Accessibility Reinforcement Act
Accessibility Reinforcement Act
Accessibility is an important topic because it is about ensuring that people with different abilities and needs have equal access to information, products, and services. It is a fundamental principle of inclusion and enables people with disabilities, as well as older people, people with temporary limitations, or even temporary needs, to fully participate in social life. In the context of the digital world, accessibility means that websites, mobile applications, and other digital offerings must be designed in a way that they are accessible and usable for all people. This includes, for example, people with visual or hearing impairments, motor limitations, or cognitive impairments.
With the Accessibility Reinforcement Act, private sector companies will also be required for the first time to offer certain products and services in a barrier-free manner starting from June 28, 2025. We will explain to you which products and services are affected by the law and how you can prepare for the new requirements.
Note: This article cannot and should not be considered legal advice. You should always consult a legal advisor for any legal questions.
Background
Already in October 2016, the EU Directive 2016/2102 on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies came into force. Based on this, the German Equality for Persons with Disabilities Act (BGG) requires public sector bodies to make their websites and other digital services accessible. In June 2019, the European Accessibility Act (EAA, EU Directive 2019/882) was adopted, which was transposed into national law by the Accessibility Strengthening Act at the beginning of 2021.
What is the goal of the Accessibility Reinforcement Act?
The aim of the law is to ensure the accessibility of products and services in the interest of consumers and users, thereby enabling people with disabilities to participate equally in social life. At the same time, the law also takes into account the goal of harmonizing the internal market.
Which products and services are affected?
The law stipulates that the following products may only be offered in a barrier-free manner starting from the deadline of June 28, 2025:
Computers, notebooks, tablets, smartphones, and mobile phones including their respective operating systems.
Self-service terminals such as ATMs, ticket machines, and check-in machines.
TV sets with internet access
E-Book Reader
A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks.
In addition, the following services must be provided barrier-free from June 28, 2025:
Telephone services
E-Books
Messenger services
Services offered on mobile devices in interregional passenger transport (including apps)
Banking services
electronic commerce
Passenger transport services (with restrictions for urban and regional transport)
Barrier-free means that products and services are "discoverable, accessible, and usable by people with disabilities in the generally customary manner, without special difficulty and fundamentally without external assistance." Some exceptions apply to content serving as archives that are no longer updated or edited after the deadline, as well as to videos and documents in office software formats, provided they were published before June 28, 2025.
Which companies are covered by the Barrier-Free Strengthening Act?
The Product Safety Act applies to all companies that are manufacturers, distributors, or importers of an affected product or offer one of the services mentioned in the law. Only micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and a maximum annual turnover of 2 million euros are exempt from the law if they only offer services.
Is my website also affected by the Accessibility Reinforcement Act?
The Accessibility Reinforcement Act is mainly intended to ensure the interests of consumers. If you operate exclusively in the B2B sector, the law is therefore unlikely to have any impact on your website.
It's different for e-commerce providers or e.g. banks. These offers fall directly under the Accessibility Reinforcement Act and must therefore be designed to be barrier-free. But websites without an e-commerce offer can also be affected. The law refers to services that are "provided electronically and at the individual request of a consumer with a view to concluding a consumer contract". This means that even an inquiry or reservation form may be sufficient to fall within the scope of the law.
If your website falls under the Web Accessibility Enhancement Act and you have not yet taken any measures to ensure accessibility, we recommend first conducting a website test. Subsequently, the necessary adjustments can be planned and implemented.
webit! has extensive experience in implementing barrier-free websites and is happy to support you with your project. Just ask us.
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Do you want to know how accessible your website is?
Accessibility is a prerequisite for a sustainable web presence - technically, legally, and above all in the interest of your users. We support you in assessing the current status of your website and show concrete ways in which you can implement the requirements of the Web Accessibility Act in a practical manner. Get advice without obligation - together we will make your website accessible.
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