What does “digital accessibility” mean?


Digital accessibility refers to the process of designing digital content so that it can be used and accessed by as many people as possible. The aim is to give users, regardless of any impairments they may have, the same access to information and functions on websites, apps, and all other digital products.

A number of legal requirements regulate digital accessibility in particular; the most important ones are:

  • The E-Government Act: Among other things, it stipulates that barrier-free access for people with disabilities to information and services offered by public administrations must be ensured through compliance with international standards. The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) of the World Wide Web Consortium are referred to as the standard for barrier-free web design.
  • Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council (of October 26, 2016) on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies
  • The Web Accessibility Act (WZG): This law applies to all federal public institutions, as well as those that are predominantly publicly funded. They must all design their websites and mobile applications to be accessible in accordance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
  • Öffentliche Einrichtungen wie Universitäten sind besonders dazu verpflichtet, ihre Informationen und Angebote für alle Menschen zugänglich zur Verfügung zu stellen. Alle BOKU-Angehörigen sind daher aufgerufen, unsere Universität barrierefrei(er) zu gestalten! 

Detailed information on how to make web content accessible to everyone, as well as helpful tips, checklists, tools, and services for implementing digital accessibility, can be found on the websites of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). See link to FFG.
 

Digital accessibility - Videos

The BOKU video on digital accessibility—why it is important for everyone—explains in a few sentences and images why digital accessibility benefits everyone.

 

 

The following video provides step-by-step instructions for installing access4.

More videos:

Here you will find another easy-to-understand introductory video that provides a basic understanding of digital accessibility.

Videos on creating accessible documents

This video briefly explains what you need to bear in mind when creating accessible documents. 

 

 

The following video provides a detailed explanation of how to create accessible documents. The division into individual chapters is intended to help you pick out specific topics: 

00:00 What is digital accessibility, what is web accessibility?

00:39 Default settings in Microsoft Word

01:23 General information about Word documents – style sheets

03:38 Heading structure

04:10 Alternative text for images and graphics

05:18 Distinguishing between titles, alternative text, and captions.

05:52 What should be considered in terms of typography and contrast values?

06:36 What should be considered in terms of contrast values?

07:54 How can I measure contrast values?

08:37 Accessibility check in Word

09:11 Converting from Word to PDF

10:25 axesPDF plugin for Word

11:31 Checking documents in PAC, PDF Accessibility Checker.

12:36 The most common error messages

13:01 Checking tool in Adobe Acrobat

13:35 Accessibility on Mac 
 

 

Information on accessible websites

The structure of a website/mobile application/app determines its accessibility. An accessible web not only offers advantages in terms of usability for all users, but also reflects an open and inclusive corporate/university culture for the organization in question. 

What is important when implementing accessible web applications?

The following aspects must be taken into account, such as:

  1. Text alternatives: Provide text descriptions for all visual content.
  2. Contrast: Ensure clear contrast between text and background.
  3. Usability: Ensure that the website can be fully operated using a keyboard.
  4. Comprehensibility: Keep navigation and interface consistent and predictable.
  5. Error correction: Offer help for recognizing and correcting input errors.
  6. Adaptability: Allow for adjustments, for example, to the scalability of text.
  7. Ongoing optimization: Services and content should be continuously optimized and adapted via a means of reporting barriers.

 

Further information on designing accessible websites can be found on the website of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). 

Information on creating accessible documents, training courses for PE, and testing tools in the context of accessible documents can be found under the internal link: Accessible documents on the coordination office website.

Information on products that support you in creating and checking accessible documents can be found on the BOKU-IT website.