ICT Accessibility and Policies

Rules on how digital communication and access to the Web should work.

ICT Accessibility

It is the goal to build user-friendly web-service offerings that can be used quickly, easily and conveniently by everyone in the same way.
Adhering to international standards, such as the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Guidelines is by far more important than just for the sake of fulfilling legal requirements.
The Guidelines can be downloaded via Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0

In order to be considered truly "accessible", it is necessary that web offerings can be used without difficulty and without help from others. Meeting accessibility requirements for people with special needs present a particular challenge for information and communication technologies.

The legal framework for accessibility can be found under "Rechtlicher Rahmen der digitalen Verwaltung" (in German).

In order to make the most of E-Government's potential, not only technical standards and compatible software solutions are vital, but also well-defined rules and regulations on how digital communication should work. These types of guidelines are referred to as a "policies".

Internet Policy

The Internet policy forms the basis for Internet communication between the federal government, provinces and municipalities, as well as citizens and businesses. This convention generally describes possible ways to harmonise communication between public authorities and citizens, public authorities and businesses, and between public authorities themselves.

Transfer Policy

The transfer policy governs what public authorities need to do when transmitting electronic data via file transfer.

E-Mail Policy

The e-mail policy contains suggestions on aspects public administration employees should take into consideration when sending electronic data by e-mail. The goal of this policy is to define a minimum standard for public authorities when using e-mail as a medium. For example, contact with citizens should take place through a Web interface such as a Web form whenever possible.

Domain Policy

The domain policy aims to present a uniform Internet appearance of public authority Websites, as well as to guarantee that security and organisational requirements are complied with. Web presence must include legal contact information, a valid address and search functionality. Concerning the page layout, special emphasis should also be placed on the adherence to WAI standards for accessibility.

 "gv.at" Domain Registration Policy

All public authority websites should use the domain "gv.at". This measure aims at building trust amongst users and ensuring them that the service or information on the respective site is official.