01What it’s about
Accessible means everyone can use your website – without a mouse, with a screen reader or with poor eyesight.
Since 28 June 2025, Austria’s Accessibility Act (BaFG) has been in force. It implements an EU directive and requires certain products and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. For websites, this mainly concerns so-called e-commerce.
Many companies are unsure whether they need to act now. The good news: not every website is covered – and planning for accessibility pays off anyway.
02Who it affects
- 01
Online shops
If you sell goods or services online, you are usually affected.
- 02
Bookings and contracts
Appointment booking with a contract, tickets or subscriptions can also be covered.
- 03
Micro-enterprise exemption
Fewer than ten employees and no more than two million euros in turnover or balance sheet total – exempt for services.
- 04
Information-only websites
A company website without contract conclusion is usually not covered.
03What makes a website accessible
Most barriers aren’t caused by technology but by a lack of care.
The benchmark is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at level AA. Behind them are mostly achievable points:
- sufficient contrast and readable font sizes
- full keyboard operation with a visible focus
- alternative text for images and labels for form fields
- a clean heading structure and clear link texts
- captions for videos and no content that works through colour alone
On top of this comes an accessibility statement describing how your service meets the requirements.
04How to go about it
Accessibility is cheapest when it’s planned from the start.
- 01
Clarify
Check whether your service falls under the law – if in doubt, get legal advice.
- 02
Review
A website check shows where the biggest barriers are.
- 03
Fix
Contrast, keyboard operation and forms first – they make the biggest difference.
- 04
Document
Write an accessibility statement and keep it up to date when things change.