Web pages are read by man and machine today. In both cases, software and hardware are utilized, which expect a certain standard and interpret it accordingly. Deviations from this well-defined standard lead to unforeseeable results and create barriers for the reading process.

Hence, browsers, search engines and handicapped users equally have their problems with the unnecessary barriers of a site. Websites should work platform-independent and visually impaired people, for example, benefit from source code quality, as they get text read to them or in Braille.

Accessibility is promoted by initiatives throughout the European Union and is regulated by legal framework conditions. By now, all websites of the federal government in Germany must be accessible by law and have to follow regulations for information services.

Next to compliant source code, which follows the standards of the W3C consortium, the choice of the technical design elements plays a vital role. Since Accessibility also means to present content in alternative ways.

Omissions of such alternatives may lead to barriers. Images e.g. are not linked to a description, scaling of font and image size is left to the browser and not necessarily all visitors use a mouse as their control device.

Accessibility in its broadest sense starts prior to the choosing of technical elements. If, from the start, there is a concept followed, with as few barriers as possible, the level of the website improves for both human and electronic visitors.