Accessibility Check: Automated Pre-Check for Your Website
mirdat automatically checks your pages for technically measurable barriers such as color contrast (WCAG 1.4.3), missing alternative text, and form labels. This allows you to spot and fix common issues early. A manual evaluation is additionally required for any legal conformity statement.
Does the BFSG (European Accessibility Act) apply to me?
The German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG, implementing the EU European Accessibility Act) has applied since June 28, 2025 to online shops and other e-commerce services provided to consumers. Micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees and no more than €2 million in annual turnover or balance sheet total) are exempt for services. The responsible supervisory authority in Germany is the Market Surveillance Authority of the Federal States (MLBF) in Magdeburg. Please clarify legal applicability with qualified legal counsel; our check provides the technical findings.
Official sources: BFSG Legal Text (gesetze-im-internet.de) · MLBF Authority Information
What Automated Pre-Checking Detects — and Its Boundaries
Roughly 20 out of 100 accessibility criteria can be verified automatically. Our check bench uncovers these recurring HTML and CSS obstacles in seconds.
Typical Technical Barriers in Source Code
- Color Contrast (WCAG 1.4.3): Detects text and interactive elements with insufficient contrast ratios (< 4.5:1).
- Alternative Texts (WCAG 1.1.1): Checks images, graphics, and icon buttons for valid
altattributes. - Form Labels (WCAG 1.3.1 / 4.1.2): Verifies programmatic association of inputs via
label fororaria-label. - Document Language & Semantics (WCAG 3.1.1 / 2.4.6): Checks the HTML
langattribute and heading hierarchy (H1–H3).
What Automated Tools Cannot Judge
- Contextual Meaning: Whether an alt text accurately conveys the purpose of an image to screen reader users.
- Complex Keyboard Traps: Whether multi-step checkout modals or custom filters remain intuitive via keyboard navigation.
- Assistive Technology Testing: Practical verification using screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the free mirdat accessibility pre-check inspect?
mirdat automatically checks your pages for technically measurable barriers aligned with WCAG 2.1 Level AA (the basis of EN 301 549 V3.2.1), including color contrast (WCAG 1.4.3), missing image alt attributes, form labels, document language, and heading hierarchy.
How many accessibility criteria can be tested automatically?
According to public accessibility bodies, roughly 20 out of 100 criteria can be verified through automated technical testing. This helps identify recurring code barriers early; a manual evaluation is additionally required for a legal conformity statement.
Does the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG / EAA) apply to my business?
Since June 28, 2025, the BFSG (implementing the European Accessibility Act) applies to online shops and consumer-facing e-commerce services. Micro-enterprises providing services (fewer than 10 employees and up to €2M annual turnover or balance sheet total) are exempt.
How does the mirdat Guard subscription help after the initial check?
Shop or CMS updates frequently introduce new contrast or form-label regressions. The mirdat Guard checks your monitored URLs every week and provides actionable code examples for your webmaster.