In short: The European Accessibility Act (EAA) has applied since 28 June 2025 to online stores that sell to consumers in the EU. Germany implements it as the BFSG. Only microenterprises with fewer than ten employees and no more than two million euros in annual turnover or balance sheet total are exempt. In practice the benchmark is WCAG, level AA.
Who the law affects
Anyone selling online to consumers in the EU who doesn’t fall under the microenterprise exemption. Each EU country has its own law based on the directive, so details vary slightly.
What to check in your store
- Contrast: light grey text on white is hard to read for many people.
- Keyboard: the whole purchase has to work without a mouse, from product to payment.
- Image descriptions: product images need alt text that says what’s shown.
- Forms: every field has a visible label. Error messages say what’s wrong.
- Text size: the page has to stay usable when zoomed to 200 percent.
- Videos: captions when someone speaks.
The accessibility statement
You have to describe on your website how your store meets the requirements. Usually that’s a separate page linked in the footer.
How we start
With a pass through the homepage, one category, one product and the checkout, on mobile and with a keyboard. Most issues sit in the theme and can be fixed in one place for all pages.
This is not legal advice. If you’re unsure whether the exemption applies to you, check with a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Does the EAA apply to small stores too?
For services, only microenterprises are exempt: fewer than ten employees and no more than two million euros in annual turnover or balance sheet total.
Is an accessibility plugin enough?
Usually not. Overlays change how the page looks but rarely fix the causes in the code, like missing labels or a checkout that doesn’t work without a mouse.
What happens if a store isn’t accessible?
Market surveillance authorities can raise issues and impose fines. The exact rules depend on the country.