A NOTE ON ACCESS
Everybody Gets to Read It.
Old typeface, old colors, modern equipment — including the equipment people use when their eyes, ears or hands need the help. Here is what is in place, what is not, and how to tell us when something gets in your way.
WHAT IS IN PLACE
Standing provisions.
I · READABLE TYPE
Dark ink on cream, generous spacing, and text that scales when you enlarge the page. Nothing you need is baked into a picture.
II · KEYBOARD AND SCREEN READERS
Real text, real links, real buttons — reachable in order with the Tab key, outlined when the keyboard reaches them, closed with Escape. Photographs carry written descriptions.
III · THE TELEPHONE-SIZED EDITION
This layout is drawn for narrow screens, with full-width tap targets rather than a shrunk-down desktop page.
IV · PLAIN INSTRUCTIONS
Directions are printed in words on every product page, so nobody has to read a folded insert through a magnifying glass.
V · CONTRAST AND MOTION
Ink and paper are checked against the WCAG 2.2 AA contrast standard. Sections that fade in as you scroll hold still if your phone is set to reduce motion.
WHAT IS NOT DONE YET
Honest gaps.
The catalog has not been tested end to end with every screen reader and magnifier on the market — the checking so far has been our own. A handful of archive photographs carry short descriptions where they deserve longer ones. Decorative rules and ornaments are marked to be passed over rather than described — correct practice, but it does mean a screen reader tells you nothing about them. And the moving pictures are hosted on YouTube, whose captions are not ours to guarantee. On the bench, not forgotten.
For routine ear hygiene only · not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease