Web accessibility: More customers, better ranking, less risk.

You book a flight, make an online purchase - and suddenly the mouse stops working. How would you deal with this? What if the website doesn't allow you to navigate using the keyboard either?

This is everyday life for millions of people. An appealing website alone is not enough - it has to be accessible and usable for everyone. This includes older people and users with various disabilities who rely on assistive technologies to read, navigate and interact with content.

In Germany, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz will come into force in 2025 as an implementation of the European Accessibility Act (EAA). At its core, the law aims to ensure compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0). This requires digital content to be perceptible, operable, understandable and robust (POUR: Perceived, Operable, Understandable and Robust).

Why accessibility is important for your company

By making your website accessible, you mitigate risks and gain a competitive advantage.

• Compliance: In many countries, including Germany, accessibility standards are required by law.
• Reach potential customers: More than 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability. If your website is accessible, you open up another customer segment that no longer necessarily has to use the accessible competitor platform.
• SEO ranking: Search engines prefer accessible websites. Accessibility increases usability for all users. Eliminating accessibility deficiencies can have an extremely positive impact on your search engine rankings , leading to more traffic and ultimately higher revenue . This applies not only to B2C websites, but also to the B2B sector: if you don't appear on the first search results pages, you are less likely to be requested.

Hurdles on your website? The most common problems:

I. Can the website be navigated without a mouse?

Many people assume that all users navigate with a mouse. However, people with chronic conditions such as arthritis, temporary disabilities such as a broken wrist or permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy often use keyboards, screen readers or voice control.

Even users with temporary disabilities, such as a broken mouse or hand injury, need to be able to navigate a website using only tab, enter and arrow keys.

Quick tests for keyboard navigation:
✔ Can all links, buttons and forms be reached?
✔ Is the focus indicator visible and does it move logically through the page?
✔ Can drop-down menus and pop-ups be operated without a mouse?

👉 If these essential functions are not accessible, users with disabilities will not be able to find their way around your website.

II. Do images have descriptive alternative texts?

Users with impaired vision or cognitive disabilities rely on screen readers to navigate websites. Alternative texts (alt texts) help people who cannot see or interpret images.

Alt texts enable assistive technologies to describe images, diagrams and form elements. They also help people with learning disabilities who may not understand images straight away.

Quick tests for alternative texts:
✔ Are product images, diagrams and icons labeled correctly?
✔ Do decorative images (e.g. background elements) have empty alt texts to avoid unnecessary screen reader prompts?
✔ Are diagrams and infographics supplemented by explanatory text?

👉 Without alt texts, important information can be lost for screen reader users. They also improve the SEO ranking, as search engines understand images better.

III. Is the text easy to read?

Many people have difficulty reading text if it is not displayed in a clearly visible color or with sufficient contrast.

People with visual impairments, color blindness or reading difficulties often adjust the font color and background to improve readability. Poor contrast makes it difficult for these users to grasp content.

The WCAG guidelines recommend a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 between text and background.

Quick tests for color contrast:
✔ Is the text easy to read and does it stand out from the background?
✔ Are buttons and links clearly recognizable?
✔ Are important information not only conveyed by color (e.g. "Error in red")?

👉 Low contrast makes reading difficult for people with impaired vision and older users.

IV. are subtitles available and accurate?

Imagine you are in a library or on a noisy train without headphones. Subtitles make it possible to understand videos without sound.

For users with hearing impairments, non-native speakers or people in noisy environments, subtitles are essential. They not only contain dialog, but also information about sounds such as applause or the rumble of thunder.

Quick tests for subtitles:
✔ Are the subtitles large enough, easy to read and correctly formatted?
✔ Do they have sufficient contrast to the background?
✔ Are they synchronized with the spoken language?

👉 In many countries, subtitles are required by law for public and educational content.

V. Can the website be zoomed without problems?

Many users enlarge the text for better readability - whether due to a visual impairment, age-related limitations or because they have forgotten their glasses.

Your website should remain functional even when enlarged up to 200%. If the layout "breaks" or content becomes illegible, adjustments are necessary.

Quick tests for zoom functionality:
✔ Does the text remain legible without requiring horizontal scrolling?
✔ Are buttons and links still easy to click?
✔ Does content remain clearly structured even on different screen sizes?

👉 A responsive design ensures that the website remains easy to read and use on different screen sizes.

Improve your SEO and increase your customer base

An accessible website reaches more people, improves the user experience and secures your digital future. The quick tests above will help you identify and fix the most common accessibility issues.

Work cost-effectively with us.

Rely on cost efficiency and expertise: We check your digital accessibility - selectively in the project or comprehensively throughout the entire company - and define precise actual and target states. We take into account market requirements, customer needs and regulatory requirements (such as BFSG and WCAG). Benefit from our tried-and-tested checklists, in-depth specialist knowledge and experienced accessibility testers.

Before you commission an agency or IT system house, we offer you an independent assessment. This allows us to identify the actual need for action together and create a transparent basis for targeted offers - this saves costs and ensures the quality of implementation. As a neutral partner, we also create before-and-after comparisons for measurable results.

Let us explore how we can help you.

Note: This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please contact a qualified lawyer to resolve specific legal issues. No liability is assumed for the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the information provided.