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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
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BackgroundBackground
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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
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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
.
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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
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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
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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:
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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)
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Public area:BIENE-award categories
Public area:BIENE-award categories
E-Commerce E-Government Media Culture and society Science and research 3 special prises
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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
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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 [email protected]
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