Accessibility
This website is Accessible.
Below are a number of additional notes and recommendations of interest to visitors to the website who are using assistive technologies or mobile devices, or who may have restrictions on the use of Javascript due to company policy or device limitations.
Screen Readers and PDAs
Navigation and content is available even if you do not have Javascript activated.
However, you may find the website even easier to listen to by switching to the Low Graphics mode. This displays the same content and navigation but it has been created for users of screen readers and PDA's so that they get the content first, without Images.
Screen Reader Setting Recommendations
For users of JAWS we recommend the following sort order 'title|text|alt|href' as the best combination to set.
Access Keys
Access Keys provide a quick way to navigate round the site without using a mouse, and on this site are based on the UK Government Access Keys system.
The keys are used in conjuction with Alt or Ctrl and Enter keys which vary depending on your browser.
1. Hold down
- 'Alt' key if using Internet Explorer for Windows
- 'Shift' and 'Alt' key if using Mozilla/Firefox
- 'Ctrl' if using Internet Explorer or Safari on a Mac
2. and simultaneously select a key from the list below
3. then press 'Enter' if using Internet Explorer for Windows PC - other browsers go to the page immediately.
- 0 - Accessibility details
- 3 - Site Map
- 8 - Terms & Conditions
These keys have been selected so as not to conflict with those in use by assistive technologies such as JAWS, Supernova and HomePageReader.
Text Size
You can re-size the text on this website by using the menu at the top of your browser.
PCs: For Internet Explorer, go into View, then Text Size, and there will be an option to change the text size from smallest to largest.
For Firefox, go into View then Zoom. There will be an option to Zoom In or Zoom Out.
Apple Macs: For Safari, go into View. There are two options available, 'Make Text Bigger' and 'Make Text Smaller'.
External Sites
We are not responsible for the content or accessibility of other sites linked to from this site.
Links and Images
Note that for all links to documents on this site, the type is shown.
Any links which open a new browser window will be indicated by text or by the 'new window' icon
All trivial images have null Alt text.
Problems Accessing Documents
If you have any problems accessing the information or documents published on this website, please contact us.
Please note, the amount of time it takes to download a file will vary according to the file's size and your internet connection speed. As a rough guide a 200Kb file will take approximately 30 seconds to download using a 56kb Dial-up modem.
Adobe Links
The Adobe site offers
free Adobe Acrobat reader we recommend the latest version for the most up to date Accessibility features.
Accessibility Conversion tools may help you convert from one format to another.
PDF Accessibility information from Adobe.
Accessibility Rating
This site was evaluated on the 26 August 2008 using Bobby 5.00.6.3 and by subsequent manual checking. At launch it attained an 'AAA' WAI rating.
The site html code was also validated against XHTML 1.0 Transitional on the 26 August 2008, using the W3C and Web Design Group validators, and its styles are CSS2 compliant.