Accessibility Improvement Act enters into force – an important step for inclusive reading

2025 is a special year for the book sector in several respects: the Braille alphabet is celebrating its 200th anniversary – and so is the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, Börsenverein. In addition, on June 28, a new EU Directive (the European Accessibility Act) will enter into force. It aims to significantly improve access to digital books for people with disabilities. In Germany, this was implemented through the Accessibility Improvement Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz - BFSG).

The law obliges providers of digital products and services – including e-books, online shops, and reading devices – to make their products accessible. The goal is to provide people with disabilities easier access to literature, education, and the labor market, thus promoting inclusion.

What is often missing from new legislation, however, is clear guidance on practical implementation. In order to provide  timely guidance and develop practical solutions, an Accessibility Task Force was established within  Börsenverein in 2020. It brings together experts from the German-speaking book industry with representatives of the media community for blind, visually impaired, and print-disabled people (Medibus). This collaboration was a keyfactor for success from the outset: companies were focused on solving their immediate challenges, while at the same time, more general guidance for publishers and retailers emerged.

Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, Chairwoman of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association: "The book industry stands for a colourful, tolerant and inclusive society. Naturally, we want to make the world of books accessible to everyone. Therefore we are incredibly grateful for the dedicated work the task force has done over more than four years. Special thanks go to the many experts who contributed a great deal of time and expertise on a voluntary basis. Close cooperaton with the representatives of Medibus has been an important foundation of our work from the very beginning. Regular exchanges with the Federal Office for Accessibility have also helped us take concrete steps. We are now eagerly awaiting to see which tasks that the market surveillance authority currently being set up in Magdeburg will assume. We look forward to a constructive exchange with the organisation."

Thomas Kahlisch, Head of dzb lesen: "Our early start in 2020 has paid off. Through close and consistently constructive collaboration between the accessibility professionals at Medibus and many experts from the book industry, we succeeded in raising awareness and offering valuable support in the form of guidelines, workshops, and seminars to design digital content so that it is usable for everyone. We want to continue on this common path and thereby create an important beacon that demonstrates that joint action can solve problems and brings us closer to the goal of making accessibility an essential component of quality standards in the digital age."

A range of information and training opportunities are available to the industry for further guidance:

• In English | APACE EU network: APACE - APACE EU Accessibility Directory
• In German | Online seminar on the occasion of Digital Day on June 27th with dzb lesen, blista Marburg, Penguin Random House, and Börsenverein: Accessible eBooks – Insights, Development, and Use - Börsenverein
• In German | Task force accessibility information pool: Accessibility - Börsenverein
• In German | FAQ on the BFSG in the book industry: FAQs on accessibility - Börsenverein
• In German | Interview in Börsenblatt - with Sven Niklas, spokesperson at the Federal Office for Accessibility: "Immense Zahl Anfragen"
• In German | Article in Börsenblatt "Members of the Börsenverein Task Force on the status of adoption of accessibility features in their companies": "Work in progress"
• In German | Training courses via mediacampus frankurt: Accessibility in the book industry | mediacampus-frankfurt

The BFSG marks the beginning of a new chapter for digital accessibility. The industry is invited to continue to actively shape this path.