From ARIA to WCAG — the technical vocabulary around digital accessibility is extensive. This glossary explains the most important terms in a way that is understandable without a legal or technical background.
Accessible Rich Internet Applications — a W3C standard that extends HTML with semantic roles, states and properties. ARIA makes complex UI patterns (tabs, modals, accordions) understandable to screen readers without altering the visual design.
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz — the German law implementing the European Accessibility Act (EAA). It applies from 28 June 2025 and requires companies to make digital B2C products and services accessible.
European Accessibility Act — EU Directive 2019/882, harmonising accessibility requirements for digital products and services across the EU. Each member state has transposed it into national law (Germany: BFSG).
European standard for accessible ICT products and services. It is the technical foundation of the EAA and BFSG, and builds on WCAG 2.1 AA. Public-sector procurement commonly requires proof of conformance with EN 301 549.
Software that reads screen content aloud and makes it operable for blind or visually impaired users. Well-known screen readers include NVDA and JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS/iOS) and TalkBack (Android). Accessible websites must work with all common screen readers.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — the W3C international standard defining how web content should be made accessible. Current version: 2.2 (September 2023). Three conformance levels: A (minimum requirement), AA (legal standard), AAA (highest level).
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