Website Accessibility
Our website is designed to conform to World Wide Web Consortium accessibility standards, but there are some things you can do to make our site even easier to use:
- Site Accessibility Features
- Customising your Computer
- Using Keyboard Shortcuts
- Browser & Device Specific Help
Site Accessibility Features
Accessibility Toolbar
There is a toolbar on the right-hand edge of every page that provides the following options:
- Toggle High Contrast
- Toggle Font Size
Resizable Text Browser Options
By default, text is set at a medium font size, but you can resize the text on all pages using options in your web browser.
Flexible width and scalable layout
You can drag the four edges of the website to display any size you want. The page content adjusts automatically to display correctly for the shape you choose:
- If you have full screen display, select the ‘Restore down’ button at top right, to see the edges of the display window.
- Move the pointer over a display window edge until two arrows appear.
- Drag the top, bottom and side edges to the shape and size you want.
Next time you choose ‘Restore down’, your display will be the size and shape you last chose.
Customising your Computer
AbilityNet and the BBC have developed some tutorials which tell you how to customise your computer to give you a better experience when using the web.
For example, you can find out how to:
- change how information is shown on your screen, to get more on, or to see content more clearly.
- change colours and fonts, a good idea if you have a visual impairment and need more contrast.
- adapt the mouse, for example, to slow it down, make the pointer bigger, or if you are left-handed.
- change a variety of keyboard settings, including the rate at which the cursor blinks.
Go to AbilityNet for more information, or My Web My Way to see the tutorials.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
You can use keys on the keyboard to move around our website more quickly. These are called shortcuts, and the keys you use depend on your browser. Find information for the four main browsers by selecting:
Internet Explorer version 11 shortcuts
Browser & Device Specific Help
You can find browser & device specific help at the following websites:
www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility – Microsoft accessibility wizard and how to use it.
www.google.com/accessibility/all-products-features.html – Google accessibility tools.
www.apple.com/accessibility – Apple Macintosh accessibility features.
www.accessfirefox.org – accessibility features in Firefox and its extensions.