Accessibility



This web site follows the W3C's web content accessibility guidelines. It uses css to style all content which allows users full control over the sites style in the following ways.

Browser upgrades



We try to make this website compatible with all browsers. However, you may experience display inconsistencies with older browsers.

The following browsers are available to download for free:

Firefox
Netscape
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Opera

 

Accessibility options



Here is a brief guide to the accessibility options available in the above four major browsers:

Skip to : Firefox | Netscape | Microsoft Internet Explorer | Opera

FIREFOX

Changing the text size

  1. Opening the view menu and selecting to increase or decrease the text size
  2. Hold ctrl and move the mouse wheel to your chosen text size
  3. Hold ctrl and + or - to increase or decrease the text size


Changing the font and font size

  1. Open the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the content tab and under the fonts & colours section select advanced
  3. Un-tick the box that says allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above
  4. Select your font and size


You can also set the minimum font size; this will guarantee that whatever you are looking at it will never display the font at a size below the size you have chosen.

Changing the text and background colour

  1. Open the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the content tab and under the fonts & colours section select colours
  3. Select the colour of the text and background by clicking in the coloured boxes
  4. To ensure that your colours are used un-tick the allow pages to choose their own colours, instead of my selections above box and un-tick the use system colours box
  5. Refresh the page (F5) afterwards to view the changes.


Turn off images

  1. Open the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the content tab and un-tick the load images automatically box so there is no tick there
  3. Refresh the page (F5) afterwards to view the changes.


Clear history

  1. Open the tools menu and select clear private data
  2. In the clear private data box tick the items you wish to delete including browsing history
  3. Confirm by selecting clear private data now


Tabbed browsing
  1. Right click on the link you would like to open a new tab with and choose Open link in new tab
  2. The page will appear in a tab at the top of the browser so that you can click on it when you are ready to look at that particular page.


NETSCAPE

Changing the text size

  1. Opening the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the general tab, which is underneath browser options
  3. Click on the fonts & colours button
  4. in the fonts & colours box, set the minimum font size to none


There are 3 ways in which to adjust the size of the text:

  1. Opening the view menu and selecting to increase or decrease the text size
  2. Hold ctrl and + or - to increase or decrease the text size


Changing the font and font size

  1. Open the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the general tab, which is underneath browser options
  3. Click on the fonts & colours button
  4. In the fonts & colours box, tick the box that says always use my font
  5. Select your font and size


Changing the text and background colour

  1. Open the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the general tab, which is underneath browser options
  3. Click on the fonts & colours button
  4. In the fonts & colours box, un-tick the box that says use system colours
  5. Tick the box that says always use my colours
  6. Select the colour of the text and background by clicking in the coloured boxes
  7. Refresh the page (F5) afterwards to view the changes.


Turn off images

To turn off images you need to open the security centre. There are 2 ways of doing this:

  1. Click on the security centre button that's in the top right hand corner of the browser
  2. Open the tools menu and select security centre, a security menu will appear in the bottom right hand corner of the browser
  3. Select the current site-rating tab and click on the small blue arrow next to your trust setting
  4. A new box will appear, click on the advanced tab
  5. Un-tick the box that says allow images to be displayed


Clear history

  1. Open the tools menu and select options
  2. In the options box, choose the privacy tab, which is underneath security and privacy
  3. Under page history you can choose the number of days you wish your history to be kept for or you can tick the clear page history on browser exit box


Tabbed browsing
  1. Right click on the link you would like to open a new tab with
  2. Select Open in new tab - this lets you view the new page in the new tab straight away.


MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER

Changing the text size

  1. Opening the view menu and selecting text size, you can choose from largest to smallest text size
  2. Hold ctrl and move the mouse wheel to your chosen text size
  3. Hold ctrl and + or - to increase or decrease the text size


Changing the font

  1. Open the tools menu and select Internet options
  2. In the new box, choose the general tab and click on accessibility, which is in the bottom right hand side of the box
  3. Tick the box that says ignore font styles specified on web pages, then click ok
  4. Select the fonts button and select your font.


Changing the text and background colour

  1. Open the tools menu and select Internet options
  2. In the Internet options box choose the general tab and select accessibility, which is in the bottom right hand side of the box
  3. Tick the box that says ignore colours specified on web pages, then click ok
  4. Select the colours button, which is in the bottom left hand side, and un-tick the box that says use windows colours
  5. You can select the colour of the text and background by clicking in the coloured boxes and choosing your own colour


Turn off images

  1. Open the tools menu and select internet options
  2. In the internet options box, choose the advanced tab
  3. Scroll down to the multimedia section and un-tick the box that says show pictures and select Ok
  4. Refresh the page (F5) afterwards to view the changes.


Clear history

  1. Open the tools menu and select internet options
  2. In the internet options box, choose the general tab
  3. Select delete under browsing history


OPERA

Changing the text size

  1. Opening the view menu and selecting zoom, you can choose the percentage of zoom you require
  2. Hold ctrl and move the mouse wheel to your chosen text size
  3. Click on the glasses icon in the top right hand side of the screen and a tool bar will appear and you can magnify by choosing the percentage in the box with the magnifying glass in.


Changing the font

  1. Open the tools menu and select preferences
  2. A preferences box will then open, choose the web pages tab
  3. Click on the normal font box
  4. In the select font box, you can choose your font and size


Changing the text and background colour

* To change the colour of text and background you need to switch from author mode to user mode.

  1. Click on the glasses icon in the top right hand side of the screen and a tool bar will appear
  2. Click on the author box and this should change it to user mode
  3. Open the tools menu and select preferences
  4. In the preferences box, choose the web pages tab
  5. Select your colours by clicking on the coloured boxes to choose the background, normal and visited link colours


* To choose the colour of the text

  1. Open the tools menu and select preferences
  2. In the preferences box, choose the advanced tab
  3. Select fonts from the left hand side panel and highlight webpage normal text, which is under type
  4. Click on the choose button
  5. Click on the colour box and select your colour, then click ok.


Turn off images

* You can be either author or user mode to turn off images.

  1. Open the tools menu and select preferences
  2. In the preferences box, choose the web pages tab
  3. Click the images box until it says no images, then click ok.


Clear history

  1. Open the tools menu and select delete private data
  2. In the delete private data box select details
  3. Select the items you wish to delete and confirm by selecting the delete button.


Tabbed browsing

Right click on the link you would like to open a new tab with and choose 1 of the following:

  1. Open in new tab - this lets you view the new page in the new tab straight away
  2. Open in background - this will store the page as a tab at the top of the browser until you are ready to look.