Accessibility Statement

The German Sport University Cologne is committed to ensuring that its website, www.dshs-koeln.de, is accessible in accordance with EU Directive 2016/2102. The following accessibility statement documents the current status of compliance for the website www.dshs-koeln.de (excluding subdomains) in accordance with the Regulation on the Provision of Accessible Information Technology under the North Rhine-Westphalia Disability Equality Act.

Status of compliance with the requirements

This website is partially compliant with the North Rhine-Westphalia Disability Equality Act (BGG NRW) and the North Rhine-Westphalia Regulation on Accessible Information Technology (BITV NRW).

Assessment methodology: self-assessment

Created on: 20 May 2026
Last checked on: 20 May 2026

Self-assessment

The website is self-assessed using an automated testing process that runs alongside development. Rather than carrying out a one-off audit of individual pages, we rely on continuous quality assurance using the PA11Y tool, which is directly integrated into our development pipeline. This ensures that the entire technical infrastructure of the website is continuously monitored for compliance with the BITV 2.0 / WCAG guidelines. This approach makes it possible to identify barriers in the source code at the very outset and to ensure a consistently accessible foundation for all pages of the portal.

Non-accessible content

We are constantly working to improve the accessibility of the site and are endeavouring to rectify any remaining barriers as quickly as possible. As part of the complete relaunch of our website, we have prioritised accessibility as a key consideration. Barriers still exist in numerous PDF documents, which, unfortunately, can only be adapted gradually. 

The content listed below is, for the most part, not accessible:

  • PDF documents embedded in the website (occasionally also Word or PowerPoint documents)
  • Videos embedded on the website (currently only some of which have subtitles, audio descriptions or transcripts)
  • In the case of media content, descriptive alt text may be missing. The editors working on the pages have been made aware of this issue by the central web team.
  • No information is provided in German Sign Language on the homepage. In future, we will supplement content with versions in plain language. 

Reasons:

  • Due to the disproportionate burden (in accordance with Section 3, Technical Requirements, Paragraph 3 of the BITVNRW), some of the above has not yet been implemented. We are endeavouring to improve this further.
  • Due to the large number of PDF documents provided, it has not yet been possible to convert all of them into an accessible format.

Accessible/low-barrier alternatives:

  • If you encounter non-accessible enrolment documents, please contact the Student Registry. If you encounter non-accessible examination regulations, please contact the Examinations Office.
  • The embedded videos are YouTube files. You have the option to display automatic subtitles.


Feedback and contact details

You can report any issues regarding compliance with accessibility requirements to us. We have set up an email address for this purpose, which feeds into our ticketing system. Please use this contact option:

You can also contact the Press and Communications Department (telephone: +49 221 4982-3850, email: )

Furthermore, you can contact the Ombudsman’s Office for Accessible Information Technology in North Rhine-Westphalia. It reports to the Commissioner for the Interests of People with Disabilities in accordance with Section 11 of the North Rhine-Westphalia Disability Equality Act. If you wish to initiate an ombudsman procedure, please complete the relevant application form and send it by email to the Ombudsman’s Office.

Ombudsman’s Office for Accessible Information Technology of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, attached to the State Commissioner for People with Disabilities
Fürstenwall 25 
40219 Düsseldorf
Telephone: +49 211 855-3451
Email: