Digital Accessibility Statement

The Bundeswehr strives to make its web presence and mobile app accessible to everyone.

The Bundeswehr’s accessibility statement

The Federal Ministry of Defence (FMoDFederal Ministry of Defence) is committed to making its web presence www.bundeswehr.de and mobile applications accessible in accordance with the national legislation transposing Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The technical requirements for accessibility are derived from the Ordinance on Accessible Information Technology 2.0 (BITVBarrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung 2.0).

This Accessibility Statement applies to the content offered in the Bundeswehr’s web presence.

When was the Digital Accessibility Statement drawn up?

This statement was drawn up and last revised on 2 September 2024.

Digital accessibility was reviewed in the context of its technical implementation by the Bundeswehr’s ITInformationstechnik service provider BWI GmbHGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung.

How accessible is this web presence?

This web presence and the mobile app “BwBundeswehr -Newsradar” are partially accessible. The requirements of the Ordinance on Accessible Information Technology (BITVBarrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung  2.0) are partially fulfilled.

Which parts of the website www.bundeswehr.de are not accessible?

  1. Barrier: control elements without alternative text
    Description: alternative text is not displayed where the text box is too small.
  2. Barrier: audio files without alternatives
    Description: alternatives for audio files and silent videos convey only a small part of the content.
  3. Barrier: videos without subtitles
    Description: videos with sound do not have the necessary subtitles.
  4. Barrier: videos without audio description and/or a full text alternative
    Description: videos containing image-centric segments necessitate an alternative to the images because the sound is not enough to allow full comprehension.
  5. Barrier: not all PDF documents are accessible.
    Description: newly uploaded PDF documents should be prepared to be accessible, and older ones should be replaced with an accessible version.
  6. Barrier: content structure
    Description: incorrect formatting of text can have a negative impact on reading fluency.
  7. Barrier: words and sections in other languages not marked up in some cases.
    Description: English words are not marked up with the “lang” attribute in some cases.
  8. Barrier: in some cases, the syntax of the HTML markup is incorrect.
    Description: the syntax contains several errors, e. g. attributes are used incorrectly, HTML elements are nested incorrectly, and external services included in the website cause errors in the source code.

Plans are currently underway to eliminate these known problems. As soon as planning is complete, the plans will be published on this site.

Which parts of the mobile app BwBundeswehr-Newsradar are not accessible?

  1. Barrier: Most of the videos in messages do not have any subtitles and/or audio descriptions. 
    Description: Videos without subtitles and/or audio descriptions cannot be fully perceived by people in different situations, be it because of physical limitations or local conditions. Videos in messages are usually merely an alternative to the textual presentation of the message and should, as a rule, not lead to a reduced perception of the content.
  2. Barrier: When run on Android, navigating through the detailed view of the messages using supporting programs (e.g. screen reader) does not work. 
    Description: The messages are displayed in the application as web view. This web view and its contents cannot be interpreted by screen readers when run on Android.
  3. Barrier: When navigating (with screen reader) through the message list and the quick filters (according to categories such as Army, Air Force, Navy, etc.) elements will be skipped. 
    Description: When navigating through the message list or quick filters, elements will sometimes be skipped, and the user is moved to the next section. 
    The list of quick filters starts and ends with a button for navigating back and forth through the quick filters. Exiting the area without reaching these buttons will result in a skip. 
    The message list begins after a button labelled “Filter” and ends with a button called “Mehr Laden” (show more results). Messages are shown with their name followed by their position within the list. If the user does not return to message 1, and the “Filter” button is reached, messages will have been skipped. When exiting the message list without clicking the “Mehr Laden” button, messages have been skipped.
  4. Barrier: Messages have keywords that have too little contrast. 
    Description: The keywords displayed visually above the heading and after the message title (for supporting programs) have too little contrast to be clearly noticed given their relative size.+
  5. Barrier: Keyboard control does not have a clearly recognisable focus. 
    Description: If the application is operated using the keyboard, the current position is difficult to spot, and the “barrier 5” problem occurs more frequently.
  6. Barrier: Keyboard control is not always possible, because various contents cannot be accessed via the keyboard, and the user may end up in keyboard traps. 
    Description: Messages detail pages cannot be exited using the keyboard. Operating the messages overview page via keyboard is difficult or impossible.

Plans are currently underway to eliminate these known problems. As soon as planning is complete, the plans will be published on this site.

Who is the point of contact for comments or questions about digital accessibility?

Have you noticed problems with the accessibility of content on www.bundeswehr.de? Feel free to contact us. Please use the contact form for this purpose.

Contacting the Arbitration Service

If you believe that you are being put at a disadvantage because www.bundeswehr.de does not have a sufficiently accessible design, you can contact the Arbitration Service according to the German Act on Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (BGGBehindertengleichstellungsgesetz).

Arbitration Service according to the German Act on Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities
Mauerstraße 53
10117 Berlin

Phone: +49 30 18 527-2805
E-mail: info@schlichtungsstelle-bgg.de
Website: www.schlichtungsstelle-bgg.de