harmonized European Standard EN 301 549, which aligns with WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 Level AA.
Key pillars include:
- Full Keyboard Operability: All workflows must be navigable without a pointing device.
- Robust Color Contrast: Minimum 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for graphical UI elements.
- Screen Reader Compatibility: Semantic HTML5 elements and accurate ARIA labeling.
- No Focus Traps: Modals and dropdowns must trap focus safely and release it on
Escape.
3. Mandatory Feedback & Dispute Mechanism
Businesses must publish an accessible Accessibility Statement along with an intuitive Feedback Mechanism allowing visitors to report barriers. If an organization fails to remedy a reported blocker within a reasonable timeframe (typically 6 weeks), users can initiate free arbitration procedures.
Summary & Next Steps
Audit your core user journeys today using Wabiy Studio to identify contrast violations, keyboard traps, and missing labels before enforcement begins.
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