We recognise the importance of providing a website that is accessible to everyone. This statement outlines the accessibility features of this website. If you have any questions about any aspect of the accessibility of this site, please get in touch using the contact page.
Accessibility features
The following features improve navigation for screen reader users, keyboard navigation and users of text-only browsers. Structured, semantic markup: headings and navigation menus HTML heading tags are used to convey the document layout. H1 tags are used for main titles, H2 tags for subtitles, and so on. Navigation menus are marked up as HTML lists. This ensures that the number of links in the list is read out at the start and it can be skipped easily.
Images
All content images used in this site include descriptive alt attributes. Purely decorative graphics include empty alt attributes.
Style Sheets
This site uses software called Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for visual layout. If your browser or browsing device does not support style sheets at all, the use of structured semantic markup ensures that the content of each page is still readable and clearly structured.
Tables
Tables are not used for layout on this site.
Scripting
This site is fully accessible if scripting is unavailable.
Standards Compliance
Our pages conform at a minimum to Level A compliance as specified by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and endorsed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). The majority of Level AA and AAA requirements are also met.
Content Structure and Other Features
Here are some of the things we have done on the existing site to try and make it easier for you to access our information and services. Our site has consistent navigation and structure to make it easy for you to find your way around it. Our site is accessible to people using a range of equipment and browsers, including older and lower specification hardware and software, however, if you experience any problems please let us know. The site has been tested with text readers and access software used by visually impaired people and it should work in any browser. We use pages requiring plug-ins only in exceptional circumstances. Where you may need any additional software, we will let you know. We have avoided using techniques that would make pages slow to load or difficult to navigate. We try to use plain language and break the text up where possible to make it easier and quicker to read. We will be developing this further as part of the improvement programme for the new site, if there is anything you do not understand or if you require any further help please let us know.
Contact Us
If you find any area of our site difficult to use or you have any comments please let us know.