Accessibility deprecated

Overview

Web accessibility aims at helping users with disabilities to access the web, i.e. perceiving and interacting with web sites or web-based applications. In order to offer everyone – with or without disabilities – the best possible user experience, we continually strive to meet the Level AA conformance as defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1.


Accessibility typically covers keyboard support, tab order, focus management, color contrast, semantic markup, WAI-ARIA support, and screen reader support.

We perform screen reader testing with the following typical setups: NVDA with Firefox, JAWS with Internet Explorer and Voiceover with Safari (with accessibility option turned on, i.e. tab highlights each item).

Automated testing with axe-core is also part of e2e tests in our build pipeline.

Annual accessibility audits are conducted by the Paciello Group or DEQUE.

History

Date Version Activity
Apr 13 7.2.0 Introduced fundamental keyboard support
Jul 13 7.4.0 Introduced fundamental screen reader support (semantic markup, ARIA tags)
Aug 13 - Accessibility training (UI) with Steve Faulkner in Hamburg
Sep 13 7.4.0 Added support for tabbable panes
Nov 13 7.4.1 Added live regions
Nov 13 7.4.1 Added support for accessible popup dialogs
Feb 14 7.4.2 Added support for accessible modal dialogs
Feb 14 7.4.2 Added support for landmark roles
Jun 14 7.6.0 Polished ARIA markup to improve accessibility
Jun 14 7.6.0 Added high contrast theme
Oct 14 7.6.1 Improved keyboard support for mail compose
Jan 15 7.6.2 Accessibility audit by the Paciello Group
Feb 15 7.8.0 Started to resolve identified issues from recent audit
Feb 15 7.8.0 Improved color contrast
Mar 15 - Workshop/Review with accessibility expert Marco Zehe in Hamburg
Jun 15 7.8.0 Partially rearranged DOM elements to appear in source order
Feb 16 - Workshop/Review with accessibility expert Marco Zehe in Hamburg
May 16 7.8.1 Accessibility audit by the Paciello Group
Jun 16 7.8.2 Started to resolve identified issues from recent audit
Aug 16 7.8.3 Finally fixed remaining tabindex issues
Sep 16 7.8.3 Added new accessible date picker
Oct 16 7.8.3 Resolving remaining issues from recent audit
Dec 16 7.8.3 Retest accessibility audit by the Paciello Group
Jan 17 7.8.4 Fixed newly identified minor issues from Dec 16 TPG retest
Feb 17 7.8.4 (Address book) Thumb index is now accessible by keyboard
Mar 17 7.8.4 Accessibility improvements to search and login
Apr 17 7.8.4 Fixed multiple issues regardings JAWs (labels, verbosity)
Apr 17 7.8.4 Folder tree improvements for screen readers and keyboard support for home/end
Apr 17 7.8.4 Added document role to dialogs to force screen readers in correct mode
Apr 17 7.8.4 Multiple focus improvents throughout apps
Jul 17 7.8.4 Added distinguishable focus styles for tabbed inbox
Jul 17 7.10.0 Added explicit labels for form fields where they were missing
Aug 17 7.10.0 Improved color contrast in Alerts, Settings
Aug 17 7.10.0 Introduced visual line indicator for list view and vgrid
Aug 17 7.8.4 Fixed invalid labels in dialogs (calendar, mail, settings)
Aug 17 7.10.0 Added more contrast to drag and drop helper
Sep 17 7.8.4 Attachment preview list has now appropriate ARIA roles, states and properties
Sep 17 7.8.4 Header logo changed to image with alt text
Sep 17 7.8.4 Signature settings now have proper textual roles and descriptions
Sep 17 7.8.4 Replaced combobox component with an accessible implementation
Sep 17 7.8.4 Implicit calendar and address book headings changed to semantically correct headings
Oct 17 7.8.4 (Help) Landing pages markup improved for users with screen readers
Oct 17 7.8.4 Fixed guided tours accessiblity issues (keyboard, focus)
Nov 17 7.10.0 Mail threads expandibles were implemented in an accessible manner
Nov 17 7.10.0 Workshop/Review with accessibility expert Marco Zehe in Dortmund
Dec 17 7.10.0 Accessibility audit by the Paciello Group
Dec 17 7.10.0 Fixed missing labels in Mail
Dec 17 7.10.0 Tabbed inbox accessibility issues resolved
Jan 18 7.10.0 New application launcher accessiblity support
Jan 18 7.10.0 Removed obsolete high contrast setting
Feb 18 7.10.0 Removed obsolete accessibility improvements setting
Feb 18 7.10.0 Initial keyboard support for new window management
Mar 18 7.10.0 Attended CSUN 2018
Mar 18 7.10.0 Added focus management for new windows
May 18 7.10.0 Toolbars and menus focus management and roving tabindex
May 18 7.10.0 Reworked landmark roles
Jun 18 7.10.1 Introduced axe-core to developer workflow
Jun 18 7.10.1 Fixed several issues found with axe-core
Sep 18 7.10.1 Accessibility audit by DEQUE
Oct 18 7.10.1 Fixed most issues found in last Audit
Nov 18 7.10.1 Retest / Validation audit by DEQUE
Nov 18 7.10.1 Added axe-core to e2e tests in our pipeline and added first tests
Jan 19 7.10.2 Fixed several issues found by automated testing
Feb 19 7.10.2 Added e2e tests for all apps and settings