Beginner's Guide

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Configurable position of the navigation
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WAI-ARIA Roles Landmark
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Automatic representation of the modules in accessible tabs
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Fade in and out of collapsible modules
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Fade in and out of collapsible column
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In beez_ 20 you can choose between two forms: natural or human
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In beez 5 HTML5 is usable
GENERAL ACCESSIBILITY
For most people the Internet has become the norm. Information from around the world are ready for
retrieval and perhaps, more importantly, also the special offers at the local hardware store, the opening
times of the registration office or the phone book are available on your home screen. Annoying phone
calls or library visits are unnecessary, you just look on the net.
But not everybody benefits from this development. Those people, with any physical or mental disability
have difficulties to participate fully in society, even though they could benefit enormously from
communications technology. But they often fail because of barriers that obstruct their access to
information or make it even impossible. Many of these barriers can be overcome, if the offers are
designed accordingly.
Operators of online shops or banks which provide Internet banking, should be aware of that not so
small target group.
Accessible web design aims at making content and interactions on the Internet
accessible for all user groups and devices, if possible.
Approx. 8% of the German population have a physical limitation that makes it difficult for them to
access information from the Internet. Commonly the term “accessibility” in web design is identified with
Internet for blind people. I want to emphasize that this is not all - indeed, this is only the smallest part.
I've often wondered why this is so. Probably the reason is that the monitor has become the classic symbol
for the computer, and someone who sees nothing, cannot use it. In my daily work, I have noticed that
even blind people cope much better than people with other types of disabilities.
Blind are people whose residual vision is only a few percent of the average value. The number of
blind people in Germany lies between 150,000 to 200,000. Some of them can decipher just texts
through the computer font size and customized colour settings, while others depend on acoustic
information or read by touching the Braille display.
Significantly greater is the proportion of people with severe visual impairment.
Joomla! 2.5 - Beginner’s Guide
Monday, 30 January 2012! Page 202