Accessibility

Accessibility is an ongoing project for The Electronic Introduction to Old English. At present, these features have been implemented:

Large-type, high-contrast style: To switch from the default "Parchment" style to the "Legible" style, which is especially suitable for readers with limited vision, go to the Contents page and click the "Legible <y>" link at the left of the screen or (if your browser supports access keys) type Alt-y (Ctrl-y on the Macintosh). Your selection will remain in effect as you browse the site, though you may briefly see the "Parchment" style as pages load.
Access keys: Many links on the Contents page and in the chapter menus on the left-hand side of the screen can be operated with access keys. On the Contents page, access keys are underlined in the "Parchment" style and bold and red in the "Legible" style (bold and blue when no style is loaded). In the chapter menus, the access keys are always 1-9 (once 0 for 10), corresponding to section numbers. Operate the access keys in Windows and Linux by holding down the Alt key and pressing the access key. In Internet Explorer you will then have to press the Return key. On the Macintosh, hold down the Ctrl key. In Opera 7, hold down the Shift key and press Esc, then the access key.
"Skip navigation" links: The first link on each page takes you past the navigation menu to the chapter head (or to the top of the "content" area). These links are labeled "Top" because they are also useful for navigating to the top of each chapter or file. The access key for these links is p.
Other keyboard shortcuts: The tabbing order on the Contents page begins with Chapter 1. At the bottom of each chapter menu an "All notes" link displays or hides all footnotes in the chapter. The access key for this operation is n. Your choice here remains in effect until you close your browser.
Tables: Grammatical paradigms must necessarily be presented in tables, which often are complex. To guide readers through the paradigms, all forms are connected to the table headers so that a smart "talking browser" can identify the grammatical characteristics (case, number, etc.) of every form in every table.
Language markup: All Old English words and passages are marked with language attributes. Some software for the blind is able to respond to this markup.

Other accessibility features may be added if requested by readers. Please send such requests to the author.