Accessible Website as Part of Your Digital Strategy

Accessible websites are an important issue. IT decision-makers bear responsibility as the legal framework becomes stricter and user expectations increase. Digital inclusion is becoming a quality factor. An accessible website is both an obligation and a strategic differentiation tool.

With the Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG) coming into force on June 28, 2025, digital products and services will become a legal requirement for many companies. This applies in particular to:

• E-commerce provider
• Banks and financial service providers
• Mobility and transport companies
• Communication service provider

The law requires compliance with clearly defined standards, including the international guidelines of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, at least level AA, and the standard EN 301 549 for digital products and services. Companies that violate these requirements risk fines, warnings, or loss of reputation.

However, legal compliance is only part of the truth. Those who integrate accessibility into their digital strategy at an early stage will benefit from measurable advantages, both technically and economically.

Digital accessibility means that websites, apps, and digital services are accessible to everyone, regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive limitations. This pays off in several ways:

1. Larger range

   Around 13 million people with disabilities live in Germany. There are also older user groups and people with temporary disabilities (e.g., following accidents). An accessible website, therefore, reaches a significantly broader target group - an aspect that is particularly important for IT-supported customer portals, e-commerce solutions, or self-service offerings.

2. Improved user experience

   Accessible design promotes clear navigation, consistent operating patterns, and reduced complexity. This benefits not only people with disabilities, but also all users. In practice, this means:

   - Intuitive usability

   - Lower bounce rates

   - Higher completion rates

   - Faster loading times (e.g., through optimized media formats or clean code structures)

3. Higher visibility and SEO performance

   Accessibility requires clean, semantic content markup. Structured headings, alt texts for images, logical tab sequences, and clear form labels also improve machine readability by search engines. The result: better rankings and more organic traffic.

4. Technical robustness

   Accessible systems are characterized by a consistent, standards-compliant code base. They are easier to maintain, easier to expand and are usually less prone to errors. For IT teams, this means less effort in operation and further development in the long term. This ensures that digital applications work consistently with assistive technologies and meet the requirements of barrier-free user interaction in the long term.

5. Competitive and innovative advantage

   The topic is becoming increasingly relevant, especially in tenders, when acquiring new partners, and in employer branding. An accessible digital presence signals responsibility, innovative strength, and future orientation. Companies that actively embrace accessibility are seen as more attractive and credible, a competitive advantage in a competitive market that should not be underestimated.

An often underestimated aspect: accessibility drives technical excellence. Those who systematically consider accessibility automatically improve their digital products in many areas, including

• Frontend architecture
• Design systems
• UX concepts
• Testing and quality assurance

Therefore, accessibility is a clear lever for sustainably increasing digital quality, particularly for IT decision-makers. In addition, the maturity level of the development organization increases, not least through new skills, processes, and toolchains.

In addition, practice shows that accessible products can be adapted more quickly, are easier to maintain, and are more scalable. Technical sustainability and future viability increase noticeably, a crucial aspect in increasingly complex IT environments.

Many companies underestimate the consequences of a lack of accessibility - but the effects are serious:

• Reputational damage: Users exclude companies that exclude them.
• Competitive disadvantages: In tenders or when recruiting, a lack of inclusion can be a knock-out criterion.
• Legal consequences: With the BFSG, there will be severe sanctions for violations from 2025.
• High retrofitting costs: If you address accessibility too late, you will have to make costly improvements to existing systems.

Addressing accessibility at an early stage not only saves costs, but also strengthens the resilience of your IT infrastructure.