© FTB, 2005

E-Accessibility in Germany: acts and ordinances, outcome of benchmarking and

activities

E-Accessibility in Germany: acts and ordinances, outcome of benchmarking and

activities

Policies and Legislations in favour of e-

accessibility in Europe, Nice, March 27.+28. 2003

Rainer Wallbruch

© FTB, 2005

BackgroundBackground

© FTB, 2005

BackgroundBackground Since 1995 guidelines on barrier free Internet design on FTB homepage FTB dept. Universal Design e-Accessibility delegate

www.ftb-net.de

www.abi-projekt.de

wob11.de

www.universelles-design.de

© FTB, 2005

Steps in German Legislation

Steps in German Legislation

1994 In Basic Constitutional Law added

(Grundgesetz article 3, paragraph 3) : – "It is not allowed to put someone at a disadvantage

because of his/her disability."2001 Code of Social Law, SGB IX, changed:

Rehabilitation and Participation of Disabled People – arrangement of rights governed by social law– Self-determination: participation instead of

rehabilitational integration 2002 Act on Equal Opportunities for Disabled (BGG) Different Ordinances (BITV, VBD, KHV and others)

Participation

Change of Paradigm

Medical Model

Social Model

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GermanLegislative Framework

GermanLegislative Framework

Anti Discrimination clause in the constitution Art.3 (3)

Labour + REHA Public SectorPrivate Sector

SchwbBAG

SGB IX

BGG(Act on EqualOpportunities for Disabled)

BITVOrdinance

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Bundesbehinderten-gleichstellungsgesetz Bundesbehinderten-

gleichstellungsgesetz Art 1, Section 1: general requirements

§1 Objective: remove discrimination, facilitate equal participation and independent living

§ 2 Women with disabilities: equal rights

§ 3 Disability: Definition (SGBIX)

§ 4 Barrier free access: Definition

§ 5 Targeted Agreements: Instrument

§ 6 Sign language and other alternative means for communication

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BGG (2)BGG (2)

Art 1, Section 2: Obligation for equal treatment and barrier free access

§ 7 Objective: Anti-discrimination in interaction with public administration/ authorities (Federal Level)

§ 8 Barrier free building and transportation

§ 9 Sign language and communication aids

§ 10 printed official information and forms

§ 11 Barrier free Information Technology

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BGG (3)BGG (3)

Art 1, Section 3: Legal measures§ 12/13 court representation and right of user organisations to take to court

Art 1, Section 4: Representative (counsellor)of the Federal Government for disability issues§ 14/15 Role and tasks of the representative

Art 1a - Art 54: Changes of other laws

Art 55/56 Final instruction and enactement

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BGG (4)BGG (4)

Enacted: generally May, 1, 2002

(Artikel 1a, 2 and 3 1.1. 2003)

Subsequent decrees until 3 moths after enactment (hence end of July 2002)

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Barrier free AccessBarrier free Access

infrastructures and devices

normally

Barrier free are

if they are

accessible and usable for by people with disabilities

.

© FTB, 2005

infrastructures and devices

normally

Barrier free are

if they are

accessible and usable for by people with disabilities

.

- as usual, - without significant increase of difficulty - and in principle without assistance

built and other constructions, transportation, technical equipment, systems for information processing, audio and visual information sources and communication facilities and other built living environments,

Barrier free AccessBarrier free Access

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BGG § 11Barrierfree Information

Technology

BGG § 11Barrierfree Information

Technology

Public sector (federal level) implements step by step– Internet presentations (including publicly available

Intranet) and graphical user interfaces

– According to the decree BITV: Enactment of BITV 24.7.2002

Agreements with commercial providers– by established (certified) user organisations

– can force negotiations

– agreements will be registered

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BITVBITV

In force since 24. 7. 2002 relates to WAI Content Guidelines 1.0

– English version: http://www.bmgs.bund.de/eng/gra/sicherheit/index_3562.cfm

– In html with links to glossary, explanation and WAI (in German):http://wob11.de/gesetze/a_bitv.html

© FTB, 2005

BITV --> Requirements -> Prioritised Conditions -->

Comformance Levels

BITV --> Requirements -> Prioritised Conditions -->

Comformance Levels

ConformanceCheckpoints in 2 PrioritiesPriority I, basic requirement

removes significant Barriers, mandatory(= WAI priority 1+2, A + AA)

Priority II simplifies access, for central navigation sites(= WAI priority 3, AAA)

