Web Accessibility is about the programming and designing of websites, which can be read and handled by every person independent from disabilities, localities, experiences or available technologies. This claim especially is important for people with disabilities. The Internet means a never known accessibility to different kinds of information to them.

The implementation of accessible websites theoretically may be accomplished very easy by means of the international rules of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the national legislations. The adherence of the rules should make it possible to generate accessible websites in a maintainable time frame.

At the real implementation much more factors than easy usability and standard conformed programming loom large. Unfortunately in reality the technical equipment of the user rarely corresponds with the actual standards. However, accessible websites are only realizable when they are programmed for the actual browser versions. Older browsers interpret the necessary specifications for accessibility only insufficient or worse - not at all. But is the goal the optimized display of the website on all popular browser versions and browsers, the designer fights a nearly futile battle. Particularly hard is the implementation for the outdated browser version 4.x of the Netscape Navigator. The only solution seems to be the utilization of nested layout tables with fixed height and width declarations for a correct displaying of the website in this browser. Hence in practice it is considerably harder to generate accessible websites in a satisfactory way for all user groups.

This thesis is based on the formulation and implementation of a new website for the “Segeberger Klinikengruppe GmbH” (Hospital group), Bad Segeberg - Germany. Here also the technique used by the target group doesn’t meet the actual standard. The task was to develop an accessible website for the Segeberger Klinikengruppe which works also in the Netscape 4.x browser, because the claim on the website was web accessibility as well as compatibility to Netscape 4.x. The thesis shows different solution methods however finally compromises had to be made. Even though not all claims for Web Accessibility could be fulfilled it was possible to show that with alternative ways it is possible to implement accessible and downward compatible websites. Beyond this every individual perceives the exact degree of web accessibility subjective and furthermore it is dependent on his access devices.