Reicht ein Barrierefreiheits-Plugin oder Overlay aus?

Nein. Overlays verändern die Darstellung im Browser, während fehlerhafter Code, fehlende Labels und falsche Überschriften bestehen bleiben. Für eine belastbare Umsetzung nach WCAG 2.1 AA müssen die Ursachen im Theme und in den Inhalten behoben werden.

Muss ich meine Website komplett neu bauen lassen?

In den meisten Fällen nicht. Kontraste, Fokusdarstellung, Formulare und Alternativtexte lassen sich in einer bestehenden Website korrigieren. Ein Neuaufbau ist nur dann sinnvoll, wenn die technische Grundlage saubere Semantik kaum zulässt.

Welcher Standard gilt für das BFSG?

Für Websites orientiert sich die Umsetzung in der Praxis an der europäischen Norm EN 301 549, die für Webinhalte auf WCAG 2.1 in der Stufe AA verweist. Diesen Standard lege ich meiner Prüfung zugrunde.

Findet ein automatischer Test alle Barrieren?

Nein. Werkzeuge wie axe erkennen zuverlässig technische Mängel wie zu geringe Kontraste oder fehlende Attribute. Ob ein Alternativtext sinnvoll ist oder die Tastaturreihenfolge logisch verläuft, lässt sich nur manuell prüfen.

Was kostet es, eine Website barrierefrei zu machen?

Der Aufwand hängt von der Zahl der Seitentypen, den eingesetzten Erweiterungen und dem Zustand des Codes ab. Nach dem kostenfreien Erstgespräch und einer ersten Sichtung erhalten Sie ein schriftliches Angebot mit klar abgegrenztem Leistungsumfang.

Bleibt meine Website nach der Umsetzung dauerhaft barrierefrei?

Nur wenn neue Inhalte dieselben Regeln einhalten. Deshalb gehört eine kurze Einweisung für Ihr Redaktionsteam zur Übergabe, und bei größeren Änderungen empfiehlt sich eine erneute Prüfung.

Accessibility under BFSG

Make existing website accessible

An existing website can be made accessible in most cases without rebuilding it completely. A thorough audit according to WCAG 2.1 AA is decisive, because only it shows whether the barriers lie in individual content, the theme or the technical foundation.

I test your website automatically and manually, fix the accessibility barriers found directly in the code and document the results so that you can provide verifiable evidence of compliance with the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG).

Elias Arndt

Web development, programming and AI
★★★★★ 5,0 on Google

Request a project

Describe your project in a few sentences. You will receive a personal response.

How to recognize barriers on your website

Many accessibility barriers are barely noticeable in everyday use because most visitors use a mouse and have good vision. A simple self-test quickly reveals them: put the mouse aside and try to operate your website using only the Tab and Enter keys. If you cannot tell which element is currently selected, if the menu cannot be opened or if you get stuck in a cookie banner, you have already found the first barriers.

Other typical signs include light gray text on a white background, forms that, after submission, show only red-outlined fields without explanation, and images that are read aloud to screen readers merely as a filename. Text that gets cut off when zoomed to 200 percent or runs sideways off the screen also falls into this category.

The BFSG has been in force since June 28, 2025. It requires many providers of services for consumers, such as those offering an online shop, booking process or contact form for concluding a contract, to provide an accessible service. Microenterprises with fewer than ten employees and annual sales of no more than two million euros are generally exempt as service providers. You should have a legal assessment of whether your website is affected in your specific case. Technically, WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark guiding implementation.

Where technical barriers arise

Most deficiencies can be traced back to a few causes. Once you know them, you can fix them once in the right place instead of patching every page individually.

Insufficient contrasts

WCAG 2.1 AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text. The cause is often found in the theme’s color specifications, so a central adjustment can correct many pages at once.

Missing alternative texts

Informational images need a description, while decorative images need an empty alt attribute. These are often confused or forgotten entirely in content management systems.

No keyboard operability

Menus, accordions and sliders from page builders often respond only to mouse clicks. In addition, many themes remove the visible focus outline because it is considered distracting.

Unlabeled form fields

Placeholder text in a field does not replace a real label. Error messages must also appear as text and be associated with the respective field so that screen readers can read them aloud.

Unclear page structure

Headings selected solely based on font size, and missing landmarks such as navigation or the main region, make orientation more difficult. Screen reader users navigate through the page via this structure.

Dynamically loaded widgets

Embedded maps, chat windows, booking modules and cookie banners often come from third-party providers. Their accessibility barriers can only be remedied in part, which is why their selection should also be reviewed.

Overlay tools

Scripts that promise accessibility at the push of a button alter the display afterwards in the browser. They do not repair the underlying code, and some even create new problems for screen readers.

How I make your existing website accessible

Initial assessment

I test a representative selection of your page types automatically with axe and then manually using a keyboard, zoom and a screen reader. Automated tools detect only some of the criteria, such as contrasts and missing labels; only a person can assess an understandable order and meaningful alternative texts.

Prioritization

You receive a list of the deficiencies, sorted by impact and effort. Barriers in the contact form, checkout or booking process are listed first because they prevent people from reaching the actual goal of the website.

Fixes in the code

I correct the theme, templates and custom components at the source, for example color variables, focus styling, ARIA attributes and form logic. The changes are made in a staging environment and only go live after your approval.

Re-testing

After implementation, I repeat the automated and manual review. This lets you see in black and white which deficiencies have been remedied and where limitations still remain, for example with third-party content.

Explanation and maintenance

To conclude, I support you with the accessibility statement and show your team what to pay attention to when adding new content. Accessibility is only maintained if new images, PDFs and pages follow the same rules.

From practice: website of a real estate agent

For the website of a real estate agent from Schleswig-Holstein, I implemented accessibility according to WCAG 2.1 AA. The automated check with axe reports 0 violations on 19 tested pages.

The property search was particularly challenging. It is based on a custom WordPress plugin with filters by location and property type, and precisely these kinds of interactive filters are often barely usable with a keyboard and screen readers in many off-the-shelf solutions. Because the code was developed in-house, the interaction could be corrected at the source.

The same project includes a dedicated SEO plugin with titles, descriptions and structured data for brokers and property listings. Clean headings and a clear page structure help screen readers and search engines alike.

When retrofitting reaches its limits

Retrofitting is worthwhile as long as the technical foundation is viable. If your website comes from an outdated site builder or a page builder that packs every element into many nested containers, the effort required for clean semantics may be greater than rebuilding it. In this case, I will discuss openly with you whether a website relaunch is the more economical solution.

Accessibility and loading time are also closely connected. When adding images with alternative texts, you can compress them in the same process, and leaner code helps screen readers as well as mobile devices. If your website is too slow, both topics can therefore be addressed together effectively.

After completion, regular website maintenance keeps the achieved standard in place, because updates to the theme and extensions can overwrite individual improvements.

Frequently asked questions about accessible websites

Is an accessibility plugin or overlay enough?

No. Overlays alter the display in the browser, while faulty code, missing labels and incorrect headings remain. For a reliable implementation according to WCAG 2.1 AA, the causes must be fixed in the theme and the content.

Do I need to have my website completely rebuilt?

In most cases, no. Contrasts, focus display, forms and alternative texts can be corrected on an existing website. A rebuild is only sensible if the technical foundation barely allows clean semantics.

Which standard applies to the BFSG?

For websites, implementation in practice is based on the European standard EN 301 549, which refers to WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content. I use this standard as the basis for my review.

Does an automated test find all accessibility barriers?

No. Tools such as axe reliably detect technical deficiencies such as insufficient contrast or missing attributes. Whether alternative text is useful or the keyboard order is logical can only be checked manually.

What does it cost to make a website accessible?

The effort depends on the number of page types, the extensions used and the condition of the code. After the free initial consultation and an initial review, you will receive a written proposal with a clearly defined scope of services.

Will my website remain accessible permanently after implementation?

Only if new content follows the same rules. That is why a brief briefing for your editorial team is part of the handover, and a further review is recommended for major changes.

Have your website tested for accessibility barriers

Briefly tell me which website this concerns and which functions your customers use there. In the free initial consultation, we will determine together what scope of testing makes sense for you.

Available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Related topics: Website relaunch · Website too slow · WordPress maintenance · Web development, programming and AI