What does it cost to have a PDF made accessible?
It depends on volume and complexity: text pages, tables, design pages, whether source files exist. The first assessment is free of charge; you receive a quote after we have seen the material, and we start with a pilot.
How long does it take?
Depends on volume. The first assessment comes within a few business days; the delivery date is part of the quote.
Do our PDFs have to be PDF/UA?
PDF/UA is not prescribed by law. BITV 2.0 (§ 3(2)), the BFSG (§ 4) and the WZG (§ 3(2)) tie the presumption of conformity to harmonised standards whose references are published in the Official Journal of the EU; Directive 2016/2102 names EN 301 549 for this (Art. 6). That standard requires the WCAG 2.1 success criteria for documents (clause 10). PDF/UA (ISO 14289) is the established technical way to implement this in a PDF. We deliver tagged PDFs along that standard and record the checks in the test report.
Do the duties apply to old documents too?
Under the EU Directive (Art. 1(4)(a)) and in Austria (§ 2(3)(a) WZG and the state laws), office files published before 23 September 2018 are exempt unless they are needed for active administrative processes. The federal BITV 2.0 in Germany has no such exception; states and municipalities in Germany are governed by their state laws. Under the EU Directive (Art. 1(4)(h)), the WZG (§ 2(3)(i)), the Austrian state laws we examined and BITV 2.0 (§ 2(2) no. 2), archives are exempt if they are neither needed for active administrative processes nor updated or revised after 23 September 2019. For companies under the BFSG and BaFG the date is 28 June 2025: office files published before that date are exempt, as are archives whose content is neither updated nor revised after it (§ 1(4) nos. 2 and 5 BFSG, § 2(3) nos. 2 and 5 BaFG). Anything still in use belongs on the list.
Which documents first?
Whatever citizens need for a procedure: forms, public notices, minutes, current information. Then the regularly published items such as newsletters and reports. We propose the order in the first assessment.
We only have the finished PDF, no source file. Is that possible?
Yes. We tag existing PDFs; with the source file the result is better and cheaper, which is why we ask for it. Scans need text recognition first. We clarify that in the first assessment.
What is in the test report?
Per document: the result of the automated checks (veraPDF, PAC), the manual checkpoints (reading order, alternative text, tables, bookmarks, title and language), a screen-reader sample with NVDA, and the change log with version, reviewer and date. The report is written so that it fits the documents section of your accessibility statement.
Do municipalities face penalties?
Austria: neither the WZG nor the web provisions of the state laws we examined contain a penalty provision; the FFG states that the EU Directive and the WZG provide for no sanctions or penalties. The consequence is a complaint to the competent body, recommendations for action and monitoring; the anti-discrimination acts remain unaffected. Germany: for federal bodies, BGG and BITV 2.0 contain no fines; enforcement there runs via conciliation (§ 16 BGG) and representative action (§ 15 BGG). Municipalities are governed by the respective state law, which we do not cover here. We do not advertise with penalties. The reason is access, and findability.
Can we create accessible PDFs ourselves?
Yes, for new documents created from Word or PowerPoint with correct templates. We train your team and provide the templates. Existing inventories and complex layouts are what we take over.
Do you also work outside Austria and Germany?
Yes. For public bodies the same technical standard applies across the EU: the harmonised standard EN 301 549 under Directive (EU) 2016/2102 (Art. 6); member states may go beyond the Directive’s minimum requirements (Art. 2). For documents the standard requires the WCAG 2.1 success criteria. PDF/UA (ISO 14289) is not expressly prescribed by law, but the established technical way to implement this in a PDF. The national implementing laws differ in details, for example in the exception for older documents. We remediate documents in German and English, other languages by arrangement. We present the national legal details for Austria and Germany; for other member states on request.
Is this legal advice?
No. We implement a technical standard and document it. Whether and how your organisation is obliged is a question for your legal department or counsel.
Who is Compliance-Kit?
Compliance-Kit, based in Vienna, makes PDF, Word and PowerPoint documents accessible for public bodies and companies across the EU, with a focus on Austria and Germany. We also produce compliance documentation and e-learnings for companies in Germany and Austria (GDPR, EU AI Act, NIS2, whistleblower protection, anti-discrimination) and check every legal statement against the official full texts.