Deutsche Post has its eyes open to the needs of the visually impaired: Postcodes on the net now also barrier-free

Deutsche Post is now offering the "digital postcode book" barrier-free on the web at www.postleitzahl.de. The free online postcode search takes the existence of different user groups into consideration and makes online requests for postcodes and streets in Germany possible for the visually impaired.

Blind people, for instance, can have unlimited use of the service with so-called screen readers - special programs that scan information and read out loud. As a special advantage especially for older people who have problems with their vision, the service offers a so-called scaling function. This means that users can individually adjust the font size via their browser settings. In this way, the post service can always be used optimally independently of screen resolution or the browser used without any barriers for people with disabilities.

Deutsche Post has been consistent in its commitment for years: In 2004, Deutsche Post was distinguished in a study by the Frankfurt multimedia agency Salient GmbH for its barrier-free Internet presence. In the study, company websites were studied for their typography, contrast, integration of images as well as clarity and stringency in layout.

Deutsche Post was the only company listed on the DAX 30 that fulfilled the "barrier-free" criterion of the law on the equality of rights for people with disabilities ("Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz"). The goal of the law is not just to enable free access to public buildings, busses, and trains for people with disabilities, but also to information and thus to the Internet.

In Germany there are around 8 million Internet users with disabilities. So far the requirement for accessibility for people with disabilities has only been mandatory for public services in Germany. Private companies are not bound by these rules.