Accessibility Statement

SHS Strukturholding Saar GmbH (hereinafter: “SHS“) strives to make its website germanys.saarland accessible in accordance with the European standard EN 301 549 and the requirements of Section 12 No. 2 SBGG in conjunction with BITV 2.0.

Description of service

SHS operates the germanys.saarland website.

The website provides information about the Saarland as a business location.
The SHS runs the site. Some of the actual services advertised on the site are provided by the gwSaar Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung Saar mbH; it supports companies that want to invest or settle in the Saarland.

The main individual offerings are:

Location search: we help companies find the right place in the Saarland for their company.
Construction and real estate: we assist in the construction of buildings and the use of commercial spaces.
Settlement and support: we support companies during all stages of their settling – from planning to ongoing operations.
Personnel and contacts: we help you find employees and build networks.
Foreign trade: we advise companies in relation to entering new markets abroad and international projects.
Sustainability: we also develop unused areas (“brown-field sites”) for new investments.
Events: we organise business trips, trade fairs and meetings with international partners.

Our aim is to support investors and companies in the Saarland, so that they can operate successfully here.

SHS works on behalf of the Saarland.

State of compliance with the requirements

This website is currently partially compatible with the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 A – AA provided for under BITV 2.0. The non-accessible content elements are listed below. We are always striving to improve the accessibility of our digital offering.

Non-accessible content

The following content elements or functions are currently not fully accessible:

Images sometimes have no alternative texts (which would enable screen reader accessibility).
In some cases, the included videos do not contain subtitles and/or descriptions of the visual content elements (audio description).
The relationships between the content elements are sometimes not clearly structured, which makes keyboard control difficult in some places. This can also affect the clarity of the content or the connections between the content elements.
In some cases, the visibility of links/buttons is still a little too low (in terms of colour).
At 200% zoom, there are issues with how the elements are displayed (reflow).
In some cases, texts are included as an image, without alternative texts (which would enable screen reader accessibility).
In some cases, inadequate symbol or word spacings may interfere with font size adjustments.
In some cases, content elements are not available for screen readers or keyboard controls, as they are only available as a hover effect, for example.
Certain items cannot be reached using the keyboard. In a few cases, there are keyboard traps, i.e. it is not possible to close an element using the keyboard alone.
Image sliders may run too fast to allow everyone to perceive the content elements and cannot be stopped or slowed down.
Keyboard and screen reader navigation is only possible to a limited extent. Some elements are skipped unintentionally.
The focus order is sometimes unclear or it is not evident which content is being focused on.
Focus not visible.
In some cases, there is only one way to access the information on the website and no alternative.
Page headings are sometimes not emphasised clearly enough or are not sufficiently meaningful.
In some cases, there are still no sufficient safeguards against input errors, e.g. before forms are submitted.
Labels on buttons/links/input fields etc. are partly not present as text in the code and then cannot be properly read by the screen reader.
Links/buttons and the like are sometimes too small, so that they can be difficult to aim at when clicking on them.
At times, contexts change without warning; notably, changing the language triggers an immediate page reload without a renewed prompt.
Labels and error messages on the contact form are sometimes not yet clear enough.
The screen reader reads out foreign-language parts with an incorrect pronunciation, e.g. English text with a German pronunciation.
In some cases, there is insufficient error avoidance in legal transactions (specifically, order placements via a form). If necessary, a binding declaration can be made via single-step forms without further confirmation (with just one click).
Not all content elements are available in a plain-language format.
Currently, any included PDF files are not yet accessible (workaround for the issue: accessible versions are available upon request – please send an email to service@germanys.saarland

Planned measures:

We are currently in the process of actively revising the website. The plan is to revise the aforementioned not yet accessible content elements and functions in 2025, in order to make all essential content fully accessible in a timely manner.

Preparation of this declaration

This statement was prepared on 02/10/2025 and last reviewed on 02/10/2025. The included evaluation is based on an internal review of the content elements.

Contact and feedback

Have you identified accessibility barriers on our website or would you like to receive information on digital accessibility? Then please do not hesitate to contact us at:

SHS
Strukturholding Saar GmbH
Abteilung Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Balthasar-Goldstein-Straße 31
66131 Saarbrücken
Email: service@germanys.saarland
Tel.: +49 6893/9899 600

Enforcement procedure
(with regard to accessibility according to Section 12 No. 2 SBGG in conjunction with BITV 2.0)

If you do not receive a satisfactory response to an accessibility request, you can contact the Saarland’s responsible enforcement body:

Ministerium für Arbeit, Soziales, Frauen und Gesundheit – Durchsetzungsstelle für digitale Barrierefreiheit
Franz-Josef-Röder-Straße 23
66119 Saarbrücken
Email: barrierefreiheit@soziales.saarland.de
Internet: https://www.saarland.de/masfg/DE/portale/sozialesleben/
leistungensoziales/landesfachstelle_barrierefreiheit