German accessibility standard

BITV 2.0

Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung 2.0 is Germany's federal ICT accessibility regulation. It transpositions EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA for German public sector organizations, with additional national requirements for Leichte Sprache (Plain German) and Deutsche Gebärdensprache (German Sign Language).

ActiveFederal Ministry of Justice (BMJ)2011 (revised 2019)

What is BITV 2.0?

BITV 2.0 (Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung 2.0) is a federal German regulation implementing the EU Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102) for German public sector ICT. Published in 2011 and significantly revised in 2019 to align with the European standard, BITV 2.0 mandates conformance with EN 301 549 — which in turn references WCAG 2.1 AA for web content. The regulation has two annexes: Annex 1 covers technical web and ICT requirements (aligned with EN 301 549 and WCAG), and Annex 2 adds German-specific obligations for Leichte Sprache (easy-to-read Plain German) and Deutsche Gebärdensprache (DGS, German Sign Language) — requirements that go beyond WCAG and EN 301 549.

BITV 2.0 applies to all German federal public sector bodies (Bundesbehörden), including federal ministries, agencies, authorities, and federally funded entities. German states (Länder) have their own equivalent regulations (e.g., BayBITV for Bavaria, HVBG for Hesse) that largely mirror BITV 2.0. From 2025, the EAA extends accessibility obligations to private sector companies operating in Germany in the covered sectors (e-commerce, banking, transport, telecoms). These private sector obligations are not covered by BITV 2.0 but by the national transposition of the EAA (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz, BFSG).

Germany transposed the EU Web Accessibility Directive via BGG §12a and the BITV 2.0 update of 2019. Federal agencies must publish an accessibility statement (Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit) and provide a feedback mechanism. The national monitoring body is the Federal Commissioner for Accessibility (Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für die Belange von Menschen mit Behinderungen). Non-compliant agencies face formal complaints. The BFSG (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz) transposes the EAA for private sector, with penalties up to €100,000 per infraction for companies in scope from June 2025.

Key criteria

The 10 requirements most frequently flagged in automated audits by scan-access.com.

Anlage 1 §9.1.1.1
Non-text Content — Web (WCAG aligned)
All images on German public sector websites must have descriptive alt text. Directly mapped to EN 301 549 §9.1.1.1 and WCAG 2.1 SC 1.1.1.
Official spec →WCAG 1.1.1
Anlage 1 §9.1.4.3
Contrast — Web (WCAG aligned)
Text must meet 4.5:1 contrast minimum (3:1 for large text). A frequent violation on German government portals audited by the Bundesfachstelle.
Official spec →WCAG 1.4.3
Anlage 1 §9.2.1.1
Keyboard Accessible — Web (WCAG aligned)
All web functionality must be keyboard-operable. Interactive forms and navigation menus on public portals must not require mouse interaction.
Official spec →WCAG 2.1.1
Anlage 1 §9.4.1.2
Name, Role, Value — Web (WCAG aligned)
Custom UI components must expose accessible name, role, and state via ARIA or semantic HTML for screen reader compatibility.
Official spec →WCAG 4.1.2
Anlage 2.1
Leichte Sprache (Plain German)
German public sector websites must provide a Leichte Sprache version of key content, using simplified vocabulary and sentence structure for cognitive accessibility. This requirement is unique to BITV and has no WCAG equivalent.
Official spec →
Anlage 2.2
Deutsche Gebärdensprache (DGS)
Key content (navigation instructions, overview text, accessibility statement) must be available in Deutsche Gebärdensprache (German Sign Language) video format. Unique to BITV, no WCAG equivalent.
Official spec →
Anlage 1 §9.2.4.1
Bypass blocks — Skip links
Pages with repeated navigation blocks must provide skip links to the main content area, mandatory for keyboard and screen reader users.
Official spec →WCAG 2.4.1
Anlage 1 §9.1.3.1
Info and Relationships — Web
Structural information (headings, tables, form associations) must be programmatically determinable. German public portals with complex tables must use correct table headers.
Official spec →WCAG 1.3.1
Erklärung
Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit
Every public sector website must publish an accessibility statement (Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit) listing the conformance status, non-accessible content, and the feedback mechanism.
Official spec →
Anlage 1 §9.1.2.2
Captions — Web (WCAG aligned)
Pre-recorded audio/video must have synchronized German captions. Video content on German public portals is subject to caption requirements.
Official spec →WCAG 1.2.2

scan-access.com coverage

scan-access.com covers BITV 2.0 Annex 1 (EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA) automatically

BITV 2.0 Annex 1 maps directly to EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA for web content. scan-access.com covers ~35% of Annex 1 criteria automatically, including the highest-frequency violations: contrast failures, missing alt text, keyboard accessibility errors, and ARIA misuse. The Annex 2 requirements — Leichte Sprache and Deutsche Gebärdensprache videos — are not automatable; they require human content production and editorial review. Results are tagged with EN 301 549 criterion IDs, directly useful for the mandatory Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit. Note: BITV 2.0 compliance via scan-access.com is available as documentation only in M4; scan-backed coverage calculations for BITV are planned for M5+.

35% automated

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Frequently asked questions

Who must comply with BITV 2.0?

BITV 2.0 applies to German federal public sector bodies (Bundesbehörden). German state (Länder) agencies are covered by equivalent state regulations (Landes-BITV). Private companies in Germany are covered by the BFSG (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz), the national EAA transposition, from June 2025 — not by BITV 2.0 directly. However, the technical requirements are identical since both reference EN 301 549.

Is BITV 2.0 the same as WCAG?

Not exactly. BITV 2.0 Annex 1 references EN 301 549, which references WCAG 2.1 AA for web content — making Annex 1 effectively equivalent to WCAG 2.1 AA. However, BITV 2.0 Annex 2 adds two German-specific requirements without any WCAG equivalent: Leichte Sprache (simplified German for cognitive accessibility) and Deutsche Gebärdensprache (German Sign Language videos). These make BITV stricter than WCAG for German public sector sites.

What is Leichte Sprache?

Leichte Sprache ('easy language' or 'plain German') is a simplified form of the German language, developed to make content accessible to people with cognitive disabilities, low literacy, or those who are learning German. BITV 2.0 Annex 2 requires German public sector websites to provide key content (navigation guidance, overview pages, accessibility statement) in Leichte Sprache. It is not the same as 'Einfache Sprache' (simplified German), which is less strictly defined.

How do I publish a BITV accessibility statement?

German public sector organizations must publish an Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit on every website, accessible from the homepage (usually the footer). The statement must: declare the conformance level (fully / partially / non-conformant); list inaccessible content with justification (disproportionate burden or exception); provide a feedback mechanism (Rückmeldungsmechanismus); and name a contact and enforcement body. The EU Commission's template is the reference; Germany uses the Erklärungsgenerator provided by BITV-Konsult.

What is the BFSG and how does it differ from BITV 2.0?

The BFSG (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz) is Germany's transposition of the EU European Accessibility Act, in force from 28 June 2025. It applies to private sector companies in scope of the EAA (e-commerce, banking, transport, telecoms). BITV 2.0 applies to federal public sector only. Both reference EN 301 549 as the technical standard, so the web accessibility requirements are technically equivalent.