Overview

• A study by Google, Aktion Mensch and Stiftung Pfennigparade of 65 popular online shops found only 20 (30.8%) support keyboard-only navigation and most tested sites lack visible keyboard focus indicators.
• The proportion of accessible shops rose from 20% in 2024 to about 31% this year but 70% still fall short of legal requirements.
• From June 28, noncompliant webshops face fines up to €100,000 under the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, which transposes an EU directive.
• Only small businesses with fewer than ten employees and under €2 million in annual turnover are exempt from the law.
• The inaccessibility affects about 7.8 million Germans with recognized disabilities, including 350,000 people with blindness or visual impairments.