Accessible Websites Are Mandatory in Norway

KATAPULT-Magazin issue 17 — Page 92 in issue 17 of the KATAPULT magazine.

This month a dream came true: I was able to publish a fragment about a topic that is close to my heart as a web developer in the KATAPULT magazine:

🔖 Read the article on katapult-magazin.de

Fragment on Website Accessibility

»If a website is fully keyboard navigable, it can be used by most people with disabilities. For example, blind or partially sighted users cannot use a computer mouse because they would need to be able to see to view and select items. In Norway, both public and private websites must be accessible. Companies are spot-checked by the government's “Directorate of Digitalisation” – if a Norwegian website does not meet the legal criteria, sanctions will follow. Thus, Scandinavian Airlines was threatened with a fine of around €15,000 per day because its new website failed to meet numerous accessibility criteria.

In Germany, there are few laws on digital accessibility. Since 2018, barrier-free access to the internet offerings of public institutions has been mandated by law through an EU directive. However, there is no clear legal regulation for websites of private companies and non-governmental organizations. Although the General Equal Opportunities Act prohibits discrimination, if a lawsuit is filed against a poorly accessible website, a court has to decide whether this constitutes discrimination.

Accessibility should not be a privilege but a fundamental right. That is why the new KATAPULT magazine website will be accessible. It will go live in July.«

First published in issue 17 of the KATAPULT magazine.

Sources:

That concludes the article. If you spot any typo or would like to share your thoughts on this article, please feel free to get in touch. 🙆‍♂️

Accessible Websites Are Mandatory in Norway

Fragment on Website Accessibility

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