Accessibility Improvement Act 2025
What is the Accessibility Reinforcement Act?
The Barrier-Free Strengthening Act (BFSG) obliges companies to design accessible products and services from June 28, 2025. §Sections 12 and 17 of the BFSG regulation make it unmistakably clear: information must be perceptible, operable, understandable and robust. Linguistic accessibility is central to this and legally binding.
What does linguistic accessibility mean?
Linguistic accessibility means that all people, regardless of their language level, reading skills or cognitive abilities, can understand and use information independently. To achieve this, content must be prepared in clear, understandable language.
Particularly relevant here are:
Instructions
Contract documents
Service FAQs
Customer communication
Contract documents
Customer communication
In short:
All information that users need to understand,
operate or make decisions must be linguistically accessible.
Automated implementation of linguistic accessibility
Generate simple language content AI-based and automatically with SUMM AI
With SUMM AI, you can implement these requirements quickly, efficiently and in compliance with the GDPR.
Our AI-supported solution automatically translates your existing content into plain language – in accordance with DIN 8581-1.
This allows you to fulfill the requirements of §12 and §17 of the BFSG Ordinance and make your communication truly barrier-free: comprehensible, legally compliant and user-friendly.
The Savings Banks Association is leading the way:
Accessible financial information – now for everyone
The Savings Banks Association is leading the way:
Accessible financial information – now for everyone
How the Savings Banks Association uses SUMM AI to translate over 2,000 websites in a matter of seconds – efficiently, comprehensibly and barrier-free.
Much more than a legal obligation:
Your benefits from plain language
Reach new customer groups
Plain and simple language makes offers accessible to more people and helps to reach new customer groups. Find out more about the target groups.
Reduce support costs
Clear communication reduces queries, minimizes misunderstandings and relieves the burden on customer service.
Living inclusion as part of your brand
Accessible language demonstrates social responsibility in practice, strengthens your brand and makes you more attractive as an employer.
Understandable communication
Plain and simple language makes offers accessible to more people and helps to reach new customer groups. Find out more about the target groups.
Reduce support costs
Clear communication reduces queries, minimizes misunderstandings and relieves the burden on customer service.
Living inclusion as part of your brand
Accessible language demonstrates social responsibility in practice, strengthens your brand and makes you more attractive as an employer.
How to implement the Accessibility Improvement Act
with SUMM AI
Your path to understandable language
You will receive an individual offer – our team will assist you with the implementation.
We continue to support you in regular feedback calls even after the launch
Together we will analyze your current status with regard to barrier-free communication.
You will receive an individual offer – our team will assist you with the implementation.
We continue to support you in regular feedback calls even after the launch
You will receive an individual offer – our team will assist you with the implementation.
We continue to support you in regular feedback calls even after the launch
SUMM AI is used, among other things, by:
FAQs
What is the Accessibility Improvement Act (BFSG)?
From June 28, 2025, the BFSG obliges companies to provide digital and physical products and services as well as information about them without barriers. In concrete terms, this means that products and services must be accessible, usable and understandable for all people.
Does the BFSG also apply to my company?
Yes , if you offer products or services that fall into one of the following categories:
Products: Computers, tablets, smartphones, e-book readers. Televisions with internet access, self-service terminals (ATM, ticket machine, check-in)
Services: Telecommunications services (e.g. voice telephony, messenger services), e-books & digital content, banking services, online retail (e-commerce), passenger transportation services (e.g. public transport ticketing systems)
* Companies with fewer than 10 employees and less than € 2 million in annual turnover are exempt.
What must be implemented by June 28, 2025?
Companies are obliged to implement comprehensive accessibility measures by this deadline:
- Provide understandable information
Product information, instructions and other content must be available in plain or simple language and in accessible formats (e.g. for screen readers). - Making websites and apps accessible
Digital offerings must meet the requirements of WCAG 2.1 at conformance level AA. This includes sufficient contrast, keyboard usability, text alternatives for images and scalable font sizes. - Developing accessible products and services
Both digital and physical products and services must be intuitive and usable without barriers – for all people.
Document accessibility
The accessibility measures taken must be documented in a comprehensible manner in order to ensure transparency and legal compliance.
What does linguistic accessibility mean?
Information must be formulated in such an understandable way that people with learning difficulties or low reading skills, for example, can also understand it. This can be achieved, for example, by using content in plain and simple language.
How can I easily implement linguistic accessibility?
With SUMM AI, you can automatically translate existing texts into plain or simple language – AI-based, DIN-compliant, GDPR-compliant and 90% cheaper than manual translations.
What content should be offered in plain or simple language?
In particular, product information, forms, instructions, contract documents, website texts and service FAQs. In principle, all information that helps users to understand.
How does SUMM AI work and where can I use it?
The SUMM AI AI tool can be used as a web app, Word add-in, CMS plugin or via REST API in any system. Simply enter the text, select the language level and you’re done.
Is the use of SUMM AI compliant with data protection regulations?
Yes, the use of the SUMM AI tool is fully GDPR-compliant and runs on ISO-certified servers in Europe. You can find more information on this in the General Data Protection Regulations.
Are you interested in
or do you have any questions?
Ask questions in a non-binding discussion or
read the most important points in our information brochure.
Are you interested in
or do you have any questions?
Ask questions in a non-binding discussion or read the
key points in our information brochure.
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