I+II

I

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Differences between BITV and WCAG 1.0Differences between BITV and WCAG 1.0

BITV to a great extend is a translation of WCAG 1.0 guidelines and checkpoints except:– German condition 2.3 (PII) is not a checkpoint in WCAG 1.0

• contrast not only for pictures (PI) but also for text (PII) (WCAG 1.0: both in 2.2)

– German condition 11.3 (PI) corresponds with WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 11.4• if an accessible page is not possible provide a link to an alternative

page

– German condition 11.4 (PII) corresponds with WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 11.3• documents according to users preferences

© FTB, 2005

BITV Standards for Sites of Federal

Authorities

BITV Standards for Sites of Federal

Authorities

New Sites (and substantial relaunches)BITV P I (WAI-P1 + WAI-P2, hence Conformance AA).One Access path BITV PI, immediately

Existing Sites for updated sites BITV PI (2005)(for special info for people with disabilities 2003)

Central entrance and navigation sites BITV PI and PII (WAI-P1 + P2 + P3, also AAA).

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Impact ofBGG and BITV

Impact ofBGG and BITV

For the first time with BITV a standard for barrier free internet in Germany is accepted

public sector federal government Landesgleichstellungsgesetzte -> States, municipalities

companies in the public sector (public transportation, energy etc.)

public funded cultural and scientific institutions socially orientiented companies (social insurance, social

associations, self-help organisations, charity, health care) Enterprises with „Corporate Social Responsibility“

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State Legislation (LGGs)

State Legislation (LGGs)

In force before BGG– Berlin (17.05.1999)– Sachsen-Anhalt (20.11.2001)

Drafts– Baden-Württemberg § 10– Hamburg

§ 7– Mecklenburg-Vorpommern– Niedersachsen § 11– Thüringen

In force– Bayern (09.07.2003) § 13– Brandenburg (24.05.2004) § 9– Bremen (09.12.2003) § 9– Hessen (20.12.2004) § 7– NRW (11.12.2003) § 10– Rheinland-Pfalz

(31.12.2002) § 7– Saarland (26.11.2003) § 8– Sachsen (29.042004) § 7– Schleswig-Holstein

(21.12.2002) § 12

New LGGs follow BGG. Barrierfree Information Technology included. To be applied on state level including municipalities, examples:

© FTB, 2005

Challenges AheadChallenges Ahead

Implementation of BITV (support, training)

Private sector (targeted agreements)

Update

W3C official translation of new guidelines

Benchmarking

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Other Ordinancesin Accordance with the Act on Equal

Opportunities for Disabled Persons

Other Ordinancesin Accordance with the Act on Equal

Opportunities for Disabled Persons Ordinance on Making Documents Accessible to Blind and

Visually Impaired Persons in Administrative Procedures (VBD)– Related to BGG § 10– Official notes, public legal contracts and forms

have to be barrierfree for blind and visually impaired:• in a written (large print, high contrast, braille), electronic

(BITV), acoustical, oral (read) or other form

Ordinance on the Use of Sign Language and Other Communication Aids in Administrative Procedures (KHV)– Related to BGG § 9– Right to have an interpreter (for sign language and other

forms) for administrative acts

© FTB, 2005

Aktionsbündnis barrierefreie

Informationstechnik

Aktionsbündnis barrierefreie

Informationstechnik

The project: http://www.abi-projekt.de

The help site: http://wob11.de

Both sites in German language

Alliance for barrierfree Information Technology in Germany

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Objectives: barrierfree Internet in Germany with special

focus on labour related content consideration of all types of disability Co-operation of all interested parties Harmonisation and quality assurance Awareness and support of the implementation

© FTB, 2005

Start:1.9.2002

3 Mitglieder (members): project consortium 8 Partner (partners): consensus building 41 Unterstützer (supporters): net of supporters

further organisations are invited to join

Project information: http://www.abi-projekt.de Web ohne Barrieren Portal: http://wob11.de

Numbers as to 5.2003

supported by BMGS

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Members and Partners

Members and Partners

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SupportersSupporters

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PortfolioPortfolio

Test of Websites Advice and hands-on seminars Training and information events Comprehensive online information:

http://wob11.de

Networking and Harmonisation Public relations Benchmarking study Support to user NGOs

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Target Audience

Target Audience

Public sector with web-presentation (private sector with web-

presentation) Web designer and software

developers CD-ROM-presenters and developers Employers and company based

worker unions

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Advice Portfolio of Advice Portfolio of the Partnersthe Partners

Advice Portfolio of Advice Portfolio of the Partnersthe Partners

Pre-tests (short analysis) and basic advice

Comprehensive tests and analysis

Comprehensive test reporting

Design Support for new sites

Basis for test and advice: BGG § 11 - BITVQualified advice teams

© FTB, 2005

BenchmarkingBenchmarking

study of public websites taking up the requirements and

recommendations of the eAccessibility group to produce comparable benchmarks in the European Member States

data have been collected in – December 2002, where the BITV decree was in

force for 6 months– December 2003– December 2004 (still in evaluation)

© FTB, 2005

Benchmarking IIBenchmarking II

Sample: 60 Sites have been selected– nearly half federal authorities (34 pages) and

half states an cities/ municipalities (26 pages) basis for the tests have been the German BITV

and WAI WCAG 1.0 test battery:

– different semiautomatic tools– expert tests

© FTB, 2005

Benchmarking ResultsBenchmarking Results

2002:– None of the pages met BITV Priority I (WAI AA)

(1 actually did one day, lost it the next day due to updates)

– 2 of the pages met WAI A– 16 of the 60 pages have been very close to AA,

but significant barriers remaining– Indication, that the legislation takes effect:

• Out of the 16 pages 13 have been from federal authorities, for who the BITV is mandatory.

(Note: The BITV requires only new sites to conform immediately, others by the end of 2005, content dedicated to people with disabilities by the end of 2003)

© FTB, 2005

Benchmarking Results IIBenchmarking Results II

2003:– None of the pages met BITV Priority I (WAI AA)– 5 of the pages nearly met WAI A and a lot of

AA-checkpoints but significant barriers remaining– 4 of the 5 pages have been from federal

authorities– Indication, that the legislation takes effect:

• Among the 10 best pages 8 have been from federal authorities (federal in total = 34, )

• Among the 30 best pages 25 have been from federal authorities

© FTB, 2005

Benchmarking Results IIIBenchmarking Results III

Discussion: Same test method used for both surveys Method is very sensitive to deviation from BITV

and registers even small mistakes

In 2003 more federal pages show a dealing with „barrierfree webdesign“ and steps for realisation than in 2002 but:– Evidently concepts for sustainability are missed

so that many small mistakes lead to an inferior result than in 2002 due to the sensitive test method

© FTB, 2005

Public area:BIENE-awardPublic area:

BIENE-award

Approach: German award for barrierfree websites(done by 2 foundations: Aktion Mensch and Stiftung Digitale-Chancen)

BIENE: Barrierefreies Internet eröffnet neue Einsichten (Barrierfree internet opens up new understanding)– Not only focussed on federal sites– Not only focussed on BITV / WCAG

included criteria within 200 test steps: • BITV, WCAG 1.0, WCAG 2.0, ISO/TS 16071, ILSMH

(guideline for simple language), TechDis (guideline dyslexia), NCAM SALT (guideline for barrierfree E-Learning)

© FTB, 2005

Public area:BIENE-award categories

Public area:BIENE-award categories

E-Commerce E-Government Media Culture and society Science and research 3 special prises

© FTB, 2005

Public area:BIENE-awardPublic area:

BIENE-award

2003:– 173 applications, 61 after first exclusion test, 16 nominated

2004:– more than 230 applications, 100 after first exclusion test

(same as 1 year ago), 25 nominated Differences and Outcome:

– Reported: quality of applications on a substantial higher level than 2003

– Special prise for enhancing eAccessibility to a federal website (styleguide of the German Federal Armed Forces)

– Indication for: problem awareness is grown up also in general public

© FTB, 2005

Challenges Today and for the FutureChallenges Today and for the Future

Barrier free Internet for all types of disabilities

Barrier free Internet as Design-Process Coherent Standard for barrier free Internet on

Federal and state level, international Unified testing of barrier free Internet Barrier free Internet in the private sector Keeping up to date BITV New Assistive Technology (e.g. Text-to-

signing translator)

© FTB, 2005

ContactContact

Rainer Wallbruchrw@ftb-volmarstein.de

Telefon: +49 (0) 2 33 5 / 96 81-10Telefax: +49 (0) 2 33 5 / 96 81-19

Grundschöttelerstr. 4058300 Wetter

www.ftb-net.dewob11.dewww.universelles-design.de