Accessibility
We are committed to designing our website to make it as accessible as possible but still visually interesting.
To do this we have included a variety of features which are summarised as follows:
Browsealoud - speech-enabled website
Browsealoud is an online screen reader to help the visually impaired. This is software which reads the text on the screen and speaks those words to you.
Once the software is installed on your computer you will be able to listen to any website offering the Browsealoud service.
Images and alt tags
We have avoided using excessive graphics within the website where possible to ensure quick download times and access to information which cannot be read if in image format.
Where images have been used we have added 'Alt' tags - text alternatives so that you will still know what the image is meant to convey even if it does not load or if you have have chosen to browse with the images switched off or you are using an assistive technology like a screen reader to browse the web page rather than view.
Resizable text
We have been careful to make sure that we have not fixed the size of the textual information on the website so that visitors who wish to can alter the font size on the screen to make it easier to read.
To change the text click on the + (plus) and - (minus) buttons on the menu bar at the top of the website beneath the header image.
Colour Contrast
We have designed the website so that the colour can be changed in line with accessibility standards. To change the contrast and colour of the website select one of the three contrast buttons in the menu bar at the top of the website beneath the header image.
The colours are:
- Original design colours
- Black on cream
- Yellow on black
Coding standards and Double-A conformance
This website is built using code compliant with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for XHTML and Cascading Style Sheets. W3C is the governing authority on web development standards and practices.
The site displays correctly with current browsers, and using standard XHTML code means that any future browsers will also display this website correctly.
We are continuously improving this website to ensure that pages conform to the Double-A level (and in places Triple-A) of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
The Accessibility Guidelines explain how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. Conformance to these Guidelines helps to make the Web more accessible to users with disabilities and benefits all users.
Individual pages are tested using the W3C Validation tool.
There may be a few pages that do not conform to all the guidelines. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the whole site conforms, with so many contributors, this is an ongoing process.