Comprehensive Advice on Digital Accessibility
With more than 26 million insured persons, the AOK is the largest statutory health insurance company in Germany. In addition to the federal association, it consists of 11 independent regional AOKs.
As a public body within the meaning of EU Directive 2016/2102, the regional AOKs – like all other health insurance funds – must meet the EU-wide harmonized accessibility standards and some additional requirements of the BITV 2.0 (Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung). For such a large organization – with numerous digital offerings and applications, which also has a decentralized structure – this is a quite a challenge.
d-SIRE advises the AOK in all matters and supports it in integrating digital accessibility into its internal processes in a high-quality manner and ensuring it in collaboration with all its service providers.
In 2019, d-SIRE secured a consulting mandate from the AOK Bundesverband in the course of a tender. Two years later, after winning a Europe-wide tender, the scope of services was extended to the state associations with their regional AOKs.
Selected Projects
Accessibility Consulting and Guidelines
Accessibility in complex Organizations
The challenges of establishing digital accessibility as a standard in a large, regionally structured organization with a large number of external service providers are considerable. Of course, the relevant standards from BITV, WCAG and EN 301 549 are publicly available to everyone. However, this does not mean that a practical transfer into the day-to-day work of the relevant teams is already guaranteed.
Comprehensive Guidelines for internal and external Teams
We have been supporting Germany's largest health insurance company on this journey on behalf of the AOK Bundesverband since the end of 2019. One of our key tasks was to create guidelines on accessibility. On the one hand, this concerns the formal and content requirements, such as the declaration on accessibility, as well as the explanations in Easy Language and German sign language.
Practice-oriented Presentation
In addition, the focus is on the practical communication of technical requirements and best practices for working methods in the collaboration of different teams and trades. A wide variety of requirements were collected in several workshops and taken into account in the development. In the AOK brand portal, all internal and external participants now have access to the knowledge developed in the project.
Audit Reports and Process Support
Audit Reports in Accordance with BITV Requirements
At project level, audits are an indispensable part of providing information on optimizing accessibility. According to the BITV, it is also mandatory for public bodies to mention known accessibility problems in the accessibility statement.
Evolving Standards
Auditing is based on the current version of the harmonized European Norm EN 301 549, which largely refers to the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and supplements it with some additional requirements.
What an Audit Report contains
The audit reports evaluate each individual success criterion for different pages or page statuses.
A final summary presents the most important findings and recommendations for action in a form that is understandable even for non-developers.
Easy Language and German Sign Language
Both important and legally required
The provision of information in plain language and in German Sign Language (DGS) makes it easier for important user groups to understand content. Corresponding legal obligations are also formulated in the BITV. For the areas defined by the AOK, d-SIRE produces the branded DGS videos in cooperation with partners.
Accessibility Consulting and Guidelines
Accessibility in complex Organizations
The challenges of establishing digital accessibility as a standard in a large, regionally structured organization with a large number of external service providers are considerable. Of course, the relevant standards from BITV, WCAG and EN 301 549 are publicly available to everyone. However, this does not mean that a practical transfer into the day-to-day work of the relevant teams is already guaranteed.
Comprehensive Guidelines for internal and external Teams
We have been supporting Germany's largest health insurance company on this journey on behalf of the AOK Bundesverband since the end of 2019. One of our key tasks was to create guidelines on accessibility. On the one hand, this concerns the formal and content requirements, such as the declaration on accessibility, as well as the explanations in Easy Language and German sign language.
Practice-oriented Presentation
In addition, the focus is on the practical communication of technical requirements and best practices for working methods in the collaboration of different teams and trades. A wide variety of requirements were collected in several workshops and taken into account in the development. In the AOK brand portal, all internal and external participants now have access to the knowledge developed in the project.
Audit Reports and Process Support
Audit Reports in Accordance with BITV Requirements
At project level, audits are an indispensable part of providing information on optimizing accessibility. According to the BITV, it is also mandatory for public bodies to mention known accessibility problems in the accessibility statement.
Evolving Standards
Auditing is based on the current version of the harmonized European Norm EN 301 549, which largely refers to the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and supplements it with some additional requirements.
What an Audit Report contains
The audit reports evaluate each individual success criterion for different pages or page statuses.
A final summary presents the most important findings and recommendations for action in a form that is understandable even for non-developers.
Easy Language and German Sign Language
Both important and legally required
The provision of information in plain language and in German Sign Language (DGS) makes it easier for important user groups to understand content. Corresponding legal obligations are also formulated in the BITV. For the areas defined by the AOK, d-SIRE produces the branded DGS videos in cooperation with partners.
Special Attributes of Easy Language (with a capital E)
Easy language is a special form of simple language. It aims to improve comprehensibility, especially for people with learning difficulties, and has special language and spelling rules. In cooperation with specialized service providers, d-SIRE translates texts into Easy Language.
Sign Language as a Mother Tongue
For people who are deaf from birth, sign language can be regarded as their mother tongue. For them, written language based on auditory sounds is a second language to be learned. Sign-based communication is therefore preferable. Here too, d-SIRE works with specialist service providers who produce sign language videos with native presenters.
Services provided for the client
- Project management
- Consulting and development of guidelines
- Auditing in accordance with BITV 2.0 / EN 301 549
- Project support on accessibility
- Information in Easy language and German sign language
