Wednesday, April 06, 2011

#WebFonts for #MediaWiki are another step closer

Web fontsSanthosh has uploaded the source for the WebFonts extension to Subversion. Bug r85549 is the request for code review.

One aspect of WebFonts is that we can have web fonts for special interest groups; there are fonts that are optimal for people with poor vision. The same technology that enhances the accessibility of our website for mobile phones can also be used in this way.

The availability of WebFonts can make a difference in the thinking about a new framework for skins. When accessibility is taken into consideration, the colours and the font used determine to what extend a Wiki can be read.

click me
Pictures on the main page of the English Wikipedia are currently so small that any details are lost. When you have an impaired vision, it is at best a coloured blob. For people with impaired and unimpaired vision, it will be welcome to provide a "one-click" solution that makes these pictures visible.

Accessibility to our content is served by WebFonts. The application is not restricted to those scripts where we cannot expect an appropriate font to be available. For the English Wikipedia WebFonts will bring accessibility to the visually impaired.

All this is in our future and, the first step towards this future starts with the code review of r85549.
Thanks,
       GerardM

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