Information regarding the accessibility of this website
SR-Consulting.com develops web sites considering the guidelines for accessible web content. Our pages fulfill priority level 1, if technically already possible even levels 2 or 3.
What are the advantages of accessible web sites?
For the owner of an accessible web site:
- Better ranking in search engines.
- Faster loading.
- Less effort for maintenance, changes and extensions.
- Bigger target group.
- Increase of image.
For the visitor of an accessible web site:
- Accessible even with restricted means of internet access.
- Accessible independant of the used system: standard browser, text browser, internet over TV, pocket PC und PDA, mobile phone, on-board computer etc.
- Improved usability for visitors with disabilities.
How can you benefit from our accessible web site?
If you visit our web site with a standard browser you wonīt notice the accessibility. If there is no stumbling block it wouldnīt come into your mind that there could be one. The advantages of accessible pages appear in user-friendly details like these:
- You can adjust the font size if our standard setting is too small (or even too big) for you. In Internet Explorer as well as in Netscape / Mozilla go to "View" and change the text size to bigger or smaller.
- The print function of your browser automatically prints all our pages in a way that saves expensive ink and doesnīt cut any part of the page.
- No matter which screen resolution you have set our pages are always displayed in the optimal width so that you donīt have to scroll horizontally.
The underlying guidelines for accessible web content are the Barrierefreie Informationstechnik-Verordnung - BITV - published on July 17, 2002 German department of state and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 - WCAG - published on May 05, 1999 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
The W3C defines three levels of checkpoints:
- Priority 1 - A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document.
- Priority 2 - A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information in the document.
- Priority 3 - A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it somewhat difficult to access information in the document.
The BITV defines two levels of checkpoints. Although currently only web content offered by Federal authorities must be compliant with this regulation, we also develop private and business web sites according to these guidelines.
The following description explains how the web content of SR-Consulting.com fulfills the 14 accessibility guidelines and the BITV and names the corresponding checkpoints of the WCAG und BITV.
Guideline 1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
Provide content that, when presented to the user, conveys essentially the same function or purpose as auditory or visual content.
We use the "alt" attribute as text alternative for images. More complex images or animations are described in the "longdesc" attribute or by a link to a file with a detailed explanation.
WCAG 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 (priority 1) / BITV 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 (priority 1)
Guideline 2. Don't rely on color alone.
Ensure that text and graphics are understandable when viewed without color.
If we use color to label some information, we additionally use respective elements in te source code or paraphrase, so that the information is also available without color.
We take care of enough contrast of foreground and background color and ensure that texts and images can also be viewed on a black and white screen
WCAG 2.1, 2.2, (priority 1, 2, 3) / BITV 2.1, 2.2, (priority 1, 2)
Guideline 3. Use markup and style sheets and do so properly.
Mark up documents with the proper structural elements. Control presentation with style sheets rather than with presentation elements and attributes.
We build web sites with valid HTML or XHTML code and use CSS for the presentation. Font sizes have relative units to allow scaling according to favorite viewing. For the document structure we use HTML / XHTML elemnts according to their specifications, so that the context is comprehensible even without style sheet.
WCAG 3.1 - 3.7, (priority 2) / BITV 3.1 - 3.7, (priority 1, 2)
Guideline 4. Clarify natural language usage
Use markup that facilitates pronunciation or interpretation of abbreviated or foreign text.
The primary natural language is marked in the source code. If te natural language of the content is changed within the document, we marks this with the coresponding language attribute, so that speech synthesizers can recognize this change.
WCAG 4.1, 4.3, (priority 1, 3) / BITV 4.1 - 4.3, (priority 1, 2)
Guideline 5. Create tables that transform gracefully.
Ensure that tables have necessary markup to be transformed by accessible browsers and other user agents.
We use tables to mark up truly tabular information and not for lay out purposes. By using table elements according to their specifications we ensure that the relationship of table cells is comprehensible when the document is read out.
WCAG 5.1 - 5.4, (priority 1, 2) / BITV 5.1 - 5.4, (priority 1)
Guideline 6. Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.
Ensure that pages are accessible even when newer technologies are not supported or are turned off.
The presentation of our pages is done by CSS. Older browsers and assistive technologies might not be able to render style sheets correctly. Therefore we take care that all documents are comprehensible by a logical structure when the style sheet is not used.
If we use Javascript we offer an alternative that also ensures access to the content if Javascript is disables or not supported.
WCAG 6.1 - 6.3, (priority 1) / BITV 6.1 - 6.3, (priority 1)
Guideline 7. Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes.
Ensure that moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating objects or pages may be paused or stopped.
We donīt use elements with flashing or flickering effects, no automatic re-fresh and no automatic re-direct.
WCAG 7.1 - 7.5, (priority 1, 2) / BITV 7.1 - 7.5, (priority 1)
Guideline 8. Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces.
Ensure that the user interface follows principles of accessible design: device-independent access to functionality, keyboard operability, self-voicing, etc.
We donīt use any embedded objects which are not accessible.
WCAG 8.1 (priority 1) / BITV 8.1 (priority 1)
Guideline 9. Design for device-independence.
Use features that enable activation of page elements via a variety of input devices.
We provide text equivalents for images that are used as links so that these can even be used without a pointing device. A logical architecture supports navigating by the tab key.
WCAG 9.4 (priority 3) / BITV 9.4 (priority 2)
Guideline 10. Use interim solutions.
Use interim accessibility solutions so that assistive technologies and older browsers will operate correctly.
If content opens in a new browser window the user is informed in advance. Form controls habe properly positioned labels.
WCAG 10.1, 10.2 (priority 2) / BITV 10.1, 10.2 (priority 1)
Guideline 11. Use W3C technologies and guidelines.
We use W3C-technologies according to their specifications and consider the accessibility guidelines. For non-W3C formats we provide an equivalent accessible alternative. However, on our current web site this is not required.
WCAG 11.1, 11.2, 11.4 (priority 1, 2) / BITV 11.1 - 11.3 (priority 1)
Guideline 12. Provide context and orientation information.
We donīt use frames which need an explanation of their relationship.
Large blocks of information are grouped and labeled.
WCAG 12.3, 12.4 (priority 2) / BITV 12.3 - 12.4 (priority 1)
Guideline 13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms.
Our web site provides a consistent navigation. A Sitemap additionally offers an overview of the site structure. Link texts identify clearly the target of each link. The meta data provide additional information on each page.
WCAG 13.1 - 13.4, (priority 2) / BITV 13.1 - 13.4 (priority 1)
Guideline 14. Ensure that documents are clear and simple.
Our web site focuses on shop systems, web development and consulting. Sometimes technical terms and jargon is used that might not be understandable to everyone. Help texts which pop up when you hover over the text with the mouse respectively marks in the source code provide additional explanations to technical terms.
WCAG 14.1 (priority 1) / BITV 14.1 (priority 1)