Accessibility help

Using our website

Our website was designed with usability and accessibility principles in mind. The site can be used with a variety of adaptive technologies used by people with disabilities, such as screen readers.

Display settings

The display settings facility is designed to provide maximum accessibility for all users of the site. You can change the text colour, background colour and text size as required, using a range of high contrast options.

You can select one or multiple options and can set these to your desired combination as follows:

Display settings

You'll see the display settings link in the Information section at the bottom of every page. Click on the link to be taken to the display settings page where you'll see a preview of the web page you were previously viewing.
 
There are three drop-down menus on the left-hand side:

• Text colour – To view the website with a different text colour, select an option from the drop-down menu and click 'Preview'. You'll see the web page change in the preview window to reflect the colour you have chosen.
• Background colour – To view the website with a different background colour, select an option from the drop-down menu and click 'Preview'. You'll see the web page change in the preview window to reflect the colour you have chosen.
• Text size – To view the website with a different text size, select an option from the drop-down menu and click 'Preview'. You'll see the web page change in the preview window to reflect the text size you have chosen.

Saving your settings

Once you are happy with the settings you have chosen, click 'Save' and you will be returned to the page you were viewing. It will show your preferred settings.

Returning to default

To return the website to the default style, click 'Display settings' again and change each drop-down menu back to 'Default', then hit 'Save'. 

Adjusting the text size

If the text on the site is too small for comfortable reading, you can make it bigger by using the ‘Display settings’ function.

Alternatively, in Internet Explorer select the View option, then text size and then your preferred size. If using Netscape, select the View option, then Text Zoom, followed by your preferred percentage size option.

Stylesheets

It's possible to import your own stylesheet into this website, as follows:

• In Internet Explorer select the Tools option, then Internet options and then Accessibility. Click on any (or all) of three checkboxes to ignore colours, font styles or font sizes. 
• You can also change your stylesheet by clicking the checkbox titled 'Format document using my style sheet'. Now browse to your stylesheet on your computer and click OK.
• In Netscape, select the Edit option, then Preferences and then Appearance. You will then be given the choice to specify your own colours and fonts.

Navigation

For ease of use, the following navigational tools are in use: 

• The website has been divided into a number of major sections, grouped by subject
• Menus are displayed either along the top of pages or in a column on the left-hand side
• A site search facility is available in the top-right of every page. Search by whole word
• A link to the home page can be found by clicking the house icon in the top-left of every page
• An index page, which lists every page of the site in alphabetical order, is found in the information section at the bottom of every page
• A site map link which lists the content of ever section of the site, is also found in the information section at the bottom of every page
• A crumbtrail is found below the header in most sections, showing the path back from the page you are viewing to the home page