Accessibility

Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to the website https://www.uni-giessen.de, which the central content management system of Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) provides.

As the website operator, JLU endeavors to make the website accessible in accordance with these applicable legal provisions:

• Hessian law on equality for people with disabilities (Hessian Disability Equality Act—HessBGG)
• Hessian Ordinance on Accessible Information Technology (BITV HE 2019)

Status of compliance with requirements

This website is not fully compliant with the accessibility regulations applicable to us. Specifically:

• For images and graphic elements, there are sometimes insufficient or no alternatives available.
• For videos and time-controlled media, there are sometimes no alternatives offered.
• Heading hierarchies are sometimes not adhered to.
• List entries are sometimes not correctly marked up.
• The visible order of page elements sometimes differs from the order in the source code.
• Keyboard shortcuts are only available to a limited extent.
• Links are sometimes not clearly marked.
• Tables sometimes do not have marked row and column headings for structuring.
• Documents provided via the website (e.g., in PDF format) are sometimes not available in an accessible version.
• Third-party extensions sometimes have limitations when used with assistive systems.

Justification

Justus Liebig University (JLU) has around 150,000 web pages, which over 1,000 web editors are maintaining. Despite our efforts, training programs, and support from central departments, editorial oversights in terms of accessibility cannot be completely ruled out.

Another area of challenge is the documents provided on our websites. Many of these documents, especially those in PDF format, were created before September 23, 2018, and do not offer barrier-free access. However, we strive to ensure the accessibility of these documents during review and renewal processes.

To achieve our goals, we offer training courses to enhance the knowledge and skills of JLU staff in creating accessible PDF documents.

Creating this accessibility statement

This statement was created on August 12, 2021 and translated into English on February 2, 2026.

Our website was tested for accessibility by a certified testing agency as part of a BITV test. The results were used to initiate optimization measures and remove existing barriers.

The last review of our website took place on October 15, 2024.

The remaining barriers are documented in this statement.

Additional measures to improve barrier-free access to our website

We are continuously working to improve our website and ensure barrier-free access for all users. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Looking ahead

Justus Liebig University is currently undergoing a comprehensive relaunch of its website at www.uni-giessen.de. As part of this project, barrier-free accessibility is being integrated as an important aspect in all planning and implementation processes.

To ensure that our goals are achieved, BITV tests are planned throughout the course of the project. These checks are designed to ensure that the solutions developed meet accessibility requirements and that the findings are incorporated into the rest of the process.

Feedback and points of contact

If you have noticed any shortcomings in the accessibility of our website or if you have any comments or questions regarding it, you can contact us in the following ways:

Justus Liebig University Giessen
Ludwigstrasse 23
35390 Giessen
Telephone: +49 (0) 641-99-0
Telefax: +49 (0) 641-99-12259
Email: barrierefreiheit
Web form: Report a barrier (German only)

You can find contact details for the various departments at JLU in the following overview:
https://www.uni-giessen.de/kontakt/email (in German, with more links) or https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/contact/email

Enforcement procedure

If, after sending your feedback to the contact address provided, no satisfactory solution has been found after a period of 6 weeks, you can directly contact the responsible enforcement and monitoring body for accessible information technology.

Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration

Seat: Regional Council of Giessen

Prof. Dr. Erdmuthe Meyer zu Bexten
State Commissioner for Accessible IT
Head of the Enforcement and Monitoring Authority
Landgraf-Philipp-Platz 1-7
35390 Giessen
Telephone: +49 (0) 641-303-2901
Email: Durchsetzungsstelle-LBIT