Skip to content

Digital Accessibility in Göttingen: BFSG and WCAG 2.2 for Science and Business

Göttingen combines university research, medical technology and biotech – digital accessibility is a fundamental requirement here, not an add-on. We audit, remediate and document your website, portals and PDF documents to WCAG 2.2, with a WCAG 2.2 audit from €2,480 fixed price.

Request a Free Initial Consultation View WCAG 2.2 Audit
WCAG 2.2 audit from €2,480 fixed price BFSG mandatory since 28 June 2025 Own accessibility statement published

In short and in plain language

This page is for firms and research or health bodies in Göttingen. We make websites accessible. This means that all people can use them.

The BFSG is a German law for some services from firms. Universities usually have their own rules. In the first talk we look together at which rules may apply to you.

We test websites, portals and PDF files against the WCAG. These are rules for accessible websites. Then we fix the problems in the code.

Our office is in Söhlde near Hildesheim. We come to Göttingen for meetings. Write to us or give us a call.

Key figures

PDF/UA

for publications and teaching material

Desktop + mobile

every view checked in both layouts

WCAG 2.2

audit benchmark, level AA

EN 301 549

European standard as audit basis

Transparent fixed prices

from €2,480 fixed price, net
  • Report with prioritized measures
  • Keyboard and screen reader output checked
  • Solid basis for your accessibility statement
Request a Free Initial Consultation View WCAG 2.2 Audit

WCAG 2.2 audit (SMEs up to 30 pages). Quick start with the BFSG quick check for €490. Accessibility statement €390 fixed price, ongoing BFSG monitoring from €49 per month. All prices net.

Prices as of October 2026. Ongoing services are booked individually and can be canceled with one month's notice to the end of the month; there is no minimum term.

As a university city and one of Germany's most significant medical and research centers, Göttingen stands for precision and responsibility. This mindset should also be reflected in digital presences. Whether biotech startup, university hospital, research institute or mid-market service provider: the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) has required certain digital products and services to be accessible since June 28, 2025, and public bodies are subject to their own rules. We help Göttingen organizations implement these requirements reliably and efficiently – with structured audits from €2,480 fixed price and technical remediation directly in the code. You will find an overview of all building blocks and prices in our services.

BFSG mandatory since 28 June 2025

Since 28 June 2025, digital products and services covered by the BFSG must be accessible. Violations can trigger market surveillance orders and fines of up to €100,000 (BFSG §37). We assess our own website against WCAG 2.2 AA ourselves; status and known limitations are set out in our accessibility statement.
WCAG 2.2 AA · EN 301 549 · Göttingen
How your accessibility audit unfolds
Research portal · 42 pages · from scope to re-audit
Scope analysis
Scan
Per-criterion assessment
Findings report
Re-audit
Audit run · what each step delivers
Scope: 42 pages, critical paths prioritised
axe-core: pre-findings
Keyboard + screen reader output: 34 findings with WCAG criterion
Report with a solution proposal per finding
Re-audit checks the fixed findings
Conformance by principle
Perceivable78 %
Operable64 %
Understandable82 %
Robust69 %
WCAG 2.2 auditfrom €2,480 fixed price
Resultreport with findings list
Example view of a WCAG 2.2 audit report: conformance by principle and findings with WCAG criterion. Values are illustrative, not a client project.

The BFSG and Its Relevance for Göttingen

The German Accessibility Strengthening Act transposes EU Directive 2019/882 into German law and applies to certain products and services that businesses offer to consumers, including services in electronic commerce. Göttingen as a research and university hub is affected in multiple ways: spin-offs from the University of Göttingen distributing software or platforms can be covered by the BFSG, as can clinics with patient portals, publishers with online offerings and service providers of all types – what matters is whether an offering falls within the scope of § 1 BFSG. The technical requirements follow European standard EN 301 549; version V3.2.1, the current reference, is based on WCAG 2.1 AA, while version V4.1.1, published in September 2026, adopts WCAG 2.2. Our audit benchmark is WCAG 2.2 AA; it covers the requirements of WCAG 2.1 AA.

Universities and other public bodies are subject to their own accessibility rules implementing EU Directive 2016/2102: for bodies of the state of Lower Saxony, sections 9 et seq. of the Lower Saxony Disability Equality Act (NBGG); for federal public bodies, the BITV 2.0, the German ordinance on barrier-free information technology. These rules partly go beyond the BFSG, for example with the obligation to publish an accessibility statement with a feedback mechanism. For Göttingen institutions serving both public and private audiences, we recommend a review against both frameworks. Approximately 7.8 million severely disabled people live in Germany (Source: Federal Statistical Office, as of end of 2025). Many of them are potential customers, patients, students or partners of Göttingen organizations.

Specifics of the Göttingen Digital Landscape

Göttingen is not a typical commercial location. The close integration of university, university hospital, Max Planck Institutes and the growing biotech scene creates a digital infrastructure that far exceeds a simple corporate website in complexity and user requirements. Clinical portals must be usable by patients of all ages and disability groups. Research platforms must be accessible to international users who may rely on screen readers or magnification software. Publication databases must provide PDF documents in accessible form. We know these specific requirements and address them through our PDF accessibility service and technical audits for complex web applications.

What We Deliver for Göttingen Businesses and Institutions

WCAG 2.2 Audit

Systematic testing of your website, portal or web application against all relevant WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria. Measurements with axe-core, complemented by the assessment of every criterion and checks of keyboard operation and screen reader output. Prioritized action report, fixed price from €2,480.

Technical Remediation

Fixing identified barriers directly in your system's source code. We work in WordPress, TYPO3, Shopware and custom web applications. ARIA attributes, semantic structuring, keyboard accessibility, focus management and accessible forms.

PDF Accessibility

Reviewing and correcting publications, brochures and documents to PDF/UA standard, from €4.90 per page plus a minimum flat fee. Particularly relevant for Göttingen research institutions and university publishers. Logical reading order, tags, alt texts and navigation aids.

Team Training

Hands-on workshops for editors, designers and developers. We come to you in Göttingen or conduct sessions remotely. Content is based on your own systems and documents, not abstract examples.

Accessibility Statement

Creating the accessibility statement with the information required under § 14 and Annex 3 BFSG for a fixed price of €390. For public bodies in Göttingen, additionally following the model in EU Implementing Decision 2018/1523. Documentation of conformance status, known limitations and the feedback mechanism.

Ongoing Monitoring

Continuous accessibility monitoring during content changes and deployments, from €49 per month. Quarterly spot checks, regular scans and reporting. Particularly relevant for institutions with a high publication frequency.

From barrier finding to compliant solution

Many barriers are fixable with solid engineering. Using a typical contact form, we show what remediation looks like: missing labels, insufficient contrast and invisible focus rings are corrected in the source code and then checked against the affected WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria. A test finding becomes a concrete, verifiable fix.

  • Programmatically linked labels instead of mere placeholders
  • Contrast from 4.5:1 for text and 3:1 for controls
  • Error messages with text and aria-describedby, clear focus ring
Before
Input field without label
Contrast 2.7:1 — below 4.5:1
Errors flagged by colour only
No visible focus ring
VS
After
Label programmatically linked
Contrast 5.8:1 — WCAG AA met
Error text with aria-describedby
Clear focus ring, logical tab order

Common Barriers on Göttingen Websites

Certain barrier patterns recur on many websites. In scientific and medical contexts in particular, certain issues stand out: complex data visualizations without text alternatives, inaccessible PDF documents with scientific figures, dynamic web applications without ARIA live regions and multilingual content without proper lang attributes. These problems are solvable – with the right knowledge and an eye for the specifics of each subject context.

Data and Visualizations

Research diagrams, statistics charts and data tables presented exclusively visually. Screen reader users receive no information about the content. Solution: text alternatives, table markup and ARIA descriptions for complex graphics.

PDF Documents

Scientific publications, course materials and teaching resources as untagged PDF scans. Without tags, reading order and alt texts, they are inaccessible to screen reader users. Even text PDFs often have incorrect reading order.

Multilingual Content

International research websites in German and English where the HTML lang attribute is missing or incorrect. Screen readers then read the text in the wrong language. Especially relevant for Göttingen research institutions with an international audience.

Dynamic Applications

Lab portals, booking systems and data management tools that load content asynchronously without notifying screen readers. Missing ARIA live regions mean status messages, errors and results remain invisible to screen readers.

Note for Universities and Research Institutions

Public bodies in Göttingen such as universities and university hospitals are generally subject to the rules implementing EU Directive 2016/2102: in Lower Saxony, sections 9 et seq. NBGG; for federal bodies, the BITV 2.0. These rules require, among other things, an accessibility statement following a set model. On request, we assess which framework may apply to your institution and design the audit accordingly; this is not legal advice.

Our Audit and Implementation Process for Göttingen

We discuss which framework may apply to your organization (BFSG, the rules for public bodies or both) and define the audit scope. Not every subpage needs to be audited simultaneously. We prioritize by usage frequency, business relevance and legal risk.

How accessible is your Göttingen web presence?

In a free initial consultation we classify what you need to do – BFSG, rules for public bodies or both – and name a concrete fixed-price range: WCAG audit from €2,480, BITV assessment for public bodies from €2,980.

