Accessibility

We recognise and value the provision of information on this website in a format which is accessible to all, regardless of ability or disability.

To ensure that this happens, we have programmed our website following published web standards and accessibility guidelines. The site is developed using valid HTML and cascading style sheets (CSS). Our site content is separated from presentational elements, which makes it available to any visitors that use technologies such as a screen reader or text only browser.

We try to maintain WAI Level AA accessibility

The government requires that all public sector websites – whether for central or local government – should meet the W3C’s guidelines on accessibility to WAI Level AA standard.

We strive to achieve and maintain levels of accessibility that conform to the AA standard, but recognise that it is very hard for a 6,000+ page website to maintain such compliance. We choose not to shout about our compliance since it is difficult to be certain that 100% compliance is being maintained.

Through further development of our web services we strive to improve our compliance and aim to meet as many of the WAI Level AAA guidelines as are achievable.

What is an accessible website?

An accessible site is one that accommodates the full range of users. Designing for accessibility therefore means accepting that, for online information, there is no standard information user or no standard device for browsing information.

An accessible website does not exclude anybody due to their abilities or the method they choose to access the web.

Accessible websites prioritise clear content, structure and ease of navigation over frilly aspects of design, however they also need not be visually unattractive, nor are they prevented from using the latest web technologies, provided that all information is still accessible to users.

Change text size

You may use your browser settings to change the text size for all the websites that you visit. The technique for doing this is slightly different depending on the browser that you use:

Google Chrome: Select one of the ‘Text Zoom’ options in the ‘Customise and control Google Chrome’ menu
Internet Explorer 9: Select ‘Settings’, then one of the options under ‘Zoom’
Internet Explorer 7/8: Select the ‘Page’ menu, then one of the options under ‘Zoom’ or ‘Text Size’
Internet Explorer 6: Select the ‘View’ menu, and select one of the options under ‘Text Size’
Mozilla Firefox: Select the ‘View’ menu, then ‘Zoom’, then one of the options
Opera: Select the ‘View’ menu, then one of the ‘Zoom’ percentage options

Other browsers may also have similar options available. Please consult the documentation provided with your browser if similar options to the ones above aren’t available.

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