Barrier-free web offerings: New standards for all users!

Barrier-free web offerings: New standards for all users!

On June 21, 2025, progress in digital accessibility will continue to advance. The aim is to provide an accessible website that provides equal access to all users, regardless of their abilities or circumstances. This is done in accordance with the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at AA level, which is considered the international standard for improving the accessibility of web content. These guidelines are intended to ensure that people with disabilities also have full access to digital content, which is particularly crucial for blind and motor-impaired people. IT Daily reports that technologies such as an accessible interface to customize the user interface and AI-based applications are being used to continuously optimize accessibility.

To meet the needs of different disabilities, special support functions are introduced. These include, among other things, ARIA attributes for screen readers, which offers users the activation of a screen reader profile when entering the website. Keyboard shortcuts like Alt+1 enable screen reader customizations. Background optimization is also implemented to improve the user experience for people with visual and motor impairments.

Support for various disabilities

The new system supports a variety of disability profiles. These include, among others:

• Epilepsie-sicherer Modus: Vermeidung von flackernden Animationen.
• Visuell eingeschränkter Modus: Anpassungen für bessere Lesbarkeit.
• Kognitiver Behinderungsmodus: Unterstützung für kognitive Beeinträchtigungen.
• ADHD-freundlicher Modus: Reduzierung von Ablenkungen.
• Blindheitsmodus: Kompatibilität mit Screen-Reader-Software.
• Tastaturnavigationsprofil für motorisch eingeschränkte Personen.

Furthermore, additional adjustments are possible, such as font size changes and color contrast adjustments. Users have the option to disable animations and highlight important elements on the page. An audio mute function and a search engine for cognitive support round off the offerings. Attention is paid to compatibility with common browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Edge as well as with widely used screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA.

Current developments of the WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have continuously evolved since their first versions. WCAG 2.1, released on June 5, 2018, received several updates, most recently on May 6, 2025, to further improve accessibility for people with disabilities. The upcoming WCAG 2.2, released on October 5, 2023, is currently being submitted to ISO for approval. This release includes 13 guidelines organized under the four principles of Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. It is worth emphasizing that the different versions of the WCAG are backwards compatible, meaning that previous guidelines continue to apply even if new ones are added.

The WCAG development activity is led by the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG WG) of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). This work is part of a broader framework of accessibility guidelines that also includes the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) and the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG). Special attention is paid to directly addressing all web content developers, designers, and web accessibility evaluation tools to maximize accessibility for people with disabilities W3C.

With regard to the existing digital landscape, the IT Daily that some pages may not yet be fully accessible. However, continuous improvement of accessibility is a common goal and a feedback contact is established to give users the opportunity to share their experiences and receive support.