Accessible websites – how everyone benefits from them

Accessible Internet - what's behind it?

Accessible internet makes digital services accessible to everyone. And this is independent of limitations in seeing, hearing, moving or processing information, the advanced age of the person or the technical possibilities. Accessible websites are therefore important for every user.

The standards for accessible digital content are set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). The extensive requirements are constantly being expanded and are the focus of numerous guidelines and specifications that are being developed to promote an accessible internet. On this basis, the Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance (BITV 2.0) was created, which enshrines the practical implementation of these guidelines in law in Germany. The implementation of digital accessibility is currently required by law for public sector websites. However, the Barrier-Free Strengthening Act (BFSG) will make the barrier-free design of digital offerings mandatory for many other companies from June 2025: anyone offering electronic services via a website, e.g. in the area of e-commerce or financial services, is legally obliged to make the website barrier-free.

Even if compliance with and implementation of accessibility standards is not yet legally mandatory for everyone, the applicable standards should be taken into account in every digital offering. After all, with a focus on user-friendliness and accessible design, it will be possible for everyone to use web offerings without restrictions.

How you can test accessibility

An early evaluation of your website helps to find digital barriers while they are still easy to remove - ideally during development. As an experienced partner, we are happy to support you in all phases - from the initial planning to the targeted implementation of accessibility.

Our free accessibility check shows you in just a few seconds how accessible your website is - and where there is a need for action. Simply enter the URL of the desired website in the input field. The tool automatically analyzes the website and checks it for accessibility problems (e.g. missing labels or insufficient contrast). 

Because everyone benefits: Reasons for accessible websites

Accessibility is not a luxury. Only in an accessible web is there equal access and equal opportunities for everyone. Accessibility enables digital participation - regardless of hardware and software, language, culture, location, physical or cognitive abilities. An accessible website is therefore helpful for all visitors, as it is always user-friendly, intuitive to use, readable and understandable.

There are also strong arguments in favor of accessible design from a business perspective:

• Support sales: 
  In a society that is becoming older and more diverse, you will reach more potential customers in the long term.
• Strengthen SEO: 
  You support the search engine optimization of your website and increase your reach.
• Improve UX:
  With a barrier-free design of your website, you increase user-friendliness - even on mobile devices.
• Increase satisfaction:
  With a self-explanatory structure and easy-to-understand content, you increase customer satisfaction.
• Be a role model: 
  Take on social responsibility with an accessible website and contribute to greater digital participation.

For many website operators, accessibility is a major challenge, especially with regard to the legal obligations that will apply from 2025. In order to remain competitive in a diverse and digital world, it is crucial to increase the focus on accessibility. This is the only way to ensure that digital offerings are accessible to everyone and remain so in the long term.

Checklist: How to make your website accessible

How accessible is your website? How accessible is the content? What measures are there to further improve accessibility?

The following points help to make an initial assessment of the status quo of your website and are based on the four aspects of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: perceptibility, usability, comprehensibility and robustness (compatibility).

• Is the website responsive and the content scalable?
  An accessible website is easy to read on all devices. The contents are still easily recognizable even at high magnification.
• Is the page structure clear and understandable?
  A clear and well-structured website makes it easy to find your way around the site. This includes the marking of structural elements such as navigation, page content, headings as well as lists and citations.
• Is the language easy to understand?
  Short, understandable sentences and the predominantly avoidance of foreign words ensure that the content reaches all users.
• Are the texts easy to read?
  High contrasts and the consideration of color vision deficiencies ensure good readability for everyone – even when used on the go with direct sunlight.
• Are captions and subtitles available?
  If images are provided with alternative texts, they can be read aloud via screen reader. Subtitles make videos accessible to people with impaired hearing. This allows both humans and machines to grasp the content.
• Are control surfaces easy to select?
  Links and buttons should not be too small, so that they can be easily selected with a finger on a tablet or smartphone, for example. With the update of the WCAD guidelines, defined minimum sizes for operable elements will soon apply.
• Are the forms accessible?
  Barrier-free forms are indispensable so that all customers can easily contact or place online orders. This includes clear and understandable labels for form and other input fields.

In a nutshell: ROI for accessible websites

• Increased reach through accessibility for all
• Improved user experience and higher customer satisfaction
• Improved search engine ranking through accessible design and optimized content
• Positive brand perception as a socially responsible company
• Higher conversion rates through barrier-free ordering and checkout processes
• Long-term competitive advantages through compliance with regulatory requirements