Guide

Checklist: prepare for an accessible website

What you should clarify before requesting quotes for an accessible website. The more is settled in advance, the more reliable the quotes will be.

Request assessment ↗Accessible Website

Proposal upon request3 to 6 weeksAs of 2026

In short

Before deciding on an accessible website, a quick stocktake is worthwhile: which process takes the most time, who will manage the system later, and whether the necessary content is even available. The full checklist is further down.

01 — Checklist

Clarify before the first quote

What should improve? In one sentence, no jargon.
How will you know? One number that should change.
Who decides? One person, not a committee.
What budget is available? A range is enough — it makes quotes comparable instead of arbitrary.
By when? And what the deadline depends on.
Which systems are involved? And who has access to them.
What do you already have? Content, data, preliminary work — this reduces the cost.

02 — Participation

What we need from you

A contact person who can make decisions — not just forward them.
Access to the affected systems, in time and not on launch day.
Real examples from daily business — the messier, the more useful for testing.
Two to four hours for coordination, distributed over the project duration.
An answer to the question of what success means. Without it, nothing can be assessed afterward.

03 — Questions

Questions you should ask

What happens if the project becomes more expensive than estimated — who bears that?
Who owns data, access, and, if developed, the source code?
What does operation cost in the second and third year?
What does the documentation we receive at the end look like?
How would you measure whether the project was successful?
Is there a case in which you would advise us against this?

04 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is an accessibility overlay sufficient?

No. These overlays do not fix the underlying problems and are largely rejected by disability advocacy groups. They can even create additional barriers. Accessibility is created in the markup, not in a layer on top.

Does this also apply to PDF documents on the website?

Yes, if they contain essential information — such as price lists or downloadable forms. PDFs must also be structured with alternative texts.

Are we affected by the Barrierefreiheitsgesetz?

The Austrian Accessibility Act has been in force since June 28, 2025, and primarily applies to online services in the consumer sector: online shops, bookings, e-ticketing, banking services. Microenterprises with fewer than ten employees and less than two million euros in revenue are exempt for services — but not for the sale of products. A purely informational site without sales is generally not covered.

Can we implement this step by step?

Yes, by priority: first the defects that completely block usage, then those that make it difficult. This can be spread across several stages without taking the site offline in the meantime.

What is the most common error?

Forms without linked labels and controls that cannot be reached with the keyboard. Both go unnoticed by anyone working with a mouse — and make the site unusable for others.

How long does a complete audit take?

For a medium-sized website, one to two weeks, depending on the number of different page types and interactive elements such as forms or filters.

How much work is involved for an existing site?

It varies widely. A well-built site often only needs contrast corrections, alternative texts, and focus indicators. A site with custom-built controls without keyboard support can be more work than building from scratch.

05 — Next

Accessible Website by Region

Next step

We'll look at your starting position.

Tell us what's eating up time today. That becomes an assessment with effort and benefit — and only then an offer.

Send inquiry ↗ office@pipeline-solutions.at OR +43 681 207 64 203