This page explains how we ensure that sonderbriefing.de is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities who rely on assistive technologies. We are committed to meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standards across our entire site, and we welcome your feedback if you encounter any barriers.
What does accessibility mean for you as a reader?
You should be able to read, navigate, and interact with every article on sonderbriefing.de regardless of whether you use a screen reader, keyboard-only navigation, or other assistive tools. We design our digital newsroom to remove unnecessary friction so that our Swedish news coverage, political analysis, and cultural reporting are equally accessible to every person in our audience, whether you are in Stockholm or abroad.
Our editorial team at Sonderbriefi Media Ltd. trains all journalists — from Chefredaktör Tim Zimmermann to fact-checking lead Laura Arnold — to publish content with accessibility in mind. This means providing meaningful alt-text for images, writing clear link text, and avoiding visual-only cues. We also test our site with a range of assistive technologies, including screen readers like JAWS and NVDA, and with browser zoom settings up to 200%.
How do we support keyboard navigation and focus?
Every interactive element on sonderbriefing.de — links, buttons, forms, and navigation menus — can be operated using only a keyboard. You can press the Tab key to move forward through elements and Shift+Tab to move backward, and you will always see a visible focus indicator (typically a solid outline) around the currently selected item. We have tested this with common browser configurations to ensure no keyboard traps exist, meaning you can navigate the full site without ever needing a mouse.
If you use a screen reader, our page headings follow a logical hierarchy (h1 for the main article title, h2 for section headings, h3 for sub-sections) so that you can quickly jump between content blocks. Our news pages, including our Contact page, are structured this way so that you can efficiently find editor contact details or submit a tip.
What about contrast and text readability?
All text on sonderbriefing.de meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA contrast ratios: at least 4.5:1 for normal-size text and 3:1 for large text. We use a clean sans-serif font with standard letter spacing, and you can resize text up to 200% in your browser settings without losing content or functionality. We do not use text in images unless it is essential (such as in a logo), and where we do, we provide the same information in accessible text.
For users who prefer reduced motion, we respect the Windows, macOS, and Linux system setting for “reduce motion.” When this setting is active, we disable or simplify any animations, transitions, or parallax effects on the site. This includes the smooth scrolling on internal navigation elements — everything becomes static to avoid triggering vestibular disorders or distraction.
Are there any known limitations?
We are aware that some older third-party embedded content — such as interactive data visualisations from external agencies or certain social-media posts — may not fully meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA criteria. We actively monitor these components and replace them with accessible alternatives wherever possible. If you encounter a specific element that is difficult to use, please tell us at accessibility@sonderbriefing.de and we will prioritise a fix or provide an accessible alternative within five business days.
Our open public-facing site does not include any login portals or paywalled areas, so all articles — including those from Politikredaktör Sebastian Roth on riksdagen politics and Wirtschaftreporter Melanie Schumacher on Swedish economics — are fully accessible to every reader. PDFs of official documents linked in articles are not always produced by us, but we clearly note when a linked document may have limited accessibility.
How this works in practice
Imagine you are blind and want to read an analysis piece by Alexander Graf on Swedish cultural policy. You open the article in your browser and use your screen reader. The page announces the main heading (“h1, article title”), and you press the “h” key to jump through section headings — each section begins with a clear h2. The first paragraph of each section is a complete answer to that section’s question, so you get the key point immediately. An embedded chart showing government funding figures includes an accessible long description beneath it. All links in the article say where they lead — for example, “Read our full Editorial Policy” — rather than “click here.” Your keyboard focus never gets stuck in a menu, and if you need to send a correction, you can tab straight to the email link for Laura Arnold’s fact-checking team. This experience is the same across every article on sonderbriefing.de.
Who owns and operates this site?
Sonderbriefing.de is owned and operated by Sonderbriefi Media Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry) with its registered office at Office 9, Business Centre, Valletta, 0000. Our commercial relationships — including display advertising, affiliate links, and sponsored content — are clearly labelled and governed by our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure and Sponsored Content Policy. None of these relationships influence our accessibility commitments or our editorial independence. The Chefredaktör, Tim Zimmermann, is ultimately responsible for ensuring that this accessibility statement is reviewed and updated at least annually.
How can you report an accessibility issue or request help?
Your feedback directly improves the quality of our journalism. If any part of our site is difficult to use, or if you need content in an alternative format (such as a plain-text version of an article or a transcript of a video interview), please email our dedicated accessibility team at accessibility@sonderbriefing.de. We aim to respond within two business days and resolve most issues within ten business days. You can also use our standard Complaints Procedure if you prefer a formal route, which follows the same independent-review process used for editorial corrections. For urgent problems, you can call our main office at +356 2138 9009 and ask for the accessibility contact.
In short
We have designed sonderbriefing.de to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards so that every reader — using any device or assistive technology — can access our Swedish news, analysis, and background reporting without barriers. If something does not work for you, please let us know at accessibility@sonderbriefing.de and we will fix it promptly. This commitment is part of our broader promise to deliver trustworthy journalism that respects every person in our community.