Guide

What does an accessible website cost? Factors, process and funding options

There is no responsible flat price for accessible websites — the projects behind them are too varied. What actually drives the effort, how you get a concrete proposal and which funding options are available in Austria.

Proposal upon request3 to 6 weeksAs of 2026
In short

A flat price for an accessible website cannot be quoted responsibly — it depends on the scope of the project, not the provider. Assessment and report; remediation depending on findings. The actual proposal comes only after a brief, no-obligation initial consultation.

01 — Price

What it costs

Price
Individual based on effort
Typical duration
3 to 6 weeks

Review and report; remediation depending on findings. A fixed price can only be quoted seriously after the initial consultation — write us briefly about your project, and we'll send a proposal that fits the scope and effort.

02 — Factors

What drives the price

  • Scope and number of integrations. Every additional system that needs to participate costs effort — regardless of how simple the core is.
  • State of your starting point. Clean data, existing content and documented processes significantly reduce effort. Chaos is the most expensive cost factor.
  • How much new material needs to be created. What you can contribute doesn't need to be invented by anyone. This is the biggest lever you have in your own hands.
  • Requirements for design and customization. A solid standard system costs a fraction of a custom solution — and is sufficient more often than vendors admit.
  • Operating model. One-time project costs or ongoing support: calculated over three years, this often gives a different picture than the quote comparison.

03 — Funding

Subsidies in Austria

For digitalization projects, there are several funding programs in Austria, such as KMU.DIGITAL or the aws digitalization funding. Whether and to what extent one of these is currently relevant for your project, we'll review with you individually. Current conditions: kmudigital.at, aws.at.

Which program is relevant, how high the subsidy currently is, and whether the budget for the current funding period is still open changes regularly — plus there are regional funding programs that vary by federal state. Only the information from the funding agencies themselves is reliable, not a fixed percentage stated here.

The most common mistake is always the same: commission first, then want funding. That doesn't work. Allow several weeks of lead time for application and approval.

04 — Scope

What's included

  • Testing against WCAG 2.1 Level AA, automated and manual
  • Keyboard operability throughout the entire flow, including forms
  • Contrast, font sizes, and focus indication
  • Meaningful alt text and correct heading structure
  • Forms with labels and clear error messages
  • Audit report and accessibility statement as documentation

05 — Questions

Frequently asked questions

What happens in case of violations?

The Sozialministeriumservice is responsible. Administrative penalties of up to 80,000 euros are provided for. In the initial phase, the focus was mainly on advice rather than penalties, but that's no guarantee for the future — proceedings are already underway.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

06 — Error

The most common mistakes

  • Starting too big. Projects where nobody can use anything for months fail more often than average. A small, usable first step is almost always the better way.
  • Not involving the people who work with it. Requirements that only come from management rarely match the actual work.
  • Not defining a success measure. Without a metric defined in advance, you can't say afterwards whether it delivered anything — and the next decision will be made on gut feeling again.
  • Overlooking operating costs. The project price is only part of it. What operation costs over three years belongs in the same calculation.
  • Creating dependency. If you don't get access, documentation and source code, you're locked in. That needs to be clarified before commissioning, not after.

Next step

Send us a few sentences about your project.

We read every inquiry ourselves and respond personally. No sales team, no callback form into the void.