WCAG vs. BITV - What are the requirements?

We inform you about the WCAG & BITV requirements!
Accessibility
Trends
01
Dec 2022

If you search for "accessibility" online, you will find many different articles on the subject, including the terms WCAG and BITV. But which WCAG & BITV requirements must actually be met and what is the difference? Below we provide you with a summary of the most relevant basics of the WCAG & BITV requirements.

WCAG and BITV requirements: short & sweet

There are basically two different regulations - the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG for short) and the Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung (BITV for short). Both share one goal: to create uniformity in terms of accessibility. But what are the differences between the WCAG and BITV requirements?

What are the WCAG requirements?

The WCAG set the international standard for the accessible design of online content in the EU. These guidelines were developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Although the W3C recommendation is not an official legal regulation, it serves as the basis for many laws. In Germany, public bodies of the federal government in particular are currently obliged to make online services accessible.

There are different versions of the WCAG. The first version - WCAG 1.0 - focused on HTML and CSS as the most important standards of the internet. Version 2.0 also refers to layouts & interactions and their design. WCAG 2.1 was published as a web standard in 2018. In addition to the specifications from WCAG 2.0, version 2.1 also takes into account contrast requirements and informative graphic elements.

What are the BITV requirements?

The BITV (Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance) is based on the WCAG guidelines for public websites of the federal government. It thus ensures the framework conditions for compliance with the WCAG in Germany.

It came into force in 2002, but was not yet binding for federal public bodies at the time. It was not until the end of 2003 that the regulation became binding for websites with offers for people with disabilities by incorporating the BITV into legislation. WCAG 1.0 was thus enforced in Germany.

As with the WCAG, there are already various versions of the BITV. In 2008, BITV 2.0 made reference to WCAG 2.0, which also focused more on the design of layouts and interactions. With a new version of the BITV 2.0 in 2019, the standards to be taken into account are no longer mentioned in the regulation, but refer to the standards published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Conclusion

In concrete terms, the WCAG sets the international standard in the European Union for the accessible design of websites. The BITV adopts this standard in Germany.

Who has to meet the WCAG & BITV requirements and why?

In accordance with the Disability Equality Act (BGG) and BITV 2.0, people with disabilities should also be able to access services and information online without barriers. In addition, it is not only fair to make your own website accessible, but you can also tap into a previously unnoticed target group (read more about this in our blog post "Accessibility on the web: The target groups")

From a legal perspective, an accessible website makes more and more sense: until now, the BITV requirements for websites, intranets and extranets, apps and electronic administrative processes, as well as apps used purely internally, only had to be met by public bodies of the federal government. Public bodies must also display the so-called "declaration on accessibility" to define which content is not (yet) accessible and how users can report any existing barriers. It must also specify how to submit a dispute resolution procedure.

According to the current legal situation, all private companies that sell or offer products and/or services within the European Union are required to comply with the requirements of the WCAG. The company's registered office is not relevant.

With the enactment of the Accessibility Reinforcement Act by the Federal Constitutional Court on July 22, 2021, the EU Directives on Accessibility (=WCAG) will now be implemented throughout Germany with the aim of creating a European standard.

What does this mean in concrete terms? In future, it will also be mandatory for (product) manufacturers, (online) retailers and service providers to implement a certain minimum level of accessibility.

This regulation applies to anyone who sells or offers products and/or services within the European Union, regardless of where the company is based. The deadline for implementing the new regulation is 2025, after which there will be a 5-year transition period for compliance with the BITV requirements, meaning that new products and services will not have to be accessible until 2030. For products that are already on the market - such as ATMs - there will be an additional transition period, meaning that they will not have to be accessible until 2040.

The following products must comply with the BITV requirements:

  • E-book reader
  • Router
  • Television sets with internet access
  • Self-service terminals (interactive) used for the provision of information (excluding integrated components of vehicles/ships/aircraft/rail vehicles)
  • Consumer terminal equipment for telecommunications services
  • Self-service terminals (interactive) such as payment terminals, ticket vending machines, check-in machines and ATMs
  • Hardware & software for end user computers

The following services must meet the BITV requirements:

  • Phone services
  • Messenger services
  • Banking services for consumers
  • Any apps, websites, electronic ticketing services, electronic tickets and interactive self-service terminals providing information on transport services and travel information
  • Websites of privately owned companies in the EU (excluding companies with fewer than 10 employees and a maximum annual turnover of €2 million)
  • E-commerce services (for example online trading)

Services that provide consumers with access to audio-visual media services (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) are currently not affected. Individual regulations are to be enforced for these services, which will be included in the Interstate Media Treaty (MStV).

Which BITV requirements must be met by 2025?

In accordance with Section 3 (1) of the Ordinance on the Creation of Barrier-Free Information Technology under the Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act, the the aforementioned offers must be designed in such a way that all offers meet the following requirements (see Prinzip 1):

  • Alternatives must be provided for non-text content that can be adapted to the needs of users
  • Alternatives must be provided for time-controlled media
  • Content must be designed in such a way that it can be presented in different ways without loss of information or structure
  • The perception of the content and the distinction between foreground and background must be made as easy as possible for users
  • Accessibility via keyboard must be ensured for the entire functionality
  • Sufficient time must be provided to read and use content
  • The design of content must ensure that it does not trigger epileptic seizures
  • Orientation & navigation aids and aids for finding content must be provided
  • Text must be easy to read and understand
  • The structure and use of websites must be designed to be predictable
  • Enter support functions must be provided to avoid/correct errors
  • Ensure that the website is compatible with user agents (including assistive technologies)
It is clear at first glance that the BITV requirements will pose a major challenge for companies in the future. If you have any questions about specific aspects of accessibility, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to support you in implementing the requirements that will soon apply!
Sebastian Bosch
MOSAIQ GmbH Managing Director

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