TYPO3 Reaches WCAG 2.1 Standard Through BITV Test

A significant improvement on the accessibility of digital offers 

The TYPO3 Bootstrap Package offers a pre-configured frontend theme for TYPO3 based on the Bootstrap CSS Framework. The Bootstrap Package already supported assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, Braille displays and voice recognition. Now officially certified, the Bootstrap Package serves as a guide for users on how to effectively implement accessibility in their TYPO3 projects. This significantly improves access to digital offerings and makes it easier for people with disabilities to use them.

Alongside usability, responsive design, security, performance and SEO, accessibility is a quality feature that contributes to the sustainability of TYPO3. "True accessibility is dependent on the website content, which has to be made accessible by website editors on a daily basis," says Daniel Fau, CEO of TYPO3 GmbH. "The seal of approval from the testing authority is a tribute to our entire CMS, its ecosystem, and the dedicated service providers and developers who have contributed to this success. Our vision is that websites created with TYPO3 are accessible to all and that an inclusive online world is achieved through accessibility."

Directive (EU) 2019/882 to be transposed into national law as of June 2025

The initial impetus was the research work of a student at the TH Brandenburg. She subjected ten frontend pages of the TYPO3 Introduction Package (a TYPO3 demo version based on the Bootstrap Package) to a BIK-BITV self assessment and identified barriers. The agency CPS – connected to the university through a teaching assignment – then took the initiative to make the entire package accessible. The CPS accessibility team fully tested the TYPO3 Introduction Package for accessibility, listed any existing barriers, and worked through them together with the TYPO3 community during a four-day code sprint in June 2023. At the end of a three-week test, the BIK test center awarded the test seal.

TYPO3 is widely used in Europe, especially in the public sector. Both in the public and commercial sectors, there is an obligation to provide accessible websites. The EU Directive (EU) 2019/882 emphasizes the need to comply with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines by 2025 at the latest to ensure an inclusive online experience. Compliance is not only legally required, but also creates a more accessible online world. Therefore, website operators must conduct regular compliance tests to ensure accessible use.

Downloads and related links

• Report from the BIK-BITV test center (German): https://report.bitvtest.de/26d95d90-6bce-4059-8299-4acb5b5af860.html 
• Install the TYPO3 Bootstrap Package: https://www.bootstrap-package.com/ 
• Certified TYPO3 Introduction Package for viewing: https://bitv-v12.typo3.com/ 
• Official TYPO3 Documentation about the Introduction Package.

About TYPO3 

TYPO3 CMS

TYPO3 is an open-source enterprise content management system (CMS). You can download and find more information about TYPO3 at typo3.org.

TYPO3 Association

The TYPO3 Association is a Swiss not-for-profit association founded by members of the TYPO3 Community in November 2004 that provides software to the public free of charge. It has its headquarters in Baar ZG, Switzerland. The TYPO3 Association is non-partisan and denominationally neutral. The association has approximately 1,000 members and coordinates and funds the long-term development of TYPO3 CMS. It is the owner of the TYPO3 trademark. Find more information at typo3.org/project/association.