Who actually enforces this?

The market surveillance authority of each German federal state. In Berlin it is LAGetSi (Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz, Gesundheitsschutz und technische Sicherheit). Consumer-protection associations can also issue formal warnings (Abmahnungen). Both paths lead quickly to concrete requirements and deadlines.

We're a small shop. Are we even affected?

It depends. What matters is whether you sell goods or services, your annual revenue, and your headcount. The small-business exemption only applies to service offerings below specific thresholds. As soon as you sell physical products, you are typically in scope. We check this in a free 15-minute call.

How long does the Quick-Check take?

Three working days for audit and written report. One week for the fixes on the critical findings. A few more days for the accessibility statement and handover. Total elapsed time is two to three weeks.

Do we need to re-audit later?

Recommended. Every major site change brings in new findings, such as new templates, new payment methods, or new plugins. We offer either monthly monitoring with automated diff reports, or an annual re-audit at half the price.

What if we have already received a warning (Abmahnung)?

Call us, no form. For active warnings or fine proceedings, we put together a 24-hour immediate plan. We prioritize the critical findings, identify the fastest legally defensible path, and draft the written response for the law firm involved.

What does a larger audit cost beyond the Quick-Check?

The Quick-Check at the fixed price of €1,490 is sized for shops with up to roughly 50 templates. For multilingual shops, custom web apps, or complex booking flows we put together a Full Audit or Enterprise scope on request. We estimate the work transparently after a 30-minute initial call.

Do you really deliver the accessibility statement as well?

Yes, it is part of the fixed price. We write the text based on your actual findings, not from a generator. You get the finished subpage live, with the feedback mechanism the BFSG requires.

What do you think of overlay tools that promise \"BFSG compliance in one line of code\"?

Not much. Overlay tools hide problems instead of fixing them, and most of the accessibility community treats them as not legally compliant. We deliver real compliance in the code, not a script layered on top.

Accessibility audit (BFSG) for online shops

We audit your shop against WCAG 2.1 AA, fix the critical findings, and publish your accessibility statement. Fixed price, three weeks, written report.

Free first conversation See price

The problem

Since 28 June 2025, Germany’s Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), the national transposition of the EU Accessibility Act (EAA), has been in force. Anyone selling goods or services electronically to consumers must offer their shop accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA and publish an accessibility statement (Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit) as a separate subpage. Violations carry fines of up to €100,000, plus stop-orders from the state market-surveillance authorities.

The deadline has already passed. What began as cautious enforcement is now ramping up. State market surveillance is active, consumer-protection associations send formal warnings, and a growing number of fine proceedings have started to make headlines. Many small and mid-sized shops in Germany aren’t compliant, often without knowing it. The typical findings: booking widgets that can’t be operated by keyboard, forms without error association, contrasts below threshold, missing alt text, and in many cases no accessibility statement at all.

Waiting for the first warning letter means negotiating under time pressure and on bad footing. Auditing now means fixing in peace and documenting cleanly.

Our solution

We run a complete audit against WCAG 2.1 AA: automated with axe-core, Pa11y, Lighthouse, and WAVE, manual with keyboard navigation and screen-reader testing (NVDA), plus contrast and mobile checks. You receive a written report with prioritized fixes, we implement the critical findings in code, and we publish your accessibility statement as a compliant subpage with the legally required feedback mechanism.

We deliver what we sell. Halfsquare runs its own website to BFSG standards. Our own accessibility statement is here; the same audit, the same tools, the same process we apply to your shop.

What it costs

Setup (fixed price)

from €1,490

Monthly care

€49 / month optional

Included:

· Automated scan of your shop with axe-core, Pa11y, Lighthouse, and WAVE
· Manual keyboard navigation of every purchase and booking flow
· Screen-reader test with NVDA on Firefox and Chrome
· Color-contrast audit of every brand element against WCAG AA thresholds
· Mobile audit on iOS and Android, including touch targets and zoom behavior
· Written report with prioritization (Critical / High / Medium / Low), reproduction steps, and screenshots
· Fix sprint for the critical and high-priority findings
· Accessibility statement (Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit) published as a compliant subpage
· Feedback mechanism for users (legally required)
· 30-minute handover walkthrough of the findings

Not included:

· Full redesigns or site relaunches
· Deep rework of custom themes or in-house frontend frameworks (on request)
· Legal advice for ongoing warnings or fine proceedings (please call us directly)
· Translation of your content into plain or easy language (separate service)

How it works

Step 01

Days 1–3
Audit
- · Automated baseline scan across representative pages
- · Manual keyboard and screen-reader tests of purchase and booking flows
- · Color-contrast and mobile audit
- · Written report with prioritization and reproduction steps
Step 02

Days 4–10
Fix sprint
- · Code fixes for critical findings (alt text, ARIA labels, semantic HTML, focus management, skip links)
- · CSS adjustments for contrast, focus indicators, and 200% zoom
- · Hardening of forms (labels, error association, autocomplete)
- · Re-test against the original finding after every fix
Step 03

Days 11–14
Statement and handover
- · Accessibility statement live as a standalone subpage
- · Feedback mechanism set up to receive accessibility reports
- · Written handover with finding status and remaining recommendations
- · Optional: activation of monthly monitoring for automated re-scans

Who it fits, and who it does not

A good fit for:

· Shopify, WooCommerce, and Shopware shops in Berlin
· Hotels running their own booking engine on the site
· Ticketing and event platforms with online sales
· Restaurants with online ordering or prepayment
· Yoga, fitness, and coaching providers with online booking and payment
· Online practices and therapy platforms taking patient payments
· Online academies and course platforms

Not a good fit for:

· Pure B2B SaaS and B2B service providers (not in scope under BFSG)
· Information-only websites without any purchase or booking function
· Large enterprises with their own compliance team and accredited test body
· Public administration (BITV 2.0 applies, different specialists fit better)

Tools we set up

axe-core
NVDA
Pa11y
Lighthouse
WAVE

Common questions

Let us talk for 15 minutes.

Not a sales pitch. We look at your situation and tell you honestly whether we can help. If not, we tell you who the better fit would be.

Book a call

The problem

Our solution

What it costs

How it works

Who it fits, and who it does not

Tools we set up

Common questions

Who actually enforces this?+

We're a small shop. Are we even affected?+

How long does the Quick-Check take?+

Do we need to re-audit later?+

What if we have already received a warning (Abmahnung)?+

What does a larger audit cost beyond the Quick-Check?+

Do you really deliver the accessibility statement as well?+

What do you think of overlay tools that promise \"BFSG compliance in one line of code\"?+

Let us talk for 15 minutes.