Concept for implementation of the BFSG

Your path to digitalisation

Concept for testing accessibility

Objective:

Ensure that your website meets the requirements of the Accessibility Improvement Act (BFSG) and the international accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.1).

Steps to check accessibility:

1. preparation

  • Assessment:

    • Create
    a
      list
    • of all pages and functions of the website (e.g. homepage, contact form, content such as PDF documents, search functions).
    • Analyse the technologies and page types
      • used
    • .
  • Define

    test criteria:

      Use
    • the WCAG 2.1 guidelines with a focus on conformance levels A and AA.
      • Check
    • for compatibility with national requirements (BITV 2.0).

  • Select

    testing tools

    :

      Automated
    • tools: e.g. WAVE, Axe, Lighthouse.
      • Manual
    • tests: Screen reader (e.g. NVDA or JAWS), keyboard navigation.
    %
$6

2. automated testing

  • Execution:
    • Apply
      • automated
    • tools to the website to identify initial issues such as missing alternative text, poor contrast, incorrect ARIA roles.
  • Analyse
    • report
  • :
    • Create
      • list
    • of automated issues found.
    • Categorise
      • errors
    • (critical, moderate, minor).

3. manual check

  • Visual

    check:

      Check
    • design for sufficient contrast (at least 4.5:1 for text and background).
      • Check
    • legibility of fonts and sizes.
  • Screen

    reader

    test

    :

    • Check the
      • navigation
    • of the website with a screen reader.
      • Ensure
    • that content is read out logically and comprehensibly.

  • Keyboard

    test

    :

      Check
    • whether all interactive elements (e.g.
    • forms, buttons, buttons,
    • text, etc.) can be
    • read
    • .
    Check
    • whether
    • all
    • interactive
    • elements (
    • e.g. forms, buttons, menus) can be fully operated using the keyboard.

  • Content

    check

    :

      Check
    • whether alternative texts for images are available and make sense.
      • Ensure
    • that multimedia content (e.g.
    • videos
    • ) contains
    • subtitles or
    • transcripts.
  • Create
    • report
  • :
    • Create
      • list
    • of issues found.
    • Categorise
      • errors
    • (critical, moderate, minor).

4. check the documents

  • Review
  • the PDF documentsprovided on the website :
      Ensure
    • that the PDFs are accessible.
  • Create
    • report
  • :
    • Create
      • list
    • of issues found.
    • Categorise
      • errors
    • (critical, moderate, minor).
    %
$6

5. user feedback

  • Set up
    • an accessibility reporting centre
  • :
      Contact form
    • or email address on the website so that users can report barriers.
  • Involve a
    • test group
  • :
    • Have
      • people
    • with different disabilities test the website.
    • Get
      • feedback
    • on usability.
  • Create
    • report
  • :
    • Create
      • list
    • of issues found.
    • Categorise
      • errors
    • (critical, moderate, minor).

6. document the results

  • Summarise
    • reports
  • :
      Identified
    • barriers and their impact.
      • Suggest
    • remediation with prioritisation by urgency.
  • Document
    • test log
  • :
    • Document
      • all
    • tests and tools performed.

Implementation of the findings:

    Develop
  • solutions:
      Collaborate
    • with developers and designers to remove barriers.
      • Ensure
    • code is semantically correct and ARIA roles are used appropriately.
  • Review:
    • Rerun all tests
      • after
    • issues are resolved.

Ensure accessibility in the long term:

  • Regular

    checks:

      Quarterly
    • check the website for accessibility.

  • Training:

      Train
    • editors on how to handle accessible content.
    • %
$6
  • Monitoring

    and feedback:

      Establish
    • a monitoring system to continuously check changes and new content for accessibility.

Schedule for checking and optimising accessibility

Phase 1: Preparation and planning (2 weeks)

CW 1-2:

    Analysing
  • the website:
      Creating
    • a page overview and identifying critical areas (homepage, contact forms, documents).
      • Selecting
    • the testing tools to be used (e.g. WAVE, screen reader, Lighthouse).
    • Definition
  • of test criteria:
      Orientation
    • to WCAG 2.1 (Level A and AA) and BITV 2.0.
    • Team
  • formation:
      Composition of
    • a team of developers, designers and, if necessary, external accessibility experts.

Phase 2: Carrying out the accessibility check (4 weeks)

CW 3-6:

  1. Automated

    check (1 week):

      Use of
    • automated tools for an initial analysis of the barriers (e.g. missing alternative texts, contrasts).
      • First
    • categorisation and prioritisation of the problems found.
  3. Manual

    test (2 weeks):

      Visual
    • test: Analysis of contrasts, font sizes and visual structure.
    • Screen
      • reader test
    • : Testing the website with screen readers (e.g. NVDA or JAWS).
    • Keyboard
      • test
    • : Test of complete usability via keyboard.
    • Content
      • test
    • : Ensure that texts, alternative texts and descriptions are meaningful and complete.
    4. %
$6
  1. Test

    of PDF documents (1 week):

      Analysis
    • of all documents provided for accessibility with tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro or PAC 3.

Phase 3: Analysing and reporting (2 weeks)

CW 7-8:

  • Creation of

    a test report:

      Summary
    • of the identified barriers (automated and manual tests).
      • Prioritisation of
    • the problems according to criticality (e.g. critical, moderate, low).

  • Develop

    solutions

    :

      Recommendations
    • and concrete measures to eliminate the barriers.
    %
$6

Phase 4: Removal of barriers (6 weeks)

CW 9-14:

    Implementation of
  1. technical adjustments (4 weeks):
      Revision
    • of the source code (e.g. ARIA roles, semantic HTML code, contrasts).
      • Adaptation
    • of PDF documents for accessibility.
    2. Content optimisation
  2. (2 weeks):
      Training
    • of editors to create accessible content (e.g. alternative texts, simple language).
      • Revision
    • of existing content.
    3. %
$6

Phase 5: Review and quality assurance (3 weeks)

CW 15-17:

    Review
  • website:
      Repeat
    • automated and manual testing to ensure all issues have been resolved.
    • User
  • feedback:
      Testing
    • by a group of users with disabilities (screen reader users, people with motor impairments).
  • Final
    • report
  • :
      Documentation of
    • all measures taken and remaining issues (if any).

Phase 6: Ensuring accessibility in the long term (ongoing)

    From
  • week 18 (ongoing):
      Regular
    • review (quarterly).
      • Implementation of
    • an accessibility feedback form on the website.
      • Training
    • for editors and developers on long-term compliance with the standards.