Accessibility & user-friendliness in case management
Digital case management: Greater accessibility for the MVB
Digitalization in social services has simplified many aspects of case management. However, digital processes are only truly effective if all professionals – regardless of limitations or technical expertise – have equal access. In the mothers' and fathers' counseling service (MVB), where different roles and teams work with case management software, accessibility and user-friendliness are key success factors for a functioning solution.
Why barrier-free case management is important
An accessible application ensures that no one is excluded from accessing a digital system – neither internally nor externally.
Accessibility is therefore not only a legal requirement, but also an opportunity to make case management in social services more inclusive and efficient.
Relevant standards and legal frameworks
For organizations in the public or social sector, there are clear requirements:
- Disability Equality Act (BehiG)
- WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
- eCH-0059 Accessibility standard of the federal government
These guidelines define how digital tools in social work must be structured to be used without barriers – including in the context of case management.
Accessibility in practice: How software solutions are tested
There is a wide range of tools that can be used to determine accessibility:
- WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools)
- Contrast checker
- Google lighthouse
- Screen readers like VoiceOver (Apple) or TalkBack (Android)
These tools help identify where the digital case file or user interface can be improved.
WCAG principles explained simply – how barrier-free fall guidance works
- Perceptibility
- Pay attention to color contrasts
- Don't just mark links with color.
- Provide alt text for all meaningful images
- usability
- Keyboard control is always possible
- Large clickable areas for users with limited mobile devices
- No distracting animations or flashing elements
- Comprehensibility
- Intuitive navigation and clear form design
- Example texts and help texts for input fields
- Descriptive links like "Save form" instead of "Click here"
- robustness
- Compatible with various devices and assistive technologies
- Correct HTML structure and scalable display
- Standardized tables and semantically clean code
Conclusion: Accessibility is not an add-on – but a core component of modern case management.
User-friendliness and accessibility not only improve acceptance but also the quality of digital casework. They enable software that provides equal support to all stakeholders in social services.
