TYPO3 Accessibility tips
Five important tips to improve accessibility with TYPO3
Accessibility is a term that is not new. We all came to terms with it at one point or another in our life. We know that in public buildings we are having ramps next to stairs so people with wheelchair can enter. We use audio signals at traffic lights, so that people with bad eye sight or even just color blindness can safely cross the road. But we are also taking this concept to all other areas of life and the web is getting more and more important for our lifes. The web should also be accessible for everyone, regardless of disability. Some of you might think now: “What does it concern me?”
Lets dive into it together to clarify that it may concern all of us and why it also may benefit a company at least.
Why is it important?
- an accident that hinders you on using a computer in a regular way (maybe a broken arm)
- due to stress which hinders you from concentrating well and reading complex written texts
- due to bad internet connections (for example while working on a train) which leads to allow performing page
- due to working outside and having sunlight interfering with your display
- due to the fact that you forgot your glasses that day
- or maybe only because of age
How do we improve Accessibility on our website?
We already have some laws concerning this issue. It is written down inside the EN 301549 „Accessibility requirements for Internet Communication Technologies products and services“, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and enforced in german law via the BITV (german: Barrierefreie Informationstechnik Verordnung).
But in 2025 there comes a new law which will be valid for everyone to design their service for accessibility.
All these laws and norms are more or less referencing the same source, which is called the WCAG. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These Guidelines define what standards should apply to a accessible web content. On base of these we are striving to optimize our websites at ACO.
These are the important categories for web accessibility
Usability
Keyboard accessibility: All functions must be operable without a mouse.
Focus highlighting: Clear highlighting of where the user is on the page.
Accessible forms: Labels and instructions should be clearly recognisable and helpful.
Visual
Contrasts: High colour contrast between text and background (e.g. at least 4.5:1 for normal text).
Font size and customisation: Scalable fonts and clear hierarchies.
Alternative texts for images: Descriptive alt texts so that screen readers can capture content.
Cognitive
Simple language: Short, clear sentences and avoidance of jargon.
Clear navigation and structure: Consistent and well-structured pages.
Visual support: Visual cues (icons, symbols) to facilitate orientation.
Technical
Screen reader compatibility: page structure must be well coded, e.g. with ARIA roles.
Responsive design: Adaptation to different devices (mobile phone, tablet, desktop).
Loading time optimisation: Fast loading times to facilitate use for everyone
