The backtick character is called a context mark in Mathematica. I suggest that first you learn about contexts: http://reference.wolfram.com/language/tutorial/Contexts.html
Contexts are the equivalent of namespaces of other programming languages. The functions of a package are typically placed in their own context, to avoid conflicts with other packages.
Normally, one does not need to type the backtick often. The code you quote is accessing the internals of a package. You are not really supposed to do this, even if in some cases it turns out to be useful. Do not count on such code to be robust, or to work in the next Mathematica version.
As for ease of typing: the perhaps unfortunate reality is that most programming languages (and shortcut keys) are designed to be easy to type on a US English keyboard. Many will certainly disagree, but I think that if you program a lot, it is worth using a US English keyboard layout (if not physical keyboard). Personally, I use a physical US English keyboard, a US English layout for programming, and the appropriate layout for each language I type. I simply remember the locations of accented characters and important punctuation for each language's layout.
