Accessibility statement
We are committed to making our websites accessible and useable by the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability.
Maintaining an accessible website is an ongoing process and we are continually working to offer a user friendly experience. If you have any problems using our website please contact us by email or call the marketing and communications team on 0800 048 8955.
Accessibility guidelines
This website endeavours to conform to level Double-A of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.
These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. Conformance with these guidelines helps make our web site more user friendly for everyone.
Website design/software
Our website includes a number of features to assist use, including:
Mobile responsive
The site will detect and respond to mobile devices and tablets and resize images and layout to fit correctly.
Headings
Headings are used on each page on the website. They make it easier to read pages by providing visual structure and help people using screen readers and other assistive technologies navigate the site.
Links
Links have been written to make sense when read out in isolation. This helps visitors who use a list of links to move around the site.
Help with downloading documents
We use pdf documents on our web site. To read a pdf file you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download a free acrobat reader package from the Adobe website.
ReachDeck
We’ve added the ReachDeck Toolbar to our site. If you struggle with reading, have a visual impairment, or prefer to read in your own language, the ReachDeck Toolbar can help.
Whether you are using a Smartphone, tablet, PC or Mac, ReachDeck provides reading support tools.
ReachDeck can read website content out loud, highlighting each word as it is spoken in a high quality, human-sounding voice and may be helpful to people:
- With low literacy skills or dyslexia
- Who don’t have English as a first language
- With some visual impairment
- Who would prefer to listen to text rather than read it
ReachDeck offers a range of features:
- Text-to-speech – click on or select any text to hear it read aloud
- Translation – written and spoken translations in multiple languages
- Text magnification – enlarges text and reads it aloud
- MP3 generation – converts selected text into an MP3 audio file
- Screen mask – blocks distractions on screen with a tinted mask
- Web page simplifier – removes clutter from the screen, displaying only the main text
All of the above features are accessed from an easy to use toolbar. It’s easy to access – simply click on the ‘Speak’ icon in the bottom right of our website to launch the toolbar, pictured below.
