Austria's Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) implements the EU's European Accessibility Act, requiring websites offering digital services to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards by June 28, 2025. This is an opportunity for businesses to lead with inclusive design, expand their audience, and demonstrate social responsibility while meeting modern web standards.

Yes. Accessibility is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time fix. I offer annual accessibility audits, team training updates, support for new features, and monitoring of evolving standards. As WCAG 2.2 and future standards emerge, I help you stay ahead of requirements.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 AA is the international standard for accessible web design. It covers essential aspects like color contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and clear form labels. Meeting AA standards means your website works well for people with diverse abilities—and typically works better for everyone.

Investment varies based on your website's size, complexity, and current state. We provide detailed proposals after our initial consultation that outline the scope and investment required. Most businesses find that accessible design pays for itself through expanded reach, better SEO performance, and avoiding potential compliance issues.

Timeline depends on your website's current state. A complete audit takes 1-2 weeks. Remediation of an existing site typically takes 4-8 weeks. Building a new accessible website from scratch takes 8-16 weeks. With the June 28, 2025 deadline approaching, I recommend starting as soon as possible to ensure timely compliance.

No. Automated overlay widgets (those "accessibility" toolbars) do NOT provide true WCAG compliance and may actually increase legal risk. In 2023, 30% of accessibility lawsuits involved websites using overlay widgets. True accessibility requires proper design and development from the ground up. I use automated tools for testing, but real compliance comes from accessible code and design.

In most cases, your website will look exactly the same. Accessibility focuses on how your website works, not just how it appears. However, if your current design has accessibility issues—like text that's too small to read comfortably or insufficient color contrast between text and backgrounds—we'll recommend adjustments. These improvements typically enhance the overall design quality. Important note: Brand assets like logos are exempt from contrast requirements, so your brand identity stays intact.

Yes! Many WCAG requirements align with SEO best practices: semantic HTML, proper heading hierarchy, alt text for images, descriptive links, and fast loading times all benefit search rankings. Google increasingly prioritizes accessible websites in search results.

The BFSG applies to all businesses offering digital services or products to consumers in Austria, including e-commerce sites, SaaS platforms, banking services, and more. Small businesses (fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million annual revenue) are exempt, but compliance still offers significant benefits.

Austria will establish a market surveillance authority that checks websites for compliance. Non-compliant sites face warnings, penalties up to €80,000, and potential blocking in the EU. Beyond legal consequences, you risk lawsuits from users with disabilities and damage to your brand reputation.