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How to make your website compliant with Swiss accessibility standards

Written by Cristina Muñoz on 23rd March 2026

New Swiss accessibility standards are coming in 2027 following a significant update to the Swiss Disability Equality Act. If you're familiar with WCAG standards and now need to ensure your website complies with the updated accessibility requirements, you might be wondering what that means and what additional work lies ahead. The good news is that, if your website already meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards, you're much closer to Swiss compliance than you might think.

Understanding Swiss accessibility requirements

Switzerland's Disability Discrimination Act (known as BehiG – Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz) is the country's primary legislation governing digital accessibility. Enacted in 2004 and made binding for the public sector in 2021, BehiG requires government institutions, certain licensed companies and private service providers to make their digital offerings accessible to people with disabilities.

Rather than creating entirely new standards, Swiss authorities have adopted the international WCAG guidelines through their national standard, eCH-0059 Accessibility Standard Version 3.0, which is based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

The gap between WCAG and BehiG

Building on your existing efforts, WCAG 2.2 Level AA incorporates all 78 success criteria from version 2.1 and simply introduces nine focused additions.This means if your website is compliant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA, you automatically meet the technical requirements that BehiG mandates through eCH-0059.

So what are the gaps? These are primarily administrative and documentation-focused rather than technical.

1. The accessibility statement (mandatory)

BehiG requires a formal accessibility statement (Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit) that must be clearly displayed on your website. Your accessibility statement must include:

  • Declaration of conformance stating compliance with eCH-0059/WCAG 2.1 Level AA
  • Creation date and last review date of the statement
  • Known accessibility issues with honest explanation of any limitations, and planned remediation timelines
  • Contact mechanism for users to report barriers or request accessible alternatives 

Importantly, this statement should be available in German, and ideally in other Swiss official languages (French, Italian) depending on your audience.

2. Swiss-specific considerations

While eCH-0059 closely follows WCAG 2.1, there are some Swiss-specific implementation considerations to be aware of:

  • Multilingual context: Switzerland has four official languages. Government websites typically need to ensure accessibility across German, French, Italian, and sometimes Romansh versions. This means testing assistive technologies in multiple language contexts.
  • Testing methodology: eCH-0059 places strong emphasis on testing with actual users with disabilities, not just relying on automated testing tools. Whilst automated tools are useful for spotting common issues, they often miss the nuance of human experience and can’t evaluate a site’s true functional usability. You should also consider the specific assistive technologies commonly used in Switzerland when conducting your testing.

3. Documentation requirements

BehiG compliance may require you to maintain internal documentation that demonstrates your commitment to accessibility:

  • Records of accessibility testing and user feedback
  • Documentation of design decisions related to accessibility
  • Remediation efforts and timelines for known issues
  • Justification if full compliance isn't technically or economically feasible

This documentation does not need to be public-facing, but it's important to have it available should questions about compliance arise.

4. Legal context and timelines

Currently, BehiG primarily applies to government and public sector organisations in Switzerland. However, a significant revision is planned for 2027 that will extend requirements to private service providers offering publicly accessible services, including websites and apps.

If you operate in Switzerland or serve Swiss customers, it's worth getting ahead of these requirements now. Non-compliance can result in discrimination claims with compensation up to CHF 5,000, but more importantly, it means you're potentially excluding around 1.8 million people in Switzerland who have some form of disability.

Practical steps to achieve Swiss compliance

If your website already meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards, these are the steps you need to take to achieve full BehiG compliance:

Top priorities

  1. Create your accessibility statement
    Draft a comprehensive statement in German (and other Swiss languages as appropriate) that declares your compliance level, lists any known limitations, and provides a clear feedback mechanism. Make this easily accessible from your website footer or dedicated accessibility page.
  2. Review eCH-0059 documentation
    Download and review the eCH-0059 v3.0 standard to understand Swiss-specific implementation notes and ensure your approach aligns with Swiss expectations.

Short-term actions

  1. Establish documentation processes
    Set up systems to track accessibility testing, user feedback and remediation efforts. This creates a clear audit trail of your compliance efforts.
  2. Multilingual accessibility review
    If you operate in multiple Swiss languages, ensure accessibility is maintained across all language versions. Test with assistive technologies in each language context.
  3. User testing programme
    Engage people with disabilities to test your website's real-world usability, not just automated testing.

Ongoing maintenance

  1. Regular reviews
    Update your accessibility statement quarterly and conduct audits periodically to maintain compliance as your website evolves.
  2. Stay informed
    Monitor developments in Swiss accessibility legislation, particularly the planned 2027 revisions. Keep an eye on potential updates to eCH-0059 (which may eventually adopt WCAG 2.2).

EU considerations

It's worth noting that whilst Switzerland isn't part of the EU, Swiss businesses serving EU customers must also comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which came into effect in June 2025. Like BehiG, the EAA references WCAG 2.1 Level AA through the EN 301 549 standard, so the same technical foundation applies.

The bottom line

For web agencies and organisations already committed to WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards, achieving Swiss BehiG compliance is straightforward. The core technical work is done, and what remains to do is largely about documentation, communication and understanding the Swiss-specific standards.

The most important step is creating that formal accessibility statement. Beyond that, it's about maintaining good documentation practices and staying informed about Swiss accessibility requirements as they evolve.

Digital accessibility is a commitment to creating seamless experiences for everyone. In Switzerland, one in five people lives with a disability, forming a vital part of the community that deserves equal access to digital services and information.

Resources

Need help making your website BehiG compliant? Our team specialises in accessibility compliance for international standards. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.

 

This article was posted in Strategy & insight, Nonprofit, Design, Development, User Experience

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