Web accessibility is more than just a legal framework—it's a sign of respect, inclusion, and professional standards. An accessible website enables everyone to access information and features—regardless of physical, sensory, or cognitive limitations.

What does accessible web design mean?

Accessible web design (web accessibility) means that websites are designed and developed so that they can be used by as many people as possible – including people with disabilities.

Measures to achieve accessibility include:

• Text alternatives for images
  Each image should be described in text. Screen readers can then read these text descriptions aloud to people with visual impairments. These texts are hidden in a standard browser. For example, the image description for the cover image of this article is as follows:

  "The picture shows an older man and a young girl sitting at a wooden table in the kitchen. The man is holding a tablet, and the girl is looking at it, smiling. They appear to be engrossed in conversation. There is a bookshelf in the kitchen, and a vase of flowers in the background. The overall mood of the picture is cheerful and relaxed."

• Usability with keyboard or voice input
  This primarily concerns the menu(s) on the page. They must all be accessible and controllable via keyboard. This includes, for example, drop-down submenus, etc.

• Semantic programming code
  The content is marked internally within the program, e.g., as article, section, first-level heading, etc. These definitions are not visible visually, but screen readers can also provide the user with valuable information here.

  As a positive side effect, semantic programming code also improves search engine findability.

Adjust font size, light & dark mode, reduce animations

These are all measures that make a website more accessible. Instead of adding a bunch of buttons to the page to achieve this, you can simply access the system preferences.

In Windows, for example, you can adjust the text size under Settings > Accessibility and turn the animation on or off under Visual Effects. You can choose light or dark mode under Personalization > Colors.

These settings can be applied to the website so that it is immediately displayed in the mode preferred by the user. Another nice side effect here is that, for example, a user who prefers dark mode will immediately see the website presented accordingly.

Shown are two screenshots of the same website side by side. It's the homepage of ilumi.de. On the left, the website is shown in light mode, and on the right, in dark mode.

The Accessibility Improvement Act (BFSG)

To ensure that this good intention is put into practice, the Accessibility Improvement Act was passed. It has been in effect since June 28, 2025, and enshrines the obligation to make a website accessible in law.

Accessibility Portal

The law applies to commercial websites of companies with an annual turnover of at least 2 million euros and at least 10 employees.

It states that all websites that have gone online since June 28, 2025, or that have undergone a major change since then, must be accessible. For "old" websites, there is a transition period until June 28, 2030. From this point on, all websites covered by the BFSG must be accessible.

Ilumi websites

All new ilumi websites are, of course, barrier-free!

If you have any further questions on this topic, please feel free to contact me!

...Want to know more? Contact me directly!

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