Trainings

Nationwide training offers

On the website www.digitalbarrierefrei.at (external link), the FFG provides detailed training documents on behalf of the Federal Government on the following topics:

• Develop websites and apps barrier-free
• Editorial aspects of accessibility
• Information on barrier-free creation of digital documents
• Accessible multimedia content: video and audio
• Publication of an Accessibility Statement
• Procurement of accessible websites and apps

In addition to these instructions, the FFG also coordinatesvarious training formats, (partially) finances them in some cases and/or sends lecturers. The FFG publishes an up-to-date overview of the above-mentioned training courses on digitalbarrierefrei.at (external link - only in German).

In recent years, the FFG has cooperated with the following training partners:

• Gugler Agency
• Agency WIENFLUSS.information.design.solutions.
• Dr. Susanne Buchner-Sabathy and DI Doris Ossberger ("Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Österreichs" (Austrian Blind and Visually Impaired Association))
• "Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs" (Auxiliary Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austria)
• Johannes Kepler University of Linz
• UBIT Academy incite

Together with the "Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs" (Austrian Aid Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired), the FFG offered around 25 training sessions between 2022 and 2024 and, together with the Gugler agency, eight webinars in 2022.
These training sessions covered different aspects of digital accessibility:

• "Accessible in InDesign"
• "Web accessibility for editors"
• "Test Accessible PDFs from Microsoft Word and PDFs"
• "Accessible in Power Point"
• "Digital Accessibility Overview"
• "Understanding WCAG criteria"
• "Website check and accessibility statement"

Furthermore, the FFG worked with the Gugler agency in 2023 on the creation of a video tutorial and on updates of existing instructions, whichare available for all interested parties on the website www.digitalbarrierefrei.at (external link).

With the UBIT academy "incite", the FFG relaunched the course "WebAccessibility – barrier-free web design", which was held for the first time in 2014. This multi-day course was then offered and carried out at least four times a year in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

In addition, the "WebAccessibility – accessible web design for public bodies" course, which was specifically adapted to the target group of employees in public institutions at the initiative of the FFG, was carried out five times between 2022 and 2024.

The FFG participated in a training project of the University of Vienna: the creation of a series of educational videos on digital accessibility (external link). Together with the Wienfluss agency, numerous videos were shot, published and made available free of charge. The videos highlight the following topics:

• Introduction to digital accessibility – general statement and a first overview
• Legal framework in Austria and the EU – an overview of the different laws before and until 2023
• Accessible publishing of digital content – different application examples and tips for a barrier-free website
• Ensuring accessibility in digital projects – project management and digital accessibility
• Checking the accessibility of a website – several tests for self-verification of websites
• Web usage behaviour – interviews with data subjects and their experiences at work and in everyday life.

In 2024, the FFG will support Dr Susanne Buchner-Sabathy and DI Doris Ossberger with the newly developed "digital training for screen reader users" (external link - only in German). The course has already been offered twice in 2024.

In the summer semester 2025, the Johannes Kepler University Linz starts a university course for barrier-free web design (external link). The course was conceived in close cooperation with the  FFG and aims to offer people working in the field of web design a future-proof, part-time training opportunity and to train and professionalize them as experts for barrier-free web design.

The "Verwaltungsakademie des Bundes (VAB)" (Federal Administrative Academy) offers a wide range of free training courses on the subject of digital accessibility (external link - only in German) for employees of public authorities.

Burgenland

In 2022 and 2023, the province of Burgenland did not provide any training on digital accessibility. Contact has already been established with Akademie Burgenland GmbH in order to be able to participate in the autumn programme 2024 and 2020 or provide trainings in 2025.

Carinthia

In the province of Carinthia, a number of training courses were organised in cooperation with the "Verwaltungsakademie" (Administrative Academy). The following seminars were offered:

• 2022: "Implementation of the Web Accessibility Act – Digital Accessibility"
• 2023: "Implementation of the Web Accessibility Act – Digital Accessibility"
• 2024: "Basics of Digital Accessibility" (3-part seminar) and "Accessible Content Editorial"

Target groups were executives in key positions in the country or in municipalities, office managers and editors of the municipal websites.

Salzburg

In the province of Salzburg, the training event "Creating barrier-free documents" was offered at the Salzburg "Verwaltungsakademie" (Administrative Academy) in 2022.

Styria

In the province of Styria, a separate training concept for digital accessibility will be implemented successively from autumn 2024. The first steps are:

• (Compulsory) training for all state employees using e-learning with a focus on creating accessible documents.
• The CMS training for web editors on the state website has been extended to include the topic of ‘web accessibility’. This ensures that all new editors gain prior knowledge of digital accessibility.
• Training courses for existing CMS editors on the state website are to be offered periodically for all existing editors (currently about 480 people) in order to close any knowledge gaps.
• Furthermore, the state of Styria has already checked numerous websites of national or local servers and trains its employees in the area of accessibility on the web. The training courses are individually tailored to the needs of the participants or adapted to the projects.

Tyrol

In the province of Tyrol, a training course for Tyrolean municipalities was organised between 2022 and 2024, inter alia (among others) in cooperation with the Grillhof educational institute of the province of Tyrol and the "Verwatungsakademie" (Federal Administrative Academy). In addition, two training courses for new apprentices in the Tyrolean provincial administration and one training course within the framework of the course on judicial management, "Seminar C – Economy and IT", were held. Particularly the training of new employees in the Tyrolean state administration and in the Datenverarbeitung Tirol GmbH (DVT), the IT service provider of the state, was given a high priority. Employees who were (newly) entrusted with the topic of digital accessibility in the Tyrolean state administration were also individually supported and advised. In addition, there is a close cooperation with the company "kufgem", which supports a large part of the Tyrolean communities.

As further support in the area of sensitization and enrolment, a video was created together with the Public Relations Department of the Province of Tyrol, which shows what everyday work looks like for people with visual impairment and which aids they use at work. The video is now being shown to new employees at all introductory courses in the Tyrolean state administration.

Various presentations on digital accessibility were also held – e.g. at the 14th public meeting of the Tyrolean Monitoring Committee on 9 May 2022 for experts and interested citizens, and at the municipal fair in Innsbruck on 21 June 2023 for representatives of the municipal administration.

In addition, the "Competence Centre for Accessible Documents"(located in the Training Centre of the Human Resources Department) has been in place at the province of Tyrol since 2024, working closely with the Ombudsman’s Office and at the same time taking on many training activities. There, courses and training courses for state employees are offered specifically for the creation of barrier-free documents. In addition, there are ongoing individual consultations for employees who deal with questions or address the request for information to the Competence Centre. Their target group is primarily employees of the Tyrolean state administration.

Vorarlberg

In Vorarlberg in 2022, 2023 and 2024, 20 to 30 training courses per year were held for web editors on accessibility (e.g. generating simple texts, generating accessible PDFs).