We have programmed our website following accessibility guidelines and web standards
We try to maintain WAI Level Double-A accessibility.
We strive to achieve and maintain levels of accessibility that conform to the Double-A standard, but in reality it is very hard for a large website with so many authors to maintain such compliance.
Through further development of our web services and the help of our 3rd party suppliers we are striving to improve our compliance and aim to attain the WAI Level Triple-A standard as soon as possible.
The site is developed using valid XHTML (v1.0 Transitional) and CSS (v2.1). Our site content is separated from presentational elements, which makes it available to any visitors that use technologies such as a screen reader or text only browser.
You may confirm the validity of our XHTML at http://validator.w3.org/ and CSS at http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
What is an accessible website?
An accessible site is one that accommodates the full range of users. Designing for accessibility therefore means accepting that, for online information, there is:
- no standard information user, and,
- no standard device for browsing information
An accessible web site does not exclude anybody due to:
- their abilities, or
- the method they choose to access the web
Accessible websites prioritise clear content, structure and ease of navigation over frilly aspects of design, however they also need not be visually unattractive, nor are they prevented from using the latest web technologies, provided that all information is still accessible to users.
Changing text size and contrast
You can use the icons at the top of every web page to change the size of the text that appears on this website.
The icon above changes the page to a large text size and high visibility colour scheme.
You may also use your browser settings to change the text size for all the web sites that you visit. The technique for doing this is slightly different depending on the browser that you use:
-
Internet Explorer 7: Select the 'Page' menu, then one of the options under 'Text Size'. The default setting is Medium
-
Internet Explorer 6: Select the 'View' menu, and select one of the options under 'Text Size'.
-
Mozilla Firefox: Select the 'View' menu, then 'Text Size', then select Increase, Decrease or Normal.
-
Opera: Select the 'View' menu, then one of the 'Zoom' percentage options.
-
Netscape: Select the 'View' menu, then one of the 'Text Zoom' options.
Other browsers may also have similar options available. Please consult the documentation provided with your browser if similar options to the ones above aren't available.
Browsealoud
Browse aloud is a program which automatically reads out a web page when you move your mouse over the text.
What is it for?
Browsealoud Helps people to access websites which they have difficulty reading. This might be due to a visual impairment or a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Who can use it?
Browse aloud is available for PC and Mac. It also has settings designed to help it work behind corporate firewalls.
How do I use it?
Visit the Browsealoud support page for instructions on how to download and use Browsealoud.
How do I download it?
Click on the orange button at the bottom of the page or use this link to download Browsealoud.
Is Browsealoud a screen reader?
Browsealoud is a browser plugin. It can be used to access Browsealoud enabled websites. It is not designed to be a substitute for a full screen reader program such as Window Eyes or Jaws.
However, Browsealoud has some advantages over full screen reader programs:
-
The Browsealoud reader is free.
-
It can be used on any computer which meets the system requirements.
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You do not need administrative rights to run the program.
System requirements
PC system requirements
| System feature |
Minimum requirement |
| Operating system |
Windows 2000, XP or Vista |
| Recommended browsers |
Internet Explorer or above |
| Adobe Reader |
Version 8 or 9 |
|
Microsoft Word
|
2002 or 2003 |
| RAM |
256MB (512 recommended) |
| Disk space |
20MB |
| Sound |
Sound card and speakers |
Mac system requirements
| System feature |
Minimum requirement |
| Operating system |
OSX 10.3.9 or later |
| Browser |
Safari |
| RAM |
256MB (512MB recommended) |
|
Processor
|
Power PC or Intel |
| Disk Space |
20MB |
