Accessibility statement

Status of compatibility

This website is partially compliant with the requirements of WCAG 2.1.

Technical accessibility

Unsere Website basiert auf den technischen Standards der WCAG 2.1, um eine größtmögliche Barrierefreiheit zu gewährleisten.

Accessible content

All images that do not have a purely decorative function are provided with meaningful descriptive texts (alternative texts).
The contents of the website are organised in a clearly comprehensible structure and logical sequence. This structure is characterised by correct HTML markup (e.g. heading hierarchy, lists, paragraphs) and can be reliably interpreted by assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Information that is conveyed exclusively via sensory characteristics such as colour, shape, size or position is not used.
The content is fully legible and usable regardless of the screen orientation (portrait or landscape format).
When using colours, care is taken to ensure sufficient contrast. The contrast ratio between text and background is at least 4.5:1 and therefore fulfils the requirements of WCAG 2.1 at level AA.
The content of the website can be enlarged by up to 200% without any loss of functionality - even with a screen width of 1280 px - and remains fully legible and operable.
All graphics used have a sufficient contrast ratio of at least 3:1 between foreground and background colours to be easily recognisable even for users with impaired vision.
The website is designed so that content must only be scrolled vertically, regardless of screen size. A horizontal scroll direction is not required.
Interactive components such as off-canvas menus, drop-down menus, accordions and dialogues can be operated entirely using the keyboard. They can be opened and closed using keyboard shortcuts and are also accessible for assistive technologies thanks to correct semantic HTML markup and the use of ARIA attributes.
All links on the website can be accessed using the tab key. The order of keyboard focussing is logical and corresponds to the visual and content structure of the page.
The website uses slider elements (carousels) that can be operated entirely with the keyboard. Users can change slides with keyboard commands and pause the sequence at any time when content is running automatically. The sliders are also equipped with ARIA attributes and are accessible for assistive technologies.
Pages with extensive content have a jump marker navigation. This enables users to jump to specific content areas and skip long blocks of text - especially when using a keyboard or screen reader.
At least two navigation methods are available on each page: the main menu and breadcrumb navigation. This facilitates orientation and enables users to access content in different ways.
All form fields are labelled with clear, descriptive labels that clearly communicate the purpose of the respective entry.
If incorrect entries are made, comprehensible error messages appear which name the error and provide information on how to correct it. This enables barrier-free and comprehensible interaction with forms.
Control elements that were originally designed to be operated using swipe gestures - such as sliders or galleries - can also be operated entirely using the keyboard. This ensures that all users can access the content regardless of the input device.
To prevent unintentional entries, no functions or actions are triggered when a button is pressed (key-down event). Instead, triggering only takes place when the button is released (key-up) or with explicit confirmation (e.g. by pressing Enter or clicking). This increases operating safety for all users.
Interactive elements such as buttons or links either have a minimum height of 30 pixels or are easily accessible due to sufficient distance to neighbouring elements. This makes operation via touchscreen and alternative input methods easier and reduces accidental entries.
Content that is written in a language other than the main language of the website is labelled with the corresponding lang attribute. This enables screen readers and other assistive technologies to recognise the language correctly and output it accordingly.

Known defects

Embedded videos are provided via the YouTube service. These have automatically generated subtitles, but these are not always correct or complete. Manually checked subtitling and audio descriptions for visually impaired users are not currently offered. The implementation currently represents a disproportionate burden.
The texts of individual links are currently not clearly formulated in all cases and do not always clearly reflect the purpose of the link. This can lead to comprehension problems, especially for users of screen readers. A revision to improve the link texts is already planned.
The forms on the website are currently secured with Google reCAPTCHA v2. This process often requires solving visual or cognitive tasks, which is not accessible for many users with disabilities. An accessible alternative is currently being examined and will be implemented in the near future.
In the B2B area of the website, drag-and-drop elements are used that currently offer no alternative operating option (e.g. via keyboard or context menus). This represents a barrier for users who cannot use a mouse. An accessible alternative is being planned.
Our product detail pages contain a picture gallery. This gallery is currently not yet fully operable with the keyboard. However, we are working on improving this functionality and will be adding keyboard operability shortly.
There are rich internet applications on our website that dynamically reload content. Currently, not all status messages, such as content loading, are indicated by visual feedback or by correct markup with ARIA roles. We are working on rectifying these shortcomings and improving accessibility.

We endeavour to make all PDF files and other documents on our website accessible and plan continuous improvements to further increase the accessibility of our websites. Our employees receive regular accessibility training to ensure that our digital services are accessible to everyone.

Feedback

If you encounter any barriers or have any suggestions for improvement, please feel free to let us know using the following form. Your feedback helps us to continuously optimise our digital offerings.