This accessibility statement applies to the Hamburg Service Portal https://serviceportal.hamburg.de, a website provided by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

As a public body pursuant to Directive (EU) 2016/2102, we have made every effort to ensure that our website and mobile apps are accessible without any barriers in line with the provisions of the Hamburg State Disability Equality Act (Hamburgische Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz, HmbBGG) and the Hamburg Accessible Information Technology Act (Hamburgische Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung, HmbBITVO) as the implementing act for Directive (EU) 2016/2102.

Status of compliance with requirements

The accessibility requirements to which this website is subject are mandated by Section 1 HmbBITVO in conjunction with Section 3(1) to (4) and Section 4 of the Federal Accessible Information Technology Act (Barrierefreien-Informationstechnik-Verordnung, BITV) and enacted on the basis of Section 11 HmbBGG.

Compliance with the requirements has been evaluated on the basis of a review performed by experts in June 2023 in accordance with HmbBGG and HmbBITVO pursuant to the requirements of EN 301 549, version 3.2.1 and BITV 2.0 in reference to Section 4.

Based on the findings on the review, the Hamburg Service Portal platform only partially complies with the above requirements in light of the following shortcomings.

Inaccessible content

The shortcomings outlined below in particular have negatively impacted accessibility:

Layout

  • Clear, informative titles are being added for all headings, bodies of text and links
  • The headings on the homepage and all subpages are not clear enough and do not always adhere to a standardised format
  • The introduction in the help section is not adequately user-friendly. A clearer, more accessible version is currently being worked on
  • The contrast is also too low when focusing on results on the search results page for the help section. Explanatory elements such as headlines, introductory text and page numbers are missing for the search results. Search results are also displayed as
    “1 results found” in English.
  • Certain elements such as search fields are missing captions
  • Input fields do not feature autocomplete, something which can make it easier for people with motor disabilities in particular to enter data. Typing suggestions that could be easily confirmed by the user are not available
  • In various form fields such as checkboxes, the headings/captions are not linked to individual elements in a way that ensures they are read aloud by screen readers
  • Links on the homepage and certain subpages are not clearly marked as links. Some links do not include adequately informative text (for instance, click here), meaning the address contained in the link is not clear out of context
  • Certain alternative text options for elements such as the magnifying glass symbol are not clear enough
  • Some HTML structural elements are missing for headings. Paragraphs are structured with the inclusion of ‘empty’ HTML elements, causing screen readers to output ‘empty’ at these points
  • Certain elements such as search fields, placeholder text and buttons are not adequately contrasted when focused on and the pointer’s position is therefore unclear. Certain text elements also overlap or cover other elements

Usability

  • Not all technical terms on the site have been adapted to the website language from the source code. As a result, it can be difficult to retrieve information, particularly when using screen reader software
  • Several anchor links/navigation sections do not have clear headings, which makes it difficult for screen reader users to navigate the site with ease
  • The pointer’s current position is not shared with screen readers in elements such as the tab view in the mailbox
  • The allocation of form sections to headings can occasionally result in the list of headings not producing a clear structure that can be used by screen readers for orientation.
  • All status reports and change notifications are inaccessible for screen reader users
  • Incorrect results from search fields are occasionally sent to screen readers or vague status reports are communicated

Error identification

  • Once complete, error identification is reviewed in terms of content. Not all identified errors are reported in a way that can also be registered by screen readers
  • In certain cases, mandatory fields are not displayed either visually or for screen readers

Miscellaneous

Subsections that are not accessible:

  • Certain external websites and documents we link to on our website may not be accessible
  • Accessible versions of PDF downloads provided in the mailbox section are not always available
  • In terms of multi-language capabilities, the app has not yet been launched in English
  • No annotations are available in German sign language at present.

When was this accessibility statement published?

This statement was first published on 31 August 2021 and revised on 26 June 2023.

Report barriers: Submitting feedback

Have you experienced any issues with barrier-free access to content on serviceportal.hamburg.de? Or do you have any questions on the topic of accessibility? If so, please get in touch with the Central Office for the HamburgService/Hamburg Service Portal in the Office for IT and Digitalisation at the Senate Chancellery: MeinServiceportal@dataport.de

Arbitration

If you were unable to reach a satisfying conclusion after submitting feedback to the contact details stated above, you can also lodge a complaint with the arbitration board pursuant to Section 13a HmbBGG. The arbitration board is responsible for resolving cases on the topic of accessibility between people with disabilities and supporting public bodies with out-of-court dispute resolution. Arbitration procedures are free of charge. Legal advice does not need to be sought.

At present, the ombudsman’s office at the Senate Chancellery takes on the role of the arbitration board, which is yet to be established.

Contact information:

Email address: ombudsstelle.barrierefreie-it@sk.hamburg.de

Service opening hours:

Phone number: (040) 428 23 2057
Monday: 10 – 11 a.m.

Information on accessibility is available in plain language at the link below: Plain language

DOWNLOADS

Accessibility statement