Site help and accessibility options

Jump to:

• High-visibility layout
• Access keys
• Dixerit
• Adjusting the size of text
• Links to the A to Z of services
• Standards compliance and accessibility guidelines

We aim to make this site as accessible as we can.

Web accessibility means enabling people to view a web page the way they wish to view it with the equipment that they have available. In other words, making sure that as many people as possible can use a website, irrespective of physical impairment (such as loss of sight or restricted mobility), cognitive disability (such as dyslexia), or limited English language. It also means ensuring a website works on the broadest possible range of computer hardware and software, and its use does not depend on having the highest specification equipment or latest browser.

High-visibility layout

You can choose to enable a high-visibility layout on this site. This is especially suitable for partially-sighted people, and ensures that the site's content is kept in a single column, at a larger font size.

A layout using light text on a dark background, and a layout using dark text on a light background, are both available.

Your choice will be automatically remembered the next time you visit the site using this computer. You can change layout again by returning to this page.

Back to top

Access keys

You can choose to enable the UK Government Accesskeys Standard on this site. This allows you to use your keyboard to navigate quickly to key pages, wherever you are on the site.

To use an access key on a computer running Microsoft Windows, hold down the alt key on your keyboard, and press your chosen key from the list below. You may then have to press the return key on your keyboard to activate the link.

To use an access key on an Apple Macintosh computer, hold down the ctrl key on your keyboard, and press your chosen access key.

The access keys available on this site, when enabled, are:

Your choice will be automatically remembered the next time you visit the site using this computer. You can enable access keys again by returning to this page.

Back to top

Dixerit

We have enabled the Dixerit service on this site to help anyone who prefers to listen than to read, including people with impaired vision, dyslexia, or low literacy.

You do not need to install any special software on your computer to use this service.

To listen to a page, simply use the Have this page read aloud link at the top of the page.

Back to top

Adjusting the size of text

This site uses font sizes that you can control using your browser.

Internet Explorer

You can change the text size in Microsoft Internet Explorer by selecting View > Text size followed by your preferred text size from 'Smallest' to 'Largest'. The default setting is 'Medium'.

Firefox

You can change the text size in Firefox by selecting View > Text size followed by 'Increase' or 'Decrease'. To return the text size to its default setting, select 'Normal'.

Safari

You can change the text size in Apple's Safari browser by selecting View > Make Text Bigger or View > Make Text Smaller.

Back to top

Links to the A to Z of services

Some people may prefer to skip the full set of links to our A to Z of services.

You can choose to have these links abbreviated into a single link to the main A to Z of services page.

Your choice will be automatically remembered the next time you visit the site using this computer. You can display these links in full again by returning to this page.

Back to top

Standards compliance and accessibility guidelines

This site is built using valid HTML and uses CSS for presentation.

Our aim is to meet all Priority One, Priority Two, and selected Priority Three checkpoints from the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Our publishing system has been designed to produce valid, accessible content wherever possible, but we acknowledge that we won't always succeed.

If you find any problems using any part of this site, please contact us and we'll do our very best to address the issue as promptly as we can.