Site Help

The site should be nice to look at and easy to read but just in case you're having problems, here are a few ways to change its general look.

 

If you're using Internet Explorer (IE)

To change the size of the text choose the Text Size option from the Page menu (or View menu if you are using an old version).

To change the colour and font:

  1. Choose Internet Options from the Tools menu
  2. Select the Accessibility button (bottom right)
  3. Tick your desired checkboxes

To disable images:

  1. Choose Internet Options from the Tools menu
  2. Select the Advanced tab (top right)
  3. Scroll down to the Multimedia section
  4. Untick the checkbox labeled Show pictures

 

If you're using Mozilla Firefox

To change the size of the text choose the Text Size option from the View menu.

To change the colour and font:
On OSX select the Firefox menu followed by Preferences and then the Content tab. On other platforms select the Tools menu followed by Options and then the Content tab.

To disable images:
On OSX select the Firefox menu followed by Preferences. On other platforms:

  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu
  2. Select the Content tab
  3. Untick the checkbox labeled Load images automatically

 

Onscreen keyboards

If you find it difficult to type using a keyboard you can use a mouse-operated onscreen keyboard instead.

Activate the Onscreen Keyboard in OS X (for Mac)

  1. Go to the System Preferences panel
  2. Select the "International" icon
  3. Go to the "Input Menu" tab
  4. Select the "Keyboard Viewer"
  5. You now should have a Great British flag in your menu bar. Click on the Great British flag and select "Show Keyboard Viewer"
  6. You should now have a keyboard on your desktop that displays whatever your press on your keyboard.
  7. If you click the plus arrow in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard it makes it much larger.


Activate the Onscreen Keyboard in Windows (PC)

  1. Go to the Start menu
  2. Select All Programs
  3. Go to the Accessories menu
  4. Select Accessibility
  5. Select Onscreen Keyboard
  6. You should now have a keyboard on your desktop that displays whatever your press on your keyboard
  7. A message box with a link to more information about the On-Screen Keyboard may appear. To close the box, select OK

 

Features of the site

Screen readers
This site is screen reader friendly and should work with all screen readers including JAWS, Window-Eyes, System Access and ZoomText Magnifier/reader.

Descriptive link text
Links are easy to identify as they are coloured and underlined. For users of screen readers, the links are tagged and listed on a links list.

Meaningful ALT attribute on images
Most images on this site contain additional text stored with the image. This allows users who have difficulty seeing the image get access to the information. This not only helps users of screen readers but also those who disable images due to a slow Internet connection. Any image that is considered purely decorative will have a blank alternate text.

 

Further help

If you're using a different browser or want more information, visit My Web my Way, an online guide to help you out.