Accessibility
Advancing digital participation together
The digital world has a universal claim and should therefore reach all people. Almost one in seven people worldwide has some form of disability that restricts their use of technology. As people with disabilities in particular use the internet more frequently and intensively than average, accessible websites are an important prerequisite for enabling people with disabilities, restrictions and older people to participate in the discourse.
For more than 25 years, we have been pursuing the goal of using digital tools to communicate complex information in a simple and understandable way. Accordingly, we have subjected our design and technology standards to this credo. In addition, we have been working according to international WAI and WCAG standards for years.
Initiatives, standards, regulations
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What is the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)?
Within the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), several working groups and interest groups have come together to jointly develop standards that make the web accessible to everyone – including people who are visually impaired, have limited mobility, are deaf or blind.
The WAI is part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Since 1994, this consortium has been working on standardised technologies that enable the global use of the internet.
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What are the fundamental principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)?
The WAI’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set out international standards for accessibility. They form the basis for both cross-border and country-specific regulations.
The WCAG have been updated several times to keep pace with technical developments; WCAG 2.2 has been in force since December 2024. The guidelines are divided into different levels (conformity levels).
There are four fundamental principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust (i.e. compatible with different browsers, devices and assistive technologies) for users.
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Who is covered by the Accessible Information Technology Regulation (BITV)?
The BITV (officially: ‘Ordinance on the Creation of Accessible Information Technology under the Disability Equality Act’) transposes the EU Accessibility Directive into German law. The first version, dating from 2002, has since been amended several times to keep pace with technical developments.
BITV 2.0 is currently in force, with its principles of perceivability, operability, understandability and robustness.
The BITV is mandatory for all federal public bodies. Compliance with it can be verified through testing.
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What does the Act to Strengthen Accessibility (BFSG) say?
Since 28 June 2025, the Accessibility Enhancement Act has also required private companies offering products or services online to ensure accessibility. The only exceptions are micro-enterprises.
This also applies, amongst other things, to online shops and company websites through which services can be booked (‘services in electronic commerce’). The provisions of the BFSG are not as strict as those of the BITV for public bodies. Nevertheless, all organisations must now design their websites and their content in such a way that they are accessible and usable by people with disabilities.
- Further information on the BFSG – including guidance on its interpretation and who will be affected by the new requirements – has been compiled by a number of legal experts.
- There, you can also carry out a self-assessment to check whether your website falls under the scope of the BFSG.
- Aktion Mensch also offers a wealth of information on the BFSG – including a German translation of WCAG 2.1 and plenty of advice on how to make your website accessible.
Accessibility should not restrict design freedom. The guidelines for accessible web content merely serve as a framework that needs to be filled with content, structure and function.
Accessible website - that's what matters
Perceivable, operable, understandable and robust - this elusive description of requirements can be illustrated using a few examples that we make possible for you:
- Perceivable information
There are text alternatives for all non-text content, multimedia content is provided with descriptions (alternative texts, audio description, etc.). In addition, content can be displayed in different ways (colour schemes/contrasts, font size, volume etc.). - Operable user interface and navigation
All functions are accessible not only via mouse but also via the keyboard. Users have sufficient time to read and understand moving content. Flashing content (risk of epileptic seizures) and animations can be switched off. Well-organised content makes it easier to navigate, find and find your way around the site. Optional touch, voice or gesture inputs enable alternative operating methods. - Understandable information - understandable operating elements
Texts are simply formulated and well structured. The operating elements function predictably and in the same way throughout the site (consistent). Instructions/help are provided for interactive elements. - Robust content and reliable presentation
Robust content is compatible with different browsers, different devices and assistance technologies. To achieve this, it must comply with common standards and be provided with precise labelling of all functions or interactive elements.
"It is crucial that accessibility is considered from the outset, continuously maintained and, last but not least, tested again and again."
Design for all: an interdisciplinary process
In our counselling sessions, we often find that there is an awareness of the general concern. However, it is often unclear what specific requirements and tasks arise from this. Our approach: Accessibility should always be considered holistically, from the early conception phase onwards. All disciplines - conception, design, technology and editing - should be involved right from the start. And together with our customers, we define what needs to be paid particular attention to in the individual phases.
In order to enable the required use of websites with screen readers or for the visually impaired, for example, we take into account aspects such as the semantically correct structure of the layout and source code, the labelling of areas with HTML structural elements or the clear recognisability of interactive elements and links.
"Accessible digital services go hand in hand with coherent, comprehensible user guidance."
Artificial intelligence and accessibility
Our project managers ensure that the aforementioned principles are taken into account and implemented throughout the entire process of creating digital services - from the navigation structure, design drafts and front-end implementation through to text editing. As part of the quality assurance process, 3pc checks the accessibility of the websites and digital services created in a self-test. We also support you in drafting an accessibility statement and advise you on official certification.
And, of course, accessibility is not a closed topic. The web is constantly evolving. Accessibility is therefore a moving target and not a status quo. For example, we have developed a special editing assistant that automatically analyses texts in a CMS. This involves an AI taking over what were originally manual tasks: This recognises entities such as people, places or organisations, generates suitable keywords, draws out abbreviations, acronyms and glossary terms and links them to internal knowledge sources. The assistance system therefore automatically creates accessible content, minimises the editorial maintenance effort and also performs search engine optimization (SEO).
