Internet for all

Why digital accessibility should be on your agenda now

At the turn of the year, we make lots of resolutions: more exercise, fewer emails, healthier eating.
But what is still missing from many digital strategies is a resolution with a real impact, both for your company and for society: digital accessibility.

With the Accessibility Enhancement Act (BFSG), which will come into force in Germany on June 28, 2025, accessibility of digital products and services will become mandatory – especially for websites, online shops, and mobile applications. 

From 2026, market surveillance authorities are also expected to step up checks to ensure that companies are actually meeting the requirements and to impose fines for violations.

In short, next year is your preparation phase. And that's exactly why “internet for all” is probably the most sensible resolution you can make as a company.

Why “Internet for all” is the better resolution

Accessibility is not a “nice-to-have” for a small marginalized group. Around 7.9 million people with severe disabilities live in Germany, representing 9.3% of the population—and this figure is rising. In the EU, around a quarter of adults live with some form of disability.

And we're not even talking about:

•    Older people with declining vision or hearing
•    People with temporary limitations (e.g., broken arm)
•    Users in challenging situations (glare, poor internet connection, small screens)

Accessibility therefore benefits far more people than one might initially think.
Designing digital offerings in such a way that they work for people with disabilities automatically makes them more robust, understandable, and user-friendly for everyone.

Legal framework: BFSG, EAA & WCAG – what you can expect

With the Accessibility Enhancement Act (BFSG), Germany is implementing EU Directive 2019/882, the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

For many companies, this means:

•    From June 28, 2025, certain products and services must be accessible – including e-commerce offerings, digital services, websites, and apps.

•    The basis for this is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, in particular conformity level AA, which are expressly mentioned as the standard in the BFSG.

•    The market surveillance authorities of the federal states are authorized to inspect companies, request documents, report deficiencies, and impose measures and fines.

Therefore, significantly stricter practices are to be expected from 2026 at the latest:

Those who are not properly prepared by then risk:
•    Fines and penalties
•    Competition lawsuits (e.g., for unfair competition)
•    Damage to their image if “digital leaders” of all people visibly fail on such a socially relevant issue

Accessibility as a business case – not just an obligation

Accessibility is much more than just a legal requirement:

• Greater reach & revenue
• You tap into customer groups that were previously effectively excluded – and you do so permanently.
  People with disabilities are a relevant target group with strong purchasing power, both in a B2C and B2B context.
• Better usability & conversion

Clear structure, easily readable content, understandable navigation, and consistent interactions – central principles of the WCAG – improve the user experience for everyone. (EnableAccess)

This directly contributes to shopping cart completions, lead generation, and self-service rates.

SEO & performance

Many accessibility measures—semantic HTML, clean heading structure, alt text, clear link text—help search engines with crawling and ranking. 

Employer branding & corporate culture

Inclusive digital work environments (intranet, employee portals) signal that you take diversity seriously, not just in presentations.

Accessibility is therefore a resolution that does not fizzle out after three weeks, but has a strategic impact.

Why the turn of the year is the perfect starting point.

The turn of the year is when many companies make important decisions:

•    Budget and project planning for the new fiscal year
•    Roadmaps for website relaunches, e-commerce optimization, or new customer portals
•    Initiatives related to customer experience, digital workplace, or data quality

Accessibility fits perfectly into these topics:

•    It must be considered in the architecture and design – not as an “add-on” shortly before go-live.
•    It benefits from clean data and structures – this is exactly where asioso comes in with PIM, DAM, and CMS solutions.
•    It can be combined with ongoing projects:
o    Shop redesign → WCAG-compliant templates right away
o    CMS migration → new component library accessible from the outset
o    Intranet relaunch → finally fully integrating employees with disabilities

Those who firmly incorporate accessibility into their digital strategy at the turn of the year turn a resolution into a concrete project roadmap.

How asioso supports you on the path to “Internet for all”

As a digital agency focusing on complex digital ecosystems, we accompany companies from the initial assessment to ongoing operation:

Strategic analysis & roadmap

o    BFSG- and WCAG-oriented audit of your existing systems
o    Prioritization according to risk, benefit, and technical feasibility

Technical architecture & system selection

o    Accessible implementation with PIM and DAM systems such as Pimcore
o    Set up CMS landscapes (e.g., FirstSpirit, Pimcore) so that editors can efficiently maintain accessible content
o    Design e-commerce solutions with Shopware or Shopify so that navigation, filters, product detail pages, and checkout function in an accessible manner

UX and content conception

o    Information architectures that are both inclusive and conversion-oriented
o    Component libraries and design systems that incorporate accessibility “by design”
o    Editorial guidelines, training, and practical checklists for your teams

Testing & continuous optimization

o    Ongoing verification against WCAG 2.1 AA
o    Preparation for regulatory audits and documentation of compliance

We always keep the big picture in mind: your digital ecosystem consisting of your website, shop, portals, intranet, and data platforms.

Accessibility is the resolution that sticks

If you only make one digital resolution for the new year, make it this one:
We are making our digital offerings accessible so that all our customers, partners, and employees can participate.
You will increase your legal security, strengthen your brand, measurably improve the user experience, and contribute to genuine digital participation.

Your next step

If you want to know where you stand today and what specifically needs to be done by 2025/2026:
Arrange a meeting with us.
Together, we will analyze your current system landscape and show you how to integrate accessibility into your digital ecosystem step by step – pragmatically, legally compliant, and future-proof.