Agency for Accessible Websites
We are your agency for an accessible website. Expand your target group by being inclusive and promote the participation of more people to digital life. We welcome your project and offer customized solutions for your accessible website.
Our expertise is reflected in the successful implementation of our customers’ projects. Whether it’s easy read or accessible navigation – like on the website klimaschutz-frankfurt.de.
Why It Is Important to Have an Accessible Website
First and foremost, you should be aware that an accessible website is not only intended for people with a disability. Quite the contrary – an accessible website makes information on the Internet as widely available as possible for everyone.
Millions of people have no access or only limited access to content due to accessibility issues on the Internet. With an accessible website, you not only help many people to live a more independent life, but also expand your target group.
Persons over 60 years of age
According to the Demography Portal of Federal and State Governments (Demografieportal des Bundes und der Länder), the proportion of over 60-year-olds in the German population will rise to 38% by 2050. This is not meant to imply that senior citizens are dependent on easy read or that everyone over 60 needs a reading aid. Nevertheless, certain abilities decline with age. For instance, motor skills or the perception of colors and low contrast.
Persons with disabilities
A 2021 survey by the Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt) recorded some 300,000 people with a visual impairment, around 1 million people with a mental or intellectual disability and approximately 700,000 people with a cerebral dysfunction in Germany. In addition, the number of people with temporary disabilities fluctuates each year.
Learning difficulties or limited language skills
People with learning or reading difficulties (dyslexia, phonological dyslexia or ADHD) benefit just as much from an accessible website as people with limited language skills. For migrants in particular, the Internet is seen as a gateway to the world. This is the result of a study by the ARD/ZDF-Medienkommission: “Migrants and the Media 2011.” According to the study, the majority of migrants in Germany prefer to use German-language media.
By the way: All graphic elements are accessible
All graphics used on this page are accessible and comply with level AA of WCAG 2.1.
This means:
- The text size is at least 18 pt
- The line spacing is at least 1.5 pt
- The contrast ratio between text and boxes is at least 4.5:1
- The contrast ratio between boxes and background is at least 3:1
- The colors were selected so that colorblind people can easily perceive the color information
Agency for Accessible Webdesign
Coordination of time and resources for the entire project.
Development of the accessible website and implementation of the design.
Quality Assurance for functionality and content according to requirements.
Design of engaging and target-oriented visual content.
Creation and optimization of target group-oriented content.
Management of hosting and, if required, long-term maintenance of content.
Intuitive, Understandable and Robust – This Is What an Accessible Website Looks Like
Accessibility issues on the Internet can take many forms: Missing image captions, unnecessarily complicated text, confusing navigation structures or inadequate technical optimization.
An accessible website is designed to remove all hindrances. Intuitive design, ALT attributes (image descriptions) and captions, comprehensible content in easy read, ARIA attributes for assistive technologies and clean layouts all help.
It is not only screen reader functions that need to be optimized. The entire website should be understandable for people with learning difficulties and/or limited language skills, operable by people with motor impairments and perceivable by people with visual impairments. Robust programming, on the other hand, helps to ensure that the website is optimally displayed on all common devices.
Have you considered all these factors when creating your website?
All the Advantages of an Accessible Website at a Glance
Greater Equality and Inclusion
People with disabilities are not the only ones who need inclusive websites. The elderly population and people with learning disabilities, limited language skills or temporary impairments can also be affected by online accessibility barriers.
An Expanded User Base for Greater Reach
Increased accessibility means a larger user base for your website. This opens up a completely new target group for your company or institution.
Improved User Experience and Usability
Clear navigation, comprehensible text and well-balanced contrast: it’s not just people with disabilities who benefit from a clear structure and clean design.
Compliance with Legal Requirements
As per Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), accessibility on websites will be mandatory for certain companies starting June 28, 2025. An accessible website is therefore not only up-to-date, but also future-proof.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Companies that operate accessible websites are showing social responsibility. The resulting social and economic synergy (Shared Value) can have a positive impact on your company’s image.
Myths: Search engine optimization (SEO)
If you make your website accessible, you automatically improve your SEO and thus your online visibility: You can often read this claim online. That’s not true as a general rule.
On the one hand, there are measures where the reduction of barriers also brings SEO benefits, such as the provision of a sitemap. On the other hand, there are also counterexamples: A web page in easy read can be confusing for a “lost” user and cause them to leave if they don’t know what to make of it. This is a negative user signal and bad for SEO.
In summary, it is naive to believe that accessible = good for SEO. This is not only lacking nuance, but may also raise unrealistic expectations, making you think you can kill ten birds with one stone for every online marketing initiative – preferably for less than €1,000.
It is better to separate “accessibility” and “SEO” and approach each of the two as a separate project.
Is an Accessible Website Mandatory?
The regulations for creating an accessible website vary depending on the country, industry and legal provisions. For example, the Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung (BITV) 2.0 in Germany currently regulates the accessibility requirements for websites of federal public agencies.
When the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) comes into force on June 28, 2025, accessibility will also become mandatory for many companies from certain business sectors throughout Germany.
The regulations of the BFSG are based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). German legislation thus enforces the provisions of the EU directives.
In the meantime, the W3C has issued new guidelines: WCAG 2.2. These cover an even wider range of recommendations. However, WCAG 2.2 is backwards compatible, which means that WCAG 2.1 doesn’t become obsolete.
Other countries may have similar laws or guidelines regulating the accessibility of websites. In the USA, the ADA Act, among others, serves as the basis for the legal requirement to implement an accessible website. Even when no legal obligation exists: It may nevertheless make sense to implement these measures.
Who is included in the requirement for an accessible website starting in 2025?
As of June 28, 2025, providers of the following services will be required to maintain an accessible website, according to the Federal Accessibility Agency (Bundesfachstelle Barrierefreiheit):
- Banking services
- Phone and messenger services
- Passenger transport services
- Providers of mobile apps for interregional passenger transport services
- E-books
If a website in the relevant industries still does not meet the criteria for accessibility by June 28, 2025, large fines of up to €100,000 may be imposed.
The three levels of an accessible website – AA becomes mandatory
WCAG 2.1 distinguishes between three levels of conformance, i.e. three different levels of rating for an accessible website: A, AA or AAA. Each of the levels entails different requirements.
The Accessibility Reinforcement Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, BFSG) requires providers of certain services to implement level AA conformance on their website starting June 28, 2025.
Your Journey With svaerm Towards an Accessible Website
As agency for accessible websites, our goal is to make your content on the Internet as usable as possible for people regardless of individual limitations or abilities. In doing so, we are primarily guided by the legal requirements and thus follow the recommendations for the conformance level AA of WCAG 2.1.
Our approach therefore incorporates the following aspects:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
Perceivable:
We design your website so that all content is perceivable to users. This includes, for example, the use of alternative texts for images, clear contrast in the layout and easy-to-read, sans serif fonts.
Operable:
We design the features of your website in such a way as to make them operable regardless of the user’s technical equipment or abilities.
These include, for example, navigation bars that can be accessed via keyboard, as in our website project for klimaschutz-frankfurt.de. Here we have made the menu accessible with the help of ARIA markup.
Understandable:
We make existing content on your website understandable for all users or create new text to ensure accessibility. This includes clear and easy-to-understand language as well as structuring the information in a logical manner. A separate website version in easy read or videos in sign language can also be part of an accessible online presence.
We have provided text in easy read for the klimaschutz-frankfurt.de website, for instance.
Robust:
We program your website to be robust across different browsers and assistive technologies. This means that it can be used without any difficulty on all common devices and modern browsers.
Check for Yourself Whether Your Website Is Accessible
You can use our interactive accessibility checklist to find out in detail which of the AA level conformance criteria your website already fulfills. Different approaches may be suitable for you depending on your current status. This is because the website does not always have to be completely recoded.
Workflow of the Project – This Is What Working With Us Looks Like
1. Assessment of requirements and advice: For us, transparency is the foundation for a successful and productive collaboration. That is why we first carry out an assessment of requirements in order to analyze the current situation. We also determine the extent to which the website needs to be supplemented or revised with new web pages and new content.
Even if you are not legally required to meet level AA conformance: A thorough assessment is particularly important to us as an agency for accessible websites. We are well aware that the implementation of an accessible website involves considerable effort. However, an inclusive website is also highly relevant from a social perspective. Therefore, the easiest way is not always the best.
2. Planning and concept: In the next step, we work with you to develop a concept for your accessible website. New and old factors such as navigation, structure, design and content, as well as any applicable legal requirements, are taken into account.
3. Content, design and development: As soon as we have developed a customized concept for your accessible website, we start with the design, content creation and development of the technical infrastructure. To this end, we apply accessible design principles and techniques in accordance with WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
4. Testing and optimization: Before publishing the website, we carry out extensive tests to ensure that the website functions smoothly. Any problems or roadblocks are identified and fixed to ensure that the website works as well as possible for all users. Upon request, we can also assess all legal requirements for an accessible website that affect your company.
Request an Accessible Website
FAQ
What does an accessible website cost?
The cost of an accessible website varies depending on the number of subpages and features. The conformance level of implementation plays an equally important role.
For this reason, it is not possible to make a blanket statement. We will be happy to make you an offer during a consultation after a thorough assessment.
Who is required to switch to an accessible website?
According to the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), the following service providers are required to switch to an accessible website:
- Banking services
- Phone and messenger services
- Passenger transport services
- Providers of mobile apps for interregional passenger transport services
- Passenger transport
- E-books
When is it mandatory to switch to an accessible website?
The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) will come into force on June 28, 2025 and with it the obligation for certain service providers to make their website accessible.
What penalties can be expected for non-compliance?
As of June 28, 2025, non-compliance with the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) can result in a fine of up to €100,000.
Muss direkt die ganze Website barrierefrei programmiert und gestaltet werden oder reicht eine Teiloptimierung?
Partial optimization may be a viable option for you if you are not required to maintain an accessible website with conformance level AA under the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG). We will be happy to advise you on all options during a non-binding first meeting.
How do you make a website accessible?
WCAG 2.1 defines the requirements for an accessible website. In Germany, a website is legally considered fully accessible if the four principles of level AA are fulfilled:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust