This declaration was created on October 9, 2020 by Saarland University of Applied Sciences (represented by: President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Leonhard) and applies to the website www.htwsaar.de

Saarland University of Applied Sciences (htw saar) endeavors to make its website accessible in accordance with the law on the implementation of Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on barrier-free access to the websites and mobile applications of public bodies (Barrier-free Websites Act - BfWebG) in conjunction with the Ordinance on the Creation of Barrier-free Information Technology in accordance with the Disability Equality Act (Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance - BITV 2.0).

Status of compatibility with the requirements

The accessibility requirements are set out in sections 3 (1) to (4) and 4 of BITV 2.0, which was issued on the basis of section 12d BGG. The review of compliance with the requirements is based on a self-assessment carried out in November 2021. Three different page types were tested: Home page, study program overview and a special example page that contains all widgets for the structure of the individual pages. Based on the review, the website is partially compatible with the aforementioned requirements due to the following incompatibilities.

The content listed below is not accessible for the following reasons:

• The contrast "font on colored background" is not large enough in a few places.
  (WCAG 2.1 success criterion: 1.4.3 Contrast Minimum)
• Some control elements have no alternative texts.
  (WCAG 2.1 success criterion: 9.1.1.1a Alternative texts for control elements)
• Some graphics and objects have no alternative texts.
  (WCAG 2.1 success criterion: 9.1.1.1b Alternative texts for graphics and objects)
• Some layout graphics have alt attributes.
  (WCAG 2.1 success criterion: 9.1.1.1c Empty alt attributes for layout graphics)
• Some labels are not linked via markup to the form elements they label ("Missing form label").
  (1.3.1h Labeling of form elements can be determined programmatically)
• Some embedded video files are embedded without alternative text, subtitles or transcription.
  (1.2.1 Alternatives for audio files and silent videos,9.1.2.2 Recorded videos with subtitles, 9.1.2.3 Audio description or full text alternative for videos)
• In some places, table structures are used for layout reasons.
  (WCAG 2.1 success criterion: 9.1.3.1g No structural markup for layout tables)
• PDF content is predominantly not accessible.
  (Requirements for "non-web documents" in section 10 of EN 301 549 in version V3.2.1 (2021-03)).
• Information in sign language is missing.
  (Requirement of BITV 2.0, § 4.)
• Information in plain language is missing.
  (Requirement of BITV 2.0, § 4.)

In general, it can be stated that due to the wide variety of pages (> 60,000) and the different authors, consistent compliance with the requirements cannot always be guaranteed. Content, in particular videos, data in PDF format or tables are entered and offered by third parties via the content management system. Compliance with accessibility standards cannot be guaranteed centrally. Older content in particular may not be completely accessible.

In our efforts to continuously improve quality, please contact the respective content provider if you have any questions about these documents or require alternative access to this information. We will be happy to assist you.

This statement was created on October 9, 2020 and last updated on 23.11.2021

Feedback and contact details

htw saar is working to remove existing barriers. If you encounter barriers when using the website or have further suggestions or questions regarding the implementation of accessibility, you can get in touch with the following contact person at htw saar

Contact: Press office
E-mail: pressestellenoSpam@noSpamhtwsaarnoSpam.de
Phone: +49 (0) 681 58 67 - 109

Enforcement procedure

In the event of unsatisfactory answers from the above-mentioned contact option, a conciliation procedure in accordance with the Disability Equality Act (§ 16 BGG) can be used. The BGG conciliation body has the task of supporting an out-of-court settlement of disputes between people with disabilities and federal public bodies on the subject of accessibility.
The conciliation procedure is free of charge. No legal assistance is required. Further information on the conciliation procedure and the options for submitting an application can be found at www.schlichtungsstelle-bgg.de. You can contact the BGG conciliation body directly at infonoSpam@noSpamschlichtungsstelle-bggnoSpam.de.

Further information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family under Disability Policy or by telephone/email from the Social Policy, Inclusion and Participation in Working Life Department

The Saarland Digital Accessibility Monitoring Center has the function of periodically monitoring and reviewing the accessibility of selected websites and mobile applications of public bodies in Saarland in accordance with EU Directive 2016/2102.

In 2020, Saarland commissioned the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Monitoring Body of the German Institute for Human Rights to assume this function as an independent monitoring body for the federal state.

Monitoring office and monitoring body for digital accessibility Saarland