Screenreader users should ignore the next comment.
You will still be able to access all the essential content of this page, but it will not look, or function, as intended. For further information go to the Viewing page, in the Welcome section of this web site.
Ignore the previous message about browser versions as that does not apply to you. The important content here is the text and you should be able to access that without difficulty. The links are also attached to items of text, so should be easy to follow.
Your screenreader should find all the text content of this page first. It will find the site navigation menus next. You can use this link to go straight to them from here: Site Navigation Menus. Unless an image appears within the text it can safely be ignored. Your screenreader should also find comments that help you use this page.
This page is designed to look like a card index and appears to be made of textured paper. The main part of the page is lemon-yellow, other parts of it are pale blue. It has tags across the top and cut out shapes down the left hand side. The links appear to be written on these. The Bridging the Gap logo is at the top. This shows through a cut out section of the page.
For further information on access go to the Accessibility page in the Welcome section of this web site