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Accessibility gaps: 30 Austrian retailers
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Continuing our series of reports evaluating digital accessibility in Austria, the findings for 30 of the country’s top online stores show a concerning trend. Based on extensive data gathered from their websites, this assessment highlights significant gaps in accessibility compliance, with only 6 out of 30 retailers meeting the recommended accessibility score.
In Austria, the Web-Zugänglichkeits-Gesetz (WZG, Web Accessibility Act) mandates that public sector websites and mobile apps comply with the accessibility standards outlined in WCAG 2.1. Although this law primarily applies to public institutions, its principles increasingly affect private companies, especially in e-commerce. The WZG includes provisions for exemptions such as for micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and a turnover or balance sheet of no more than €2 million, and offers a transitional period of up to five years for adjustments. In cases of non-compliance, depending on the size of the company and the nature of the infringement, administrative penalties of up to €80,000 can be imposed. Initially, companies are required to take corrective measures to comply with the law, with potential escalations including product recalls or service discontinuation as a last resort. Companies concerned will be able to appeal against any decisions of the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Federal Administrative Court.
Primary results
Our evaluation of the top 30 online stores in Austria highlights significant issues in digital accessibility across three key types of pages – Homepages, Product Detail Pages (PDP), and Product Listing Pages (PLP). Drawing from our prior assessments of German and Swiss retailers, we see similar patterns of inadequate accessibility efforts.
Across all evaluated pages, the average page score was 71. Homepages fared slightly better with a score of 70, PDPs at 74, and PLPs behind at 69. While some pages scored as high as 99, this performance was inconsistent, with several pages achieving a minimum score of 0. This shows that while certain sites have integrated accessibility features well, others have neglected these crucial requirements entirely.
Moreover, 33% of the detected issues across these stores were classified as high or critical in severity, signaling the need for immediate action. Critical issues accounted for 11.99%, high-severity issues for 44.24%, and medium-severity issues for 43.77%. This breakdown suggests that while many accessibility elements are in place, they are not sufficiently robust to allow seamless user experiences, especially for people with disabilities.
The structural complexity of these sites further exacerbates the issue. Intricate web elements can introduce additional accessibility challenges. Addressing this complexity requires not only fixing individual elements but also adopting a more comprehensive design strategy to ensure accessibility without sacrificing the richness of the user interface.
Recommended actions for businesses
To improve accessibility, businesses should begin by conducting comprehensive audits using both automated tools and manual checks to identify problem areas across key pages like Homepages, Product Detail Pages (PDP), and Product Listing Pages (PLP). The focus should be on fixing critical and high-severity issues, which account for 33% of the problems and have the most significant impact on usability. Simplifying node complexity – particularly on Product Listing Pages—can enhance navigation and improve overall performance.
Additionally, businesses should involve real users with disabilities to test their sites using various screen readers, devices, and platforms, as this can uncover issues that automated tools might miss. Alongside immediate fixes, it’s essential to establish a long-term accessibility strategy, including regular audits, developer training, and consistent monitoring to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 guidelines.
Call to action
The findings reveal a pressing need for businesses to prioritize immediate remediation of high and critical issues affecting user experience. By actively engaging individuals with disabilities during testing and implementing the recommended tools and strategies, companies can create a more navigable and inclusive shopping environment. Taking these steps will foster loyalty among customers who value an equitable online experience. Let’s drive change in Austria’s digital retail landscape – starting today.
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EAA has been effective since June 28, 2025.
