Website Accessibility

Visually Impaired

The choice of colours on this website have been specifically chosen to try to avoid any confusion or loss of clarity cause by colour blindness. We have also chosen a text size that allows us to display as much information as is reasonably possible. The view that you are using now displays the site in a clear view using colours recommended for their contrast. Clicking on the link 'Return to Original View' at the top of the page will return the view to the original colours and sizes.

If this still doesn't help please let us know via the feedback form so that we can continue to improve the site.

Access Keys

This section lists the Access keys used throughout this website and are intended to help users who have difficulty in using pointing devices such as a mouse or who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts.

This website uses the UK government access key system and the following information details each of the keyboard shortcut commands available.

Depending upon your browser type use one of the following:

• if Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 then press "Alt" (Mac users press 'CONTROL') and the access key at the same time
• if Microsoft Explorer 5 or later press "Alt" (Mac users press 'CONTROL') and the access key then press the enter key
• if you are using Netscape version 6 or later, or Mozilla, then press "Alt" and the relevant number/letter at the same time

Access Keys

• 1 Home page
• 2 What's New
• 3 Site map
• 4 Search
• 6 Help
• 7 Complaints procedure
• 8 Legal Info
• 9 Feedback form
• 0 Access key details (this page)

Standards

This site is being designed to conform to the following guidelines and standards.

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. If you have any problem accessing any information on the site, please contact us and and we will endeavor to provide the information in a suitable manner.

W3C

The W3C are the independant standards organisation for the web. W3C standards are observed by web browser developers, so sites that conform to standards are accessible to more web users.

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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

The primary goal of these guidelines is to promote accessibility. There are three levels of compliance:

• Conformance Level "A": all Priority 1 checkpoints are satisfied;
• Conformance Level "Double-A": all Priority 1 and 2 checkpoints are satisfied;
• Conformance Level "Triple-A": all Priority 1, 2, and 3 checkpoints are satisfied;

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Bobby

Bobby is an accessibility checking program. Bobby is a useful tool that allows us to identify potential problems for people who are blind, partially sighted, or have other special needs.

Web Design Group

The Web Design Group was founded to promote the creation of non-browser specific, non-resolution specific, creative and informative sites that are accessible to all users worldwide.

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Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA)

The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) is an international, non-profit organization of internet leaders working to make the internet safer for children, while respecting the rights of content providers. The centrepiece of the organization is the descriptive vocabulary, often referred to as "the ICRA questionnaire." Content providers check which of the 45 elements in the questionnaire are present or absent from their websites. This then generates a short piece of computer code known as an ICRA label that the webmaster then adds to his/her site.

Users, especially parents of young children, can then use filtering software to allow or disallow access to web sites based on the information declared in the label

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