When does the Accessibility Strengthening Act come into effect?

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The origin of the BFSG lies in the first draft of March 1, 2021, and it was officially announced on July 22, 2021. The Accessibility Strengthening Act is set to come into force on June 28, 2025. From this date, all relevant websites, products and services are legally obliged to be accessible. However, some products and services have a transition period within which they do not have to be accessible until later . For example, there is a transition period of 5 years for certain products and services and a period of 15 years for self-service terminals .

Which sectors are affected by the BFSG?
From June 28, 2025, the BFSG will have far-reaching effects on a large number of companies. Those that offer digital services and products will be particularly affected . The products include:

televisions with Internet access
Computers, notebooks, tablets, smartphones
e-book reader
Services that need to be designed to be barrier-free include:

telecommunications services
services offered in apps in supra-regional passenger transport
banking services
This basically means that all business activities belgium whatsapp number data on websites and in apps must be taken into account and designed to be barrier-free. Accordingly, the Accessibility Improvement Act affects online retailers and e-commerce providers . If the area of ​​services is interpreted more broadly, websites that offer appointment bookings, contact forms or other interaction options could also fall under this regulation.

However, the BFSG does not apply to services that offer consumers access to audio-visual media services such as streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney Plus. Separate accessibility regulations apply to these services, which are laid down in the Interstate Media Treaty (MStV).

It is crucial for companies of all sizes to understand the impact of this law on their online presence. This includes not only reviewing and adapting existing digital offerings, but also planning and developing future projects with accessibility in mind.