BITV

What is the BITV?

The BITV 2.0 (Accessible Information Technology Ordinance) is a German federal ordinance that defines the technical requirements for accessible websites and mobile applications in the public sector. It implements EU Directive 2016/2102 (Web Accessibility Directive) at the federal level.

The current version of the BITV 2.0 was thoroughly revised in 2019 and is based on EN 301 549, the harmonized European standard for accessible ICT.

Who is affected by the BITV?

The BITV 2.0 applies to:

• Websites and mobile applications of federal authorities

• Federal ministries and subordinate authorities

• Public institutions at the federal level

At the state level, the individual German federal states have issued their own ordinances that are modeled closely on the BITV.

What are the requirements?

The BITV requires conformance with EN 301 549 and therefore with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It also adds obligations that go beyond the WCAG standard:

• Accessibility statement: Every affected website must provide a publicly available accessibility statement.

• Feedback mechanism: Users must be able to report barriers.

• German Sign Language (DGS): Central landing pages must provide content in DGS.

• Plain language: Central content must be available in plain language.

Since when has the BITV been in force?

The deadlines for implementation have already passed:

• Existing websites: since 23 September 2020

• New websites: since 23 September 2019

• Mobile applications: since 23 June 2021

Monitoring of compliance lies with the Federal Monitoring Body for Accessibility of Information Technology (BFIT-Bund).