Accessibility has been mandatory since June 2025
Since 28 June 2025, the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG), which implements the European Accessibility Act, requires many companies to offer accessible digital products and services. This includes online shops, banking services, booking portals and consumer apps.
Hetz Enterprises tests websites, web applications, apps and PDF documents against WCAG 2.2, EN 301 549 and BITV 2.0 – manually and with tools. You receive a prioritised action plan and a template for your accessibility statement.
Who does the BFSG apply to?
The BFSG applies to products and services aimed at consumers, for example:
- online shops and other e-commerce services
- banking services such as online banking
- telecommunications and passenger transport services
- hardware such as smartphones, ATMs, payment and self-service terminals and e-book readers
Micro-enterprises providing services are exempt: fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million. In case of violations, market surveillance authorities can impose fines of up to EUR 100,000 or prohibit the offering. This information is not legal advice.
Why automated tests alone are not enough
Automated tools only find part of the barriers. Whether a screen reader reads content in a meaningful way, whether everything can be operated by keyboard, or whether the focus order is logical only shows up in a manual audit with real assistive technology.
We combine both: tool-based scans for technical defects and manual testing with screen readers for everything that truly decides accessibility.
What our audit covers
- Automated scan: initial detection of technical barriers with WAVE, axe and Lighthouse.
- Manual audit: keyboard operation, screen reader tests with NVDA and JAWS, contrast analysis and review of all relevant WCAG 2.2 success criteria.
- PDF audit: documents against PDF/UA, such as forms, contracts and bank statements.
- Audit report: every finding with the affected element, violated criterion, severity and a concrete recommendation.
- Accessibility statement: a template based on the audit results.
- Re-test: after implementation we test again and confirm what has been fixed.
Experience from real projects
For the online banking platform of a large financial IT service provider, we test accessibility across several releases per year – the platform went live with no remaining accessibility defects. In the SAP HR portal of a federal authority, we found around 100 barriers, documented them and reported them to the vendor for fixing.
Frequently asked questions
What is an accessibility test?
An accessibility test checks whether people with disabilities can use a website or app, for example with a screen reader, keyboard only or magnification. The benchmark is WCAG 2.2 and EN 301 549.
Which standard applies under the BFSG?
The BFSG refers to harmonised European standards. In practice, EN 301 549 is currently the benchmark; it contains the WCAG 2.1 success criteria at level AA. We additionally test against WCAG 2.2.
Is an automated scan enough?
No. Automated tools only detect part of the barriers. A reliable assessment requires a manual audit with screen readers and keyboard.
How long does an audit take?
That depends on scope and complexity. We typically audit a website with a representative sample of pages within a few days. We will give you the exact effort after the initial call.
