Accessibility

Accessibility Options: Graphic version | Text version

We recognise the importance of providing a website that is fully accessible to all user groups, including the disabled. It has been built in accordance with best practices for accessibility and web standards, however, some pages may not yet meet all the standards outlined. We have tried to design our website to make it as accessible as possible whilst remaining visually interesting and easy to use.

Using the site without a mouse

Most browsers support jumping to specific links by typing keys defined on the website. We have set up such access keys on our website to make it easier for users to navigate around the site.

Access keys

The site can be used without a mouse. The following shortcut keys will take you to commonly used pages such as the home page:

AccessKey	Function
0	Navigate to Accessibility page
1	Navigate to Home page
2	Navigate to Site Map page
3	Navigate to About Us page
4	Navigate to Search page
8	Navigate to Terms and Conditions page
9	Navigate to Contact Us page
B	Navigate to Basket page
L	Navigate to Login/Logout page
N	Bypass the main content and jump to the main navigation of the current page
P	Navigate to Privacy Policy page
S	Bypass the main navigation and jump to the main content of the current page

The procedure for using shortcut, or 'Access' keys, varies depending on which web browser you view the site with. The following table shows the AccessKey combinations for a range of popular web browsers:

	Browser	Accesskey Combination
Microsoft Windows
	Internet Explorer 4 and above	ALT + AccessKey (to focus the link) + ENTER to activate
	K-meleon	ALT + AccessKey
	Mozilla Firefox 1	ALT + AccessKey
	Mozilla Firefox 2 and above	SHIFT + ALT + AccessKey
	Netscape 6 and above	ALT + AccessKey
	Opera 7 and above	SHIFT + ESC, followed by AccessKey
	Internet Explorer 4 and above	ALT + AccessKey (to focus the link) + ENTER to activate
MAC OS 9
	Internet Explorer 4 and above	Not supported
	Mozilla Firefox	Not supported
	Netscape 4	Not supported
	Opera	Not supported
MAC OS X
	I-Cab 2.8	CONTROL + AccessKey * you may need to click on the page first
	Internet Explorer 5 and above	CONTROL + AccessKey * some systems require CONTROL + COMMAND + AccessKey
	Mozilla Firefox	Not supported
	Netscape 6 and above	CONTROL + AccessKey
	OmniWeb 4	Not supported
	Opera	Not supported
	Safari	Not supported

Use of text on this site

Font size

Most navigation elements are plain text and we have provided text alternatives to graphics on the site.

Those with poor sight may be able to increase the size of the text on screen. The procedure for doing so differs from one browser to the next. The table below outlines the procedure for some popular browsers. If your browser does not appear in the table the following guidelines may be of assistance: In general, looking under the "View" selection on the main menu, you should find an option called "Text Zoom" or "Text Magnification" or "Text Size" or "Font Size". From that point it should be relatively simple to find and select an additional sub menu option that adjusts text size to your needs.

	Browser	Instructions
Microsoft Windows
	Internet Explorer 3 and above	View » Fonts
	Internet Explorer 5 and above	View » Text Size
	K-meleon	View » Increase Font / Decrease Font
	Mozilla Firefox	View » Increase Text Size / Decrease Text Size
	Netscape 6	View » Text Size
	Netscape 7	View » Text Zoom
	Opera 5 and above	Use dropdown menu on 'progress' bar
	Opera 7	View » Zoom
MAC
	I-Cab	View » Font Size
	Internet Explorer 4.5	View » Text Size
	Internet Explorer 5 and above	View » Text Zoom
	Netscape 4	View » Increase/Decrease Font Size
	Netscape 7	View » Text Zoom
	Opera 5 and 6	Use dropdown menu on 'progress' bar
	OmniWeb 4	Browser » Bigger Text / Smaller Text
	Safari	View » Text Size

Images

All content images we used we have added 'Alt' tags - text alternatives so that you will still know what the image is meant to convey even if it doesn't load or if you've 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.

Site Map

A site map exists to provide information about the layout of the website. You access it through the link at the bottom every page.

Colours and contrast

We have considered the needs of users who are colourblind by selecting colour combinations with sufficient contrast between foreground and background. You can however use your own preferred colour scheme. Instructions on how to change background and font colours for the most common web browsers appear below.

Microsoft Internet Explorer - versions 5 and above

1. Select Tools from the menu bar at the top of your window
2. From the options which appear, select Internet options
3. Click the General tab
4. Click the button marked Accessibility
5. To remove background and font colours, tick the checkbox labelled Ignore colours specified on web pages
6. Click on Colours
7. You can choose your own preferred colours for text, page background and links

Mozilla Firefox

1. Select Options from the Tools menu at the top of the window
2. Click on the Content button in the window that appears
3. Under the Fonts and Colours sub-heading, press the button labelled Colours...
4. Make your selections and then click OK.

Opera

1. Select File » Preferences » Fonts and colors
2. Click on the Content button in the window that appears

Screen Resolution

Our pages are designed without horizontal scrollbars and are viewed at a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels.

Validation

All the pages on this website are use valid XHTML and CSS and conforms to the WCAG.

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