Accessibility
This site is designed to be as accessible as possible for disabled users and visitors using various technologies.
Alternative Styles
We include 3 additional styles for the sites for visually impaired users. These allow users to change the font and background colours and also to change the size of the text:
An additional style is also activated when a page is printed, to remove coloured backgrounds and images, reducing the amount of printer ink required.
Access Keys
Access keys are used to enable users to navigate the site using a keyboard instead of a mouse.
The way the keys works varies, but on most systems you should press ALT with the access key (number or letter as follows), and then press enter to jump to the required page:
- S - Skip Navigation
- 0 - Accessibility
- 1 - Home
- 3 - Site Map
- 6 - Frequently Asked Questions
- 8 - Terms & Conditions (Legal Information)
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and UK Government Guideline Compliance
All sites comply with W3C CSS and XHTML standards which show that the site will be accessible to all browsers and devices that also comply to these standards.
All sites have a WAI rating of A which shows that accessibility options will function with compliant browsers and devices
We also followed UK Government Guidelines in designing the site.
Adjusting text Size and Colour
In addition to the alternative styles offered, users can also customise the font size. The method of doing this is different for each browser, but since Internet Explorer is currently the most popular browser, we have included instructions below:
- Click on ‘View’ (the 3 rd from left menu button)
- Select ‘Text Size’ from the drop down menu
- Select the size
Images and Alt Tags
All images are given an alternative text description that can be read by special screen readers.
Tables
Any information contained in tables is also given additional text descriptions that help screen readers to convey the information to visually impaired users.
Navigation
Navigation is consistent on each page, and we have provide text alternatives to all navigation images
Browser Compatibility
All sites are tested and is compatible with the following browsers:
- Internet Explorer 6.0 and 7.0
- Firefox 2.0.0.1
- Opera 9.0.2
- Safari 2.0.3
Screen resolution
All sites are developed to be viewed on 800x600 screen resolution or higher. This ensures that older PCs can also view the sites without the need for horizontal scrolling.
