Use with screen readers

In addition to a uniform and semantic page structure, page accessibility with the help of screen readers is facilitated by meaningful alternative texts for all images and the labeling of abbreviations and acronyms.
The website can be easily operated using the keyboard and the use of skip links also benefits users of screen readers. Additional information is provided with the help of Accessible Rich Internet Applications.

Page title

Each website has its own page title that reflects the content of the website. Screen reader users can thus quickly recognize what to expect on the website and already have a good first point of orientation.

Headings

The headings of the website are clearly and logically structured and cover all the content of the website. Page areas and areas at the top and bottom of the website are also provided with headings (structural navigation). Users of screen readers can thus jump from heading to heading or display a list of all headings. The page areas of the website can be reached quickly with the help of the additional headings and give the user a good overview of how the website is structured and what information can be expected.
The navigation area is introduced by the level 1 heading (H1), as is the content of the current page. All other areas begin with the heading of level 2 or 3.

You can access the individual page areas with the screen reader button for the H2 and H3 headings and the top of the page with the button for the H1 heading. You can reach the beginning of the content or navigation of the page using the H2 heading button.

Landmarks

The page areas are also introduced by WAI-ARIA landmarks, which indicate which area of the website you are currently in. This makes it even easier for blind and visually impaired users to find their way around and the page structure is clearer.

Note for users of the JAWS screen reader:
From JAWS version 9, you can use the keyboard combination "Insert" Insert + "Control" Ctrl + ö to display a list of all landmarks. You can also use the ö key to navigate through the landmarks on the web page. In the NVDA screen reader, this would be the d key.
The forms on the website are enriched using WAI-ARIA to provide important information for screen readers in forms mode.

Page structure

All pages of this portal have the same structure:

  1. Skip links for direct access to selected areas of the current page
  2. List of keyboard shortcuts
  3. Service navigation with, among other things, user aids (information for personal page customization, font sizes , etc.) and links to notes, content and help texts
  4. Quick search with a form for searching the entire website
  5. Content area with the actual content of the respective page
  6. Supplementary notes with the option of direct/quick access to certain areas of the portal
  7. Copyright notice, logos of the project sponsor and project promoter
  8. Page footer with renewed list of linked keyboard shortcuts for better orientation for blind users at the bottom of the page.

Links

Links that are opened in a new window are provided with a corresponding note in the TITLE attribute. Users of screen readers must first activate these additional functions in order to receive the notice.

Forms

The forms provided on these pages are equipped with extensive aids that enable them to be used in a wide variety of ways. Particular attention has been paid to aspects of accessibility.

Form features in detail:

  • The input fields are labeled and can also be accessed using the tab key.
  • Mandatory fields are highlighted and also provided with markup in accordance with the WAI-ARIA concept.