We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability.
We aim to meet the requirements of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (see here). These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. Conformance with these guidelines will help make the web more user friendly for all people.
This site has been developed using recognised web standards and aims to comply with current W3C accessibility coding standards. The site displays correctly in current browsers and using standards compliant code means any future browsers will also display it correctly.
We use a common design throughout the site so that everyone gets a good experience, whilst allowing text sizes and colours to be changed to suit individual needs. Read more below about the specific functions available and advice on how to get the most from the website.
Images
We ensure that all images used as links or that give extra information are given appropriate alternative text descriptions ("ALT texts"), as required by internationally-recognised Web accessibility guidelines. All graphical navigation buttons are similarly ALT-tagged. Decorative images are left un-tagged so that they don’t interfere when using screen-readers.
Plain English
We understand the need for us to present information to you in clear, straightforward language. Therefore, all our web authors are trained to write our web pages in plain English with the end user in mind – no jargon, no formal language, no bewildering acronyms. If you see a page that you feel does not make sense or is badly written, please let us know using our website feedback form.
Changeable text size and colours
You can increase or decrease text size using your browser's zoom settings. In most browsers, press Ctrl + Plus (+) to zoom in and Ctrl + Minus (-) to zoom out. You can also use the zoom options available in your browser menu.
Most modern browsers and operating systems allow you to change colours, contrast settings and apply accessibility themes. You can also use your device's accessibility settings to customise colours to improve readability.
For more information on changing text sizes and colours on a wide variety of platforms, please use the BBC resource My Web My Way
Sensible use of file formats and technologies
This site uses PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file format for the publication of large and complex documents. Please note that Adobe Acrobat documents can be converted back to plain text using Adobe's Web-based conversion service
PDF documents can be viewed directly in most modern web browsers. You may also choose to use Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF reader for additional accessibility features.
You can change the settings on Adobe Reader to make PDFs more compatible with screen reading programs. Click here to find out how to make PDFs more accessible (this link goes to the Adobe website).
We aim to avoid technologies that require additional browser plug-ins and use modern web standards wherever possible.
Opening pages in new windows
As you browse the website and click on navigation links or links within pages, they will usually open in the same window to allow you to move through the site easily.
Links to PDF documents will open in a new window as these are usually downloadable documents. External links will also open in a new window as they take you to another website.
Most modern browsers allow links to be opened in a new tab or window using browser controls, keyboard shortcuts or by right-clicking the link.
Feedback
If you have any concerns about material which appears on our site, please contact [email protected] . Thank you for visiting our site.