Guidelines on accessibility for graphics
Introduction to accessibility
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) was transposed into German law in July 2021 with the Accessibility Improvement Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz – BFSG). The Ordinance to the Accessibility Improvement Act (Verordnung zum Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz – BFSGV) defines accessibility requirements for products and services that are placed on the market or provided to consumers after 28.06.2025. This also applies to banking services, which must be provided in an accessible form in future.
The German banks, within the Association of German Banks, have agreed on the WCAG 2.2 standard with level AA. For PDFs on PDF/UA and the remaining criteria of WCAG 2.1.
These specifications must be implemented by all those who produce information for consumers. The scope of application includes all documents and offers that are made available digitally.
These guidelines provide the most important information on implementing accessibility requirements using graphic means, such as
- Font sizes
- Font colours
- Combination of font sizes and colours with background colours
Guidelines and Templates
Application
The guideline highlights problems and their solutions with regard to graphical accessibility and explains them with hints. Graphical accessibility includes in particular the topics of colors, contrast and font.
Included in the guideline are the brands Deutsche Bank, Postbank, BHW, FYRST, DSL Bank and norisbank.
Templates
Use the bank’s brand-approved, accessible Word and PowerPoint templates to ensure you are adhering to all current guidelines.
Tutorial: Briefing guide for document owners
Application
This tutorial is intended for owners whose documents are professionally created with InDesign by the respective agencies. This tutorial provides agencies with the detailed specifications they need for the creation of various accessible PDFs.
Link to figma Digital Principles: Accessibility
In order for digital products to meet the requirements of the Accessibility Strengthening Act, websites, including the associated online applications and services offered on mobile devices, including mobile apps, must be designed to be perceptible, operable, understandable and robust in a consistent and appropriate manner.