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Public sector

Public services online, usable by every resident

Public bodies across the EU have had to make their websites and apps accessible for years. We test against WCAG 2.2 AA, decide every criterion by hand and give you a report you can build your accessibility statement on.

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An older man with a hearing aid and a young woman lean over a tablet together; she points to the screen and he follows with his finger.

Which rules apply to public bodies

Websites and apps of public sector bodies are covered by Directive (EU) 2016/2102, not by the European Accessibility Act. It has applied to newer websites since 23 September 2019, to all websites since 23 September 2020 and to mobile apps since 23 June 2021. Each member state transposed it in its own law; in Germany, for example, the BITV 2.0 applies to federal bodies and state laws apply to state and local authorities.

The technical reference is the harmonised standard EN 301 549 V3.2.1, whose web clause is based on WCAG 2.1 AA. We test against WCAG 2.2 AA, which includes every WCAG 2.1 AA criterion plus six newer ones. The report shows which is which, so you can read the results against either version.

The directive also asks for an accessibility statement with a feedback mechanism and a link to the enforcement procedure (Article 7). National rules may add more; the German BITV 2.0, for example, requires explanations in sign language and easy-to-read language on the home page.

What we look at on public websites

Forms and e-services

Applications, appointment booking and uploads. These are where residents most often get stuck and have to come in person.

Documents

Forms, decisions and reports are often PDFs. The reviewer checks the documents you put in scope. PDF checks

Statement and feedback

Is the accessibility statement easy to find and up to date? Does the feedback route actually work, without barriers of its own?

Long content

Headings, landmarks, skip links and search decide whether people can find their way through hundreds of pages.

Embedded content

Maps, video players, appointment tools and chat widgets from third parties, tested as residents experience them.

Understandable language

Clear instructions and error messages, the right page language, and plain-language or sign-language content where your national rules require it.

Criteria that matter most on public websites

  • 2.4.1Bypass Blocks

    Large sites need a skip link or landmarks, so keyboard users do not tab through the same menu on every page.

  • 1.3.1Info and Relationships

    Headings, lists and tables must be marked up, not only styled. Long pages are unusable without structure.

  • 2.4.2Page Titled

    Each page needs a title that says what it is. People with many tabs open rely on it.

  • 3.3.2Labels or Instructions

    Application forms need clear labels and instructions, especially for formats such as reference numbers or dates.

  • 1.2.2Captions (Prerecorded)

    Recorded videos with sound, such as council meetings or explainer clips, need captions.

  • 3.1.2Language of Parts

    Text in another language, common in multilingual regions, must be marked so that screen readers switch pronunciation.

How we work with public bodies

  1. Sample per WCAG-EM

    Home page, one page per template, forms, documents, the accessibility statement and the e-services that matter most.

  2. Scan and review

    Automatic checks first, then a person decides all 55 criteria and walks through key services with a screen reader.

  3. Report for your statement

    Each failed criterion with locations and fix hints. This is the list of non-accessible content your statement has to describe.

  4. Re-test and certificate

    After fixes we test again, at a price we quote beforehand. If nothing fails, you receive our certificate with a public verification page.

Frequently asked questions

Is your certificate an official confirmation?

No. It is our own private certificate. It documents a test result for a defined scope and date. It does not replace the monitoring by your national authority and is not a decision of any public body.

Can we use your report for our accessibility statement?

Yes, that is one of its main uses. The report lists every failed criterion with its location. Our statement generator helps with a first draft; check it against the model your country prescribes.

Can you test against the version our law refers to?

We test WCAG 2.2 AA, which contains every WCAG 2.1 AA criterion. The six newer criteria are marked in the report. EN 301 549 also has clauses beyond WCAG, for example for software and for documentation and support services; these are not part of our audit or our certificate.

Can you work within our procurement rules?

You receive an invoice as a PDF, with your purchase order or file number if you give us one. We cannot issue structured e-invoices (for example in XRechnung or Peppol format) at the moment, so ask us before you order if your rules require one. Our guide on accessibility in tenders explains what to ask suppliers.

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