Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Inclusion means that all people can participate equally in society, regardless of disability, origin or individual abilities. In the digital sphere this means: websites and apps must be designed so that no one is excluded. Accessibility is a key prerequisite for digital inclusion.

More details are available in our lexicon article on inclusion.

Since 28 June 2025, the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) requires all businesses that offer products or services in electronic commerce to make their websites accessible. This applies in particular to online shops, booking platforms and digital service offerings aimed at consumers. Public sector bodies are subject to parallel obligations under the BITV.

Which specific pages and documents need to be reviewed is explained on our page Accessible pages and legal requirements.

Businesses that offer products or services online, with at least 10 employees or more than 2 million euros in annual turnover, must make their digital offerings accessible under the BFSG and the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

The BFSG came into force on 28 June 2025. Since then, businesses must ensure that their websites, apps and digital platforms are accessible in order to avoid fines and warnings.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an EU directive that establishes uniform accessibility requirements for digital products and services. It forms the basis for national laws such as the BFSG in Germany.

A screen reader is software that translates digital content into speech or Braille. It reads out texts, headings, links and interactive elements and enables blind and visually impaired people to use websites fully. For a screen reader to work reliably, web pages must be built with clean semantic structure.

Detailed information is available in our article on screen readers.

Alt texts (alternative texts) are short image descriptions assigned to an image in HTML via the alt attribute. Screen readers read this text aloud when users cannot see an image. At the same time, search engines such as Google evaluate alt texts to understand image content, which improves discoverability in image search.

More details are available in our lexicon article on alt texts. Missing alt texts can be generated automatically with easyAlt.

Audio description (also abbreviated as AD) is an additional audio track that translates visual content into spoken language. During pauses in dialogue, a trained narrator describes what is happening on screen. This allows blind and visually impaired people to fully experience films, series and events.

Detailed information is available in our lexicon article on audio description.

SiteCockpit is integrated via a simple code snippet. After integration, it handles accessibility features automatically, without plugins or system changes. Setup typically takes just a few minutes.

SiteCockpit is compatible with all common CMS and shop systems, including WordPress, TYPO3, Shopify, Shopware, xt:Commerce, Magento, OXID eShop and many more. A full overview is available under Integrations.

An initial assessment is available via our free Live Check, which scans your site for common WCAG violations in under 60 seconds. For ongoing monitoring, easyMonitoring is recommended: the tool scans your pages regularly against WCAG 2.2, prioritises issues and tracks your progress in a dashboard.

In addition, manual WCAG audits uncover barriers that automated tests cannot detect.

All that is needed is access to your website's source code or tag manager. There are no further technical requirements.

Yes, SiteCockpit optimises existing content such as colours, contrasts and font sizes and ensures accessible navigation, all without any changes to the backend.

Thanks to regular updates and audits, SiteCockpit always meets the current legal requirements, including the BFSG, EAA and WCAG 2.2.

Yes. SiteCockpit is fully developed and hosted in Germany. No personal profiles are processed and no data is transferred to US cloud services. Details are available under Data Protection & Cookies.

In Germany, the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) and the European EAA directive are relevant. Technically, you must meet the requirements of WCAG 2.2. Public sector bodies are additionally subject to the BITV.

The term "Accessibility Enhancement Act" is often used as a synonym for the European Accessibility Act (EAA). For small and medium sized enterprises, it means that anyone selling digital products or services to consumers must make their web offerings accessible. The BFSG transposes the EAA into German law and has been in force since 28 June 2025.

Micro enterprises (fewer than ten employees, annual turnover below two million euros) may be exempt under certain conditions. Details are available in the BFSG overview.

Non compliance can result in fines of up to 100,000 euros, warnings from competitors and significant reputational damage. More information on warning risks is available in our insights section.

SiteCockpit provides automated audits, ongoing monitoring and generates a legally compliant accessibility statement with easyStatement.

Yes, our team provides legal orientation and ensures your website meets all current requirements. We do not offer legal advice but provide practical recommendations for action. More information is available under Support.

In Germany, market surveillance authorities oversee implementation. In cases of non compliance, they can initiate proceedings and impose sanctions. Authorities carry out spot checks on websites to verify compliance.

Yes. We provide the premium version of SiteCockpit free of charge to recognised NGOs and non profit associations. Micro enterprises also receive a free version. Details: Free for NGOs, Free for non profit associations, Free for micro enterprises.