The WACA award is an important step for the Secession and a strong signal for other institutions.
The Secession has officially been awarded the WACA Silver certification, making it the second major art institution in Austria to receive this recognition. (The first being our client, the WIEN MUSEUM). The certification confirms that the website, secession.at, meets rigorous accessibility standards and ensures a barrier-free digital experience for all users.
Digital accessibility is no longer optional. With the European Accessibility Act and national regulations such as the Web-Zugänglichkeits-Gesetz, public institutions are legally obliged to make their digital services inclusive. But beyond compliance, accessibility is a cultural responsibility: museums are places of knowledge and shared heritage, and ensuring that their websites are accessible means opening their doors wider — for everyone.
The WACA (Web Accessibility Certificate Austria) is the leading Austrian certification for accessible websites, based on the international WCAG 2.1/2.2 standards. Achieving the Silver level means that secession.at fulfills a broad range of accessibility criteria, from clear navigation structures and text alternatives for images to keyboard-friendly operation and assistive technology support. Silver certification represents a significant step forward, signaling that the website is not only legally compliant but also user-centered and inclusive by design.
At treat.agency, we had the privilege to be able to expand our knowledge and guide the Secession through this process. During this Istvan also had his certification completed to be an expert for web accessibility.
Our sincere thanks go to the team of the Secession making sure the content is also adopted and to listening our advice to achieve this great milestone together.
The Secession is putting real effort into making its programme and its spaces, online and offline, more accessible. This certification is another step along that path.
For us at treat.agency, it is also a confidence booster: it reflects our ongoing effort to expand our expertise and to make accessibility an integral part of our work. We take accessibility seriously — not just as a requirement, but as a standard of quality and responsibility that shapes every project we deliver.
