What does accessibility really mean?

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Internet accessibility: is it necessary? What should be taken into account for inclusion on the Internet?
Being able to use the internet easily
Many people go about their daily lives without realising that they have the privilege of not encountering any barriers. This applies both to the analogue and digital world. Having a disability also means not being able to use the internet to its full advantage in the same way as non-disabled people. These are often things that non-disabled people do normally: visiting websites, filling out forms, watching exciting or funny videos and generally finding out about all kinds of topics.

Who benefits from accessible internet?
An important point at the outset: Internet accessibility is not just a matter for people with disabilities. Accessibility concerns many more people. But it also concerns people with a physical or mental disability. In Germany, the proportion of people with a severe disability (as of 2021), i.e. with a "disability level" of more than 50%, is 7.9 million and part time data thus represents 9.4% of the population. In addition, there are 2.7 million people with a "disability level" of less than 50%, who together represent around 12.65% of the population in Germany.


According to Section 4 of the BGG 2002, a property is barrier-free if it "can be found, accessed and used without any particular difficulties and, in principle, without external assistance. In this context, the use of disability-related aids is permitted."

Accessibility therefore means that all people, with or without disabilities, can use the Internet, for example, without the help of other people.

Is there an accessibility standard on the Internet?
In Germany, there is currently the "Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance 2.0" (BITV 2.0), which specifies how barrier-free websites are to be implemented. The ordinance is based on the Disability Equality Act (BGG). BITV 2.0 stipulates that videos must generally be shown with subtitles. Images, buttons and graphics must have an alternative text. In addition, there must be no flashing or blinking elements on the page and the contrast between the foreground and background colour for written text and graphics must be sufficiently high. One point that is absolutely objectionable about this regulation, which has been in force since 2002 and has been revised several times, is that it only takes into account public bodies. The private sector is therefore left out.

There is light at the end of the tunnel
The mills of bureaucracy grind slowly, but the EU has finally recognised the problem and has introduced legislation that attempts to fill this gap with the "European Accessibility Act". All Member States have until 2025 to implement this legislation into their national legal system, and Germany has already done so by introducing a law. The Barrier Reinforcement Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, BFSG) will come into force on 28 June 2025. The accompanying ordinance (§ 12 paragraph 2 a - h of the BFSGV) states when a page is considered to be barrier-free: