Responsible bodies benefit from synergies

Extensive information on www.digitalbarrierefrei.at

According to federal law, the FFG has the task, on behalf of the federal government, to publish applicable content requirements for the accessibility statement as well as applicable monitoring methods and reporting modalities on the Internet.

In order to meet this task in a more target group-oriented manner, the FFG published the new website www.digitalbarrierefrei.at (external link) in 2024. The website offers a wide range of information. It is constantly being expanded and updated.

The website presents the developments in the field of digital accessibility in Austria in a transparent manner. This is done in the form of monitoring reports (published every three years) and interim reports in the years in which no comprehensive monitoring report is published. In addition, special attention will be paid to the top issues identified each year. Top issues are the accessibility criteria that were most often not met during the monitoring-checks in a monitoring year.

The website offers both the monitoring and complaints offices in the federal states as well as the monitoring and complaints office of the federal government the opportunity to raise awareness of the topic, to provide training documents and to present the developments.

The content is advertised via mailings to public institutions as well as newsletter and social media contributions, at events and in the context of consultations. The website also offers a large part of the content in English. In 2025, the website will also make selected content available in easy-to-read language.

Austrian approach to the monitoring process

The central element in promoting digital accessibility in Austria is a common approach or close coordination between the competent authority of the federal government and those of the federal states. Since the entry into force of the Web Accessibility Act (WZG) the Federal Government's aim has been to achieve a uniform approach to monitoring checks and, where possible, to exploit synergies in monitoring. In the last three years, exchange meetings with the representatives of the federal states and the federal government took place twice a year. In the meantime, close cooperation has developed between the competent authorities of the federal government and the federal states.

More details on the monitoring process can be found on the website digitalbarrierefrei.at (external link - only in German).

Consider accessibility in procurement and contracts

Accessibility must already be in place in the design of the website or app and in the service description as well as in all stages of the procurement process are taken into account, not least in order to save costs for any subsequent and usually complex corrections.

On the initiative of the "Bundesministeriums für Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz (BMSGPK)" (Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK)), an interministerial working group has set up guidelines for considering the accessibility of information and communication technology products and services in procurement and contracting. The result is a guide in the Federal Administration Wiki in the area of "Accessible: Inclusive Procurement" (external link - only in German) and in the form of practical tools (see contract annexes A to F).

Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Act

In Austria, the body responsible for implementing the Accessibility Act is the "Sozialministerium (Landesstelle Oberösterreich)" (Ministry of Social Affairs) (external link - only in German). There is regular exchange between the federal monitoring body FFG and the responsible body for the Accessibility Act in order to be able to use synergies here as well.