Accessibility Center
The Accessibility Unit is the federal government's central point of contact for implementing accessibility in public structures.
It was created to support compliance with legal regulations such as the Disability Equality Act (BGG), the Accessible Information Technology Ordinance (BITV 2.0) and the Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG).
The aim of the specialist unit is not only to ensure legal implementation, but also to raise awareness of inclusive design.
It sees itself as a competence center that pools and passes on knowledge - both to federal and state authorities as well as to organizations, service providers and developers.
The central tasks of the specialist unit include
- Advice on digital accessibility (e.g. accessible websites and apps)
- Recommendations for the barrier-free structural design of administrative buildings
- Creation and publication of specialist publications and guidelines
- Conducting training courses and information events
- Raising awareness among the administration and public for the needs of people with disabilities
The specialist unit is organizationally assigned to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and works together with other public bodies and civil society organizations.
The Fachstelle für Barrierefreiheit (Federal Agency for Accessibility) is part of the federal government and advises authorities, associations and companies on all questions of accessibility. It pools knowledge, provides guidance material and puts people in touch with testing bodies, training providers and specialists. For many organisations it is therefore the first point of contact for practical implementation.
Its tasks include professional support for implementing the Disability Equality Act, information on technical standards such as BITV 2.0 and contributions to guidelines for administration and business. Citizens can also contact the agency with questions, for example if they come across barriers in public services.
For your own website it is worth looking at the agency’s materials: checklists, examples and explanations give reliable orientation and combine well with an internal audit or a project plan. That way you know which requirements are binding and where you can voluntarily do more for your users.
In short: Accessibility Centre: Guide to Barrierfree Access in Germany.
