Online stores - Web stores increasingly not accessible
Only one fifth of the most popular webshops in Germany are partly accessible. This was the result of a study presented by Google, the funding organization "Aktion Mensch," and the Pfennigparade Foundation in Berlin. The situation has worsened compared to the previous year. In 2023, only 25 percent of popular webshops were accessible.
The barriers in online shops affect many people: In Germany, there are 7.8 million people with recognized disabilities, including around 350,000 people with blindness or visual impairments.
Experts examined 71 particularly popular online shops for the study. A key finding: Only 15 websites could be operated using the keyboard and thus without a mouse. Keyboard accessibility is essential for many people with disabilities for barrier-free use. In addition, most of the tested websites did not offer a visible keyboard focus. This makes it difficult for people with limited vision to identify the currently selected element.
Many popular webshops operate without clear contrasts, which affects the readability of texts and the identification of important symbols. An illogical tab sequence makes it difficult for users with disabilities to navigate through online shops, obtain information about products, and make selections. Embedded content such as banners or cookie consent notices often cover the main content of the website and cannot be closed easily.
The tests were conducted by trained testers with various types of impairments and were monitored by the Federal Office for Information Technology Evaluation (BFIT-Bund) for technical expertise.
Christina Marx, spokesperson for Aktion Mensch, emphasized: "It's time to tear down digital barriers – especially since there's no excuse left in a year." Many companies take the risk of excluding potential customers if they do not design their websites to be accessible. "It's also in their own interest to change this. Everyone benefits from easy and comfortable access to websites."
The organizations emphasized at the press conference that online trading must be accessible to consumers in accordance with the EU Directive on Digital Accessibility within a year. The directive obliges member states to design the entire online trading for consumers in an accessible manner.
Press release Digital Accessibility
- Despite the presentation of a study in Berlin by Google, Aktion Mensch, and the Pfennigparade Foundation, only a fifth of Germany's most popular webshops offer partial accessibility.
- The situation has worsened over the years, with only 25% of popular webshops in Germany being accessible in 2023.
- Expert analysis of 71 popular webshops revealed that only 15 websites were fully operable using a keyboard, a crucial requirement for accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
- Google and Aktion Mensch, along with other organizations, are urging companies to adhere to the EU Directive on Digital Accessibility, which mandates the design of fully accessible online trading platforms for consumers within a year.
