# Accessibility - Our Commitment

## The Promise

This website is designed to work for everyone, regardless of how you access it. We're committed to WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and go beyond minimum requirements wherever possible.

## What We've Implemented

**🎯 Keyboard Navigation**
- Complete keyboard accessibility
- Skip links to jump between sections
- Logical tab order throughout the site
- Arrow key navigation for social media links
- Home/End key support for lists

**🔍 Screen Reader Support**
- Comprehensive ARIA landmarks and labels
- Proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Alternative text for all images
- Live region announcements for page changes
- Semantic HTML structure throughout

**👁️ Visual Accessibility**
- High contrast color scheme (19.5:1 ratio on main text)
- Enhanced focus indicators for keyboard users
- Automatic high contrast mode detection
- Scalable text up to 200% without horizontal scrolling
- Clear visual hierarchy with sufficient spacing

**🎨 Inclusive Design**
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Touch targets minimum 44px (exceeds 24px requirement)
- Consistent navigation patterns
- Clear, descriptive link text
- Reduced motion support for users with vestibular disorders

**📱 Device Support**
- Works on screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver tested)
- Compatible with voice control software
- Supports switch navigation devices
- Optimized for mobile screen readers
- Works without JavaScript enabled

## Technical Implementation

**HTML Structure:**
- Semantic HTML5 elements
- Proper landmark roles (banner, main, navigation, contentinfo)
- Logical document outline
- Form labels and descriptions where applicable

**CSS Approach:**
- Relative units for scalable text
- High contrast focus indicators
- Media queries for reduced motion
- Color contrast ratios exceeding WCAG requirements
- Flexible layouts that adapt to zoom levels

**JavaScript Enhancement:**
- Progressive enhancement principles
- Keyboard event handling
- Focus management for dynamic content
- Announcement of important changes
- Graceful degradation when JS is disabled

## Accessibility Testing

**Manual Testing:**
- Keyboard-only navigation testing
- Screen reader testing (multiple tools)
- High contrast mode verification
- Text scaling up to 400%
- Mobile accessibility testing

**Automated Testing:**
- Lighthouse accessibility audits (100/100 score)
- axe-core accessibility testing
- Color contrast validation
- HTML markup validation
- ARIA implementation verification

## Ongoing Commitment

**Regular Audits:**
We regularly test and improve accessibility features based on:
- User feedback and reports
- Updated WCAG guidelines
- New assistive technology developments
- Real-world usage patterns

**Standards Compliance:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA (current compliance)
- Working toward WCAG 2.2 AA
- Section 508 compliance
- EN 301 549 (European standard)
- German BITV 2.0 requirements

## Known Limitations & Roadmap

**Current Focus Areas:**
- Enhanced mobile screen reader experience
- Additional keyboard shortcut implementations
- Improved color customization options
- Better support for low-vision users

## Feedback & Support

**Report Accessibility Issues:**
If you encounter any accessibility barriers:
- Email: mail@arnoldwender.com
- Subject: "Accessibility Issue - [describe problem]"
- We aim to respond within 2 business days

**User Testing:**
We welcome feedback from users of assistive technologies to help improve the experience.

## Resources & References

**Guidelines We Follow:**
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA
- WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices Guide
- Section 508 Standards (U.S. Federal)
- European EN 301 549 Standard

**Testing Tools Used:**
- WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
- axe DevTools browser extension
- Lighthouse accessibility audits
- Color Contrast Analyzers
- Manual screen reader testing

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**Full Legal Accessibility Statement:** /impressum#accessibility  
**Report Issues:** mail@arnoldwender.com  
**Last updated:** October 23, 2025

Accessibility isn't a feature—it's a fundamental requirement for an inclusive web.