Blickindex (blickindex.de) is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities. This statement documents our ongoing efforts to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA and applies to the entire publication, which is owned and operated by Rhein Media Ltd. (company number 132410, Gibraltar). We designate our editorial leadership, under Chefredaktör Thomas Weber, as responsible for accessibility oversight and welcome feedback at accessibility@blickindex.de.
Who is responsible for accessibility at Blickindex?
Thomas Weber, Chefredaktör at Blickindex (anders.lindqvist@blickindex.de, +46 8 525 030 61), has overall responsibility for editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections, including accessibility compliance. Laura Hoffmann, Ansvarig för faktagranskning (emma.sandberg@blickindex.de, +46 8 525 030 66), supports fact‑checking and source verification that can affect accessible content. Day‑to‑day accessibility questions and reports are handled by the newsroom team via accessibility@blickindex.de, with escalation to Thomas Weber when needed.
We have appointed a designated accessibility coordinator within the editorial team who monitors WCAG 2.2 requirements, coordinates with our development partners, and ensures that new features are tested before launch. This role reports directly to the Chefredaktör and meets quarterly to review progress against our accessibility roadmap.
What accessibility standards do we follow?
We aim to conform with WCAG 2.2 Level AA, which covers perceivability, operability, understandability and robustness. Our compliance target applies to all publicly available pages on blickindex.de, including articles, navigation, search, and interactive features such as comment sections and newsletter sign‑ups.
Conformance is assessed through a combination of automated testing tools, manual audits by trained staff, and user feedback. We prioritise fixes based on severity and impact on users with disabilities. The current version of this statement reflects our efforts as of January 2025; we update it whenever significant improvements or known limitations change.
How do we ensure keyboard navigation and focus?
All interactive elements on Blickindex are operable using a keyboard alone. Focus indicators are visible and follow a logical tab order that matches the visual layout. Users can navigate through headlines, links, forms and media controls without trapping focus or requiring a pointing device.
We test keyboard navigation across major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and on both desktop and mobile viewports. Focus order is reviewed when new modules – such as our article summary boxes or sponsored content labels – are introduced. Skip‑to‑content links are provided at the top of every page to help keyboard and screen‑reader users bypass repeated navigation blocks.
What about contrast and reduced motion?
Text and non‑text content (such as icons, charts and headlines) meet a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal‑size text and 3:1 for large text, as required by WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3. We also respect the prefers-reduced-motion operating‑system setting by disabling automatic animations, scrolling feeds, and parallax effects when a user has indicated a preference for reduced motion.
Our design system uses a limited colour palette so that colour alone is never the sole means of conveying information. For example, we use patterns and labels on data visualisations, and we avoid relying solely on red‑green distinctions. We are currently auditing older image assets to ensure alt‑text and colour‑independent meaning are consistently applied.
What are the known limitations?
Some third‑party components – including embedded social‑media widgets, video players from external platforms, and certain advertising creatives – may not fully meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. We cannot directly modify these components but actively encourage our partners to improve accessibility. Additionally, some PDF documents published before January 2025 may not be fully screen‑reader optimised; we provide HTML equivalents for key news content upon request.
We are working to replace legacy embedded maps with accessible alternatives. Where a fully accessible version is not yet available, we offer a text description of the map’s essential data. Users encountering inaccessible content should contact accessibility@blickindex.de so that we can provide an alternative format or prioritise a fix.
How can you report an accessibility issue or request an alternative format?
Please email accessibility@blickindex.de with the URL of the page, a description of the problem, and the assistive technology you are using. We aim to respond within two business days and resolve most issues within ten business days. If you prefer another channel, you can use our general contact form at /about-us/contact/ or follow our formal complaints procedure for escalated matters.
We also accept feedback via telephone on our editorial line (+49 30 577 012 40) or by postal mail to Rhein Media Ltd., Suite 5.03, World Trade Center, 6 Bayside Road, Gibraltar GX11 1AA. For complaints that are not resolved to your satisfaction, we will explain our decision in writing and offer a further review by Thomas Weber, Chefredaktör. Our editorial policy and privacy policy apply to all accessibility‑related interactions.
Our commitments
- We will maintain conformance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA across all publicly accessible pages on blickindex.de, with annual external audits to verify compliance.
- We will respond to every accessibility report within two business days and aim to resolve or provide a workaround for priority issues within ten business days.
- We will provide alternative formats (such as large‑print, plain‑text, or accessible PDF) of any news article within five business days upon request.
- We will ensure that all new editorial features, third‑party integrations, and design changes are tested for accessibility before going live, using both automated and manual methods.
- We will publish an updated accessibility statement at least once per year, or whenever significant changes to our site or standards occur, clearly noting any known limitations and planned improvements.