The accessibility statement

Affected responsible parties must publish an accessibility statement and keep it up to date.

Mandatory components

Scope (which website/app), conformance status (full / partial / none) with justification of the exceptions, date of preparation and last review, a feedback mechanism (contact for reporting barriers), a reference to the enforcement procedure or the conciliation body.

Who needs a statement

For the private sector the obligation is tied to the BFSG: mainly affected are services in electronic commerce — websites through which consumers can conclude a contract. Public bodies follow the BITV 2.0. If a purely informational website does not fall under the BFSG, there is usually no legal obligation to publish a statement — a voluntary one is still a good signal. Details on the pages about the BFSG and the micro-enterprise exemption.

Creating it step by step

1. Define the scope (domain, any excluded areas). 2. Assess the current state: automated scan plus manual keyboard and screen-reader testing. 3. List the known non-accessible content, each with a brief justification and — if possible — a time horizon. 4. Give a feedback contact (email or form). 5. Refer to the enforcement procedure (private sector: the market surveillance body of the federal states, MLBF; public bodies: the conciliation body under § 16 BGG). 6. Enter the date of preparation or review. 7. Publish it and link to it permanently from the footer.

Publishing and keeping it current

The statement belongs on its own, permanently reachable page, linked from the footer of every page, in plain language and itself built accessibly. It should be reviewed and adjusted when the website changes substantially, otherwise regularly — public bodies are expected to review it annually; for the private sector, currency is required in general terms.

Templates and fill-in help

The template of the EU implementing directive or that of the BITV serves as the basis. a11yglass provides a generator that turns your entries into a ready-made HTML block. This is a fill-in aid — a legally reviewed version remains recommended, especially for complex offerings.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a statement if my site is not accessible yet? Yes — then the status is given as "partial" or "not conformant", with a list of the known barriers. An honest statement with an implementation plan is generally regarded as a better signal than none at all. Is a template from the web enough? As a structure yes, but scope, list of barriers and contact details have to fit your own site. How often should it be updated? On every substantial change to the website, otherwise at regular intervals.

How a11yglass helps

The free scan checks the delivered HTML and CSS for automatically recognisable WCAG breaches, and names per finding the success criterion and a concrete step. It finds roughly 20–35% of issues and does not replace a full assessment.

Read on

General information to the best of our knowledge, not legal advice. For an individual case, contact a law firm specialising in IT law.