Summary:
- A BFSG audit typically costs €549–€990, while a violation under §37 BFSG can mean fines up to €100,000 plus legal fees — the ROI is clear.
- Inaction is the most expensive option: cease-and-desist and emergency remediation cost around €4,500 — plus a fine of up to €100,000.
- First step: a free quick check at BFSG-Scan.at to know your compliance status in 60 seconds.
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The Cost-Benefit Calculation of Accessibility
When BFSG comes up in a company, the first reaction is often: "That must cost a fortune." Let's look at the numbers.
What Does a BFSG Audit Cost?
A professional accessibility audit for an SME website typically costs:
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Automated quick check | Free (e.g., BFSG-Scan.at) |
| Full audit (20 pages) | €549 — €990 |
| Remediation (fixing issues) | €990 — €4,900 |
| Ongoing monitoring | coming soon |
For a typical SME website with 20-30 pages, budget €500 — €2,000 for a full audit with critical issues resolved.
What Does Inaction Cost?
The costs of non-compliance are harder to quantify — but significantly higher:
Direct costs:
- Administrative fine: up to €100,000 per violation (§37 BFSG)
- Legal costs for cease-and-desist: €500 — €3,000
- Lawsuit costs: €2,000 — €15,000 (depending on proceedings)
- Emergency remediation under time pressure: 2-3× more expensive than planned work
Indirect costs:
- Excluded customers: About 15-20% of the population has a disability. A non-accessible website excludes these customers.
- SEO disadvantages: Accessibility and SEO overlap strongly (alt texts, heading structure, loading time). Non-accessible sites rank worse.
- Reputational damage: Negative press coverage or social media criticism
The Calculation Example
Assume you run an online shop with €50,000 annual revenue:
Scenario A — Act now:
- BFSG-Scan.at quick check: €0
- Full audit: €549
- Critical issues fixed (by developer): ~€800
- Total: ~€1,350
Scenario B — Wait:
- First cease-and-desist: €2,500 (legal costs + settlement)
- Fine (§37 BFSG): up to €100,000
- Emergency remediation: €2,000
- Total: ~€4,500 fixed costs + fine of up to €100,000
The break-even is 10:1 — for every euro spent on compliance, you save €10 in case of damage.
Bonus: The Accessibility Business Case
Accessibility also pays off positively:
- More customers: Around 7.8 million people in Germany have a disability. A barrier-free website opens up this market.
- Better UX for everyone: Subtitles help in noisy environments. Good contrast helps in sunlight. Keyboard navigation helps with motor difficulties.
- Better SEO: Google evaluates accessibility factors positively.
Conclusion
The question is not "Can we afford accessibility?" — but "Can we afford the risk of non-compliance?"
Start with the free quick check at BFSG-Scan.at. Knowing where you stand costs nothing.