Accessibility / BFSG 2025
BFSG for medical practices: what practice owners need to know now
Many practice websites offer consumer-facing services such as online appointment booking, and can therefore fall within the scope of the BFSG. This guide shows the typical barriers on a practice site, what the law means for you and how to check your website in a few minutes.
01 Background
Why the BFSG can apply to your practice
The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) has applied since 28 June 2025. Where a practice website offers consumer-facing services in electronic commerce, such as online appointment booking, it can fall within its scope. The technical benchmark is WCAG 2.1 AA, via the European standard EN 301 549. This guide gives you an initial orientation and is not legal advice.
02 Typical barriers
Common barriers on a practice website
Many practice websites fail on the same recurring issues. These are the barriers our instant check finds most often:
03 What this means for you
What this means for you
These are general risk notes, not legal advice. They help you gauge what non-compliance can entail.
Enforcement and risk
Compliance is monitored by the market surveillance authorities of the federal states. Breaches can lead to complaints, orders and fines, and may also trigger competition-law warnings from competitors.
Microenterprise exemption
For services, microenterprises are exempt: fewer than 10 employees and no more than 2 million euros in annual turnover or balance sheet total. Both criteria must be met. Many smaller practices may fall under this exemption. This is a rough pointer, not a legal assessment.
Whether an exemption applies to your specific practice should be assessed professionally.
Not sure whether the BFSG applies to you? Read our guide on who is affected.
04 Next steps
Check your practice website in three steps
Run the free instant check
Enter your practice address and see in seconds where your website meets WCAG 2.1 AA and where it falls short.
Fix issues by priority
Work through the findings in order of impact, starting with the barriers that affect the most patients and the appointment booking.
Publish an accessibility statement
Provide an accessibility statement describing the state of accessibility and how patients can report barriers.
Next step: read our guide on the accessibility statement and its mandatory content.
Run an online shop? Read our dedicated guide on the BFSG for online shops.
05 Frequently asked
Questions about the BFSG for practices
Does the BFSG apply to my practice website?
It depends on your offering. Where a practice website provides consumer-facing services in electronic commerce, such as online appointment booking, it can fall within the scope of the BFSG. Microenterprises may be exempt for services (fewer than 10 employees and no more than 2 million euros turnover or balance sheet total). Whether you are specifically affected should be assessed case by case.
Is an accessibility overlay enough?
No. Accessibility overlays do not solve the problem. They sit on top of your website and cannot reliably fix underlying barriers such as missing labels, poor contrast or keyboard traps in the booking flow; in some cases they make things worse. Real accessibility has to be built into the site itself.
How quickly can I check my website?
The free instant check runs in seconds without sign-up and shows where your website meets the requirements and where it does not. It offers automated guidance and does not replace a manual audit.
Check your practice website now
Run the free instant check and see in seconds where your website stands on accessibility.
More about the BFSG instant check
This guide provides orientation and does not replace legal advice.