Accessibility Statement

Section 1

Scope

This statement applies to the Caelex Scholar application at caelex.eu/scholar, including its public legal pages.

On current assessment, Caelex is likely not mandatorily subject to the German Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG) — in particular due to the microenterprise exemption (Section 3(3) BFSG: fewer than 10 staff and at most EUR 2M annual turnover/balance-sheet total) and the provider-to-university-to-students (B2B2C) model, under which there is no consumer contract within the meaning of Section 2 No. 26 BFSG. Irrespective of this, we voluntarily aim to meet the requirements set out below.

Section 2

Compliance status

Caelex Scholar is continuously measured against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA, exceeding WCAG 2.1 AA — the baseline standard referenced by BFSG / BITV 2.0 / EN 301 549.

We voluntarily aim for full WCAG 2.2 AA conformance. Major parts of the application are accessible; the remaining barriers listed in Section 4 are under active remediation.

Section 3

Measures implemented

Caelex Scholar is designed as a calm, high-contrast reading surface. Measures implemented include in particular:

• semantic HTML with a gap-free heading hierarchy, landmark roles and ARIA attributes
• keyboard operability of all interactive elements with a visible focus indicator (WCAG 2.4.7)
• monochrome, high-contrast reading design; body text meets at least the AA contrast ratio (WCAG 1.4.3)
• no status indicators relying on colour alone
• responsive layouts with zoom up to 400 % without horizontal scroll (WCAG 1.4.10)
• support for 'prefers-reduced-motion'
• form labels and error messages programmatically associated
• document language marking per edition (lang attribute) so assistive technology announces the correct language (WCAG 3.1.1/3.1.2)
• sign-in without a cognitive function test; password-manager support (WCAG 3.3.8 'Accessible Authentication')
• minimum target size and adequate spacing for controls (WCAG 2.5.8)

Section 4

Content not yet fully accessible

The following content is currently not, or only partially, accessible; remediation is underway:

• The graphical research-graph view (relationship network between sources) — an information-equivalent tabular or list-based alternative is being provided and expanded.
• Generated PDF and print exports — accessible, tagged generation is in progress; as an interim, the content is available as structured HTML.
• Some newer interaction patterns (e.g. quick-search/command palette) are continuously checked and improved against WCAG 2.2 criteria 2.4.11 (focus not obscured), 2.5.8 (target size) and 3.3.8 (accessible authentication).

Section 5

Feedback and contact

Have you encountered barriers or do you need content in a more accessible form? We welcome your feedback.

Contact: accessibility@caelex.eu — we respond within five working days and offer, where possible, an accessible alternative. General inquiries: cs@caelex.eu.

Section 6

Enforcement procedure / conciliation

If your concerns remain unresolved after contacting us, you may refer the matter to the conciliation body under Section 16 BGG:

• Conciliation body under Section 16 BGG at the Federal States' Market Surveillance Authority for Accessibility (MLBF AöR)
• Carl-Miller-Str. 6, 39112 Magdeburg, Germany
• www.mlbf-barrierefrei.de

The conciliation procedure is free of charge for the parties; legal representation is not required.

Section 7

Status and review

This statement is based on a self-assessment of Caelex Scholar. It is reviewed and updated annually, on material changes to the application, and on relevant feedback. The version published at caelex.eu/scholar/legal/accessibility, bearing the date shown above, is authoritative.