Accessibility

I want this portfolio to be usable by as many people as possible, regardless of technology, ability or method of interaction. This page documents the engineering practices used to support that goal, how they are evaluated and where limitations remain.

The portfolio uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA as an engineering reference. That target guides implementation and review, but this statement is not a claim of formal WCAG conformance; no complete independent conformance evaluation has been performed.

The site uses semantic page landmarks, ordered headings and native interactive elements wherever possible. Shared KERN components provide consistent keyboard behavior, accessible names, form labels, focus handling and dialog semantics.

• Navigation, controls and gallery actions are operable with a keyboard and use visible focus treatment.
• Form controls have labels, validation messages and communicated error states.
• Dynamic loading, answer and error states use live-region or status semantics where appropriate.
• Information is not intentionally communicated by color or icons alone.
• Responsive layouts and scalable text are designed to reflow across narrow viewports and increased zoom.

Animation is restrained and is not required to understand or operate the site. A shared prefers-reduced-motion mechanism reduces transitions, disables smooth scrolling and prevents delayed content reveals when a visitor requests less motion.

The visual system uses shared contrast, border and focus treatments. Content remains available when decorative effects such as frosted surfaces or motion are absent.

Meaningful portfolio and gallery images receive alternative text from authored or curated content. Photography falls back through available alternative descriptions, captions and titles rather than leaving meaningful images unnamed. Decorative images and icons are hidden from assistive technology when their information is already expressed in text.

Gallery cards support Enter and Space, focus is preserved when paging, and the full-screen photo view uses a native dialog with named controls and keyboard navigation.

Accessibility is evaluated through code-level checks and manual interaction review. Biome catches common semantic and accessible-name problems, while TypeScript and shared component contracts reduce incorrect control usage. Repository tests cover interaction and state behavior across the site.

Manual review includes keyboard operation, focus behavior, responsive layout and reduced-motion behavior. Automated checks are useful for specific failure classes, but cannot establish complete accessibility on their own. The repository does not currently include a dedicated axe, Lighthouse or comprehensive screen-reader test suite.

I am not currently aware of a critical barrier that prevents access to the portfolio's primary content. Accessibility testing cannot, however, cover every combination of browser, assistive technology, zoom level and user preference.

Alternative descriptions in the photography experience depend on the quality and completeness of curated photo metadata. Some highly visual relationships or photographic detail may therefore be described less fully than the image itself.

A formal independent WCAG conformance evaluation and a comprehensive assistive-technology test matrix have not yet been completed.

The Engineering and Photography assistants use labeled controls and expose loading, answer and error states to assistive technology. Generated answers use structural headings, evidence sections and keyboard-operable controls; their meaning does not depend on animation.

AI-generated answers can still be incomplete or mistaken. The separate AI Transparency page explains how these answers are produced, grounded and identified.

If you encounter a barrier while using this portfolio, please let me know. Include the page, what you were trying to do and, if useful, the browser or assistive technology you were using.

This is a personal and professional portfolio. The repository contains no shop, checkout, payment flow or consumer-contract service. On that basis, it does not appear to provide an electronic-commerce service of the kind defined by the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG). This is an engineering assessment, not legal advice.

This page voluntarily documents the portfolio's accessibility approach and known limitations. It is not a statutory accessibility declaration, certification or statement of legal conformity.

Last reviewed: August 2026