According to the objectives of the “Accessible Information Technology Ordinance” (BITV 2.0), modern information and communications technology should be designed so that, as far as possible and as a general rule, it is accessible without any restriction.

There is considerable ambiguity as regards the implementation, as the existing specifications leave a lot of scope for interpretation.

These discrepancies frequently lead to differing interpretations of the existing specifications, and in the event of the acceptance of artifacts or entire ICT systems, to annoyance, and in some cases, legal disputes.

The authors of this document have taken on the task of closing this gap between the legal requirements, guidelines, standards and existing design guides or style guides – also from software manufacturers.

The visual user interface elements described in DIN EN ISO 9241-161 have been considered for this purpose, supplemented by additional elements and extended with regard to the accessibility requirements in accordance with EN 301 549 v3.2.1. Requirements have been defined for each UI element in terms of presentation, operation and programming/interfaces.

This reference guide serves as a supplement to DIN EN ISO 9241-161 and as an aid for the implementation of EN 301 549 v3.2.1, and is not intended to replace the currently valid legal requirements or guidelines. On the contrary, this collection is based on and subject to a corresponding update process.

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