Request a Free Initial Consultation Call: +49 5123 9579000

Accessibility for Science and Biotech

Göttingen is a major research location. The Georg August University, the university hospital and numerous non-university research institutions form an ecosystem that attracts startups, spin-offs and service providers. Especially companies building digital products from this environment should treat accessibility as an integral part of development, not a retrospective compliance task. We support Göttingen startups and research companies in building accessible web applications from the outset.

Medical portals and patient information systems have specific accessibility requirements: their users may be older people with visual impairments, patients under medication with limited fine motor skills or people with cognitive limitations who need plain language and simple navigation. The Göttingen university hospital and surrounding clinics and practices offering online services are well advised to align their digital presence with these realities. Our screen reader output check and easy language review from €119 per standard page are particularly helpful modules here.

Accessibility across southern Lower Saxony

From our office in Söhlde near Hildesheim we serve Göttingen and the surrounding cities – on site for kickoff, training and audit presentations, remote for the technical work.

Regional Presence and Personal Service

Our office in Söhlde near Hildesheim is well connected to Göttingen via the A7 motorway. For Göttingen clients, we offer personal on-site appointments for kickoff meetings, training sessions and audit presentations. For scientific institutions that value personal collaboration and direct communication in particular, this option is an important quality feature. Technical work – audits, remediation and monitoring – is handled efficiently via remote collaboration, and we keep you transparently informed at every step.

We work with widely used content management systems, shop systems and custom web applications. For Göttingen clients, this means no abstract audit document that leaves you alone, but a partner who gets to know your platform and proposes pragmatic solutions. It does not matter whether you run a small corporate website, a complex research portal or a medical web application. Get to know us in a free initial consultation and receive a first assessment of what needs to be done.

Accessibility as a Business Opportunity

Choosing accessibility is not just a compliance decision but also a business one. An accessible web presence can improve user experience for all visitors, not just those with disabilities. Semantic HTML and correct document structure can positively affect search engine rankings. Better form accessibility can reduce drop-off rates in checkout or booking processes. An estimated 16 percent of the world's population experience significant disability (Source: World Health Organization, 2023). For Göttingen businesses with an international client base, that is a substantial market potential.

Our service spectrum for Göttingen clients covers the entire accessibility lifecycle: from the initial BFSG classification through the WCAG 2.2 audit and technical remediation to the accessibility statement and ongoing monitoring. Each module can be commissioned individually or booked as a comprehensive package. Get in touch – we are happy to advise you.

Science, medicine and teaching material

Recorded lectures and explainer videos need captions and transcripts — what belongs to that is described in the article on captions and transcripts. For scripts, studies and publications the article on accessible PDFs is the entry point, complemented by the PDF accessibility service page. Where research results appear as charts, the article on accessible data visualisation helps. Testing follows the method described in the WCAG 2.2 audit, implementation runs through accessible web development; the legal background is under BFSG requirements, the sector view under accessibility by industry and further locations under regional accessibility.

The essentials for Göttingen at a glance

  • BFSG mandatory since 28 June 2025 – violations can be penalized with up to €100,000 (BFSG §37)
  • WCAG 2.2 audit from €2,480 fixed price (SMEs up to 30 pages), entry via the BFSG quick check for €490
  • Testing to WCAG 2.2 AA and, for universities and university hospitals, additionally to the rules for public bodies (NBGG or BITV 2.0)
  • PDF/UA from €4.90 per page, easy language from €119 per standard page, ongoing monitoring from €49 per month
  • On-site appointments in Göttingen (reachable via the A7), technical work handled efficiently remote

Frequently Asked Questions from Göttingen Businesses and Institutions

How the customer portal of a municipal utility could look

The draft shows structure and handling: short paths to meter reading and instalment, a form naming the error at the field, plain language and text size in the header. The utility in it is invented.

Draft
Municipal utility

Customer portal with self-service and plain language

A draft for a municipal utility portal: submitting a meter reading, adjusting the instalment and registering a move sit side by side as six short paths, and the form checks entries and places the error as text right next to the field. Reporting a fault is laid out in four steps, and the tariff comparison is a table with labelled rows and columns. Text size and plain language can be switched in the page header.

Plain languageText sizeForm validationFault reporting

Illustrative layout drafts. The businesses shown are fictitious; these are not client projects.

What can we help you with?

One click is enough — everything after that is optional.

Tell us briefly about the project

Everything on this step is optional.

As shown in your browser, with or without https://.

When would you like to start? (optional)
Rough budget range (optional)

Optional — you are not committing to anything.

A few keywords are enough. If you write something, please use at least 5 characters.

How can we reach you?

We usually get back to you within one business day.

Your name or surname, at least 2 characters.

Only needed if you would like a call back.

The address our reply should go to, with @ and domain.

By submitting you consent to the processing of your details to handle this request. Details in our privacy policy.

Also available in these regions

More regions

By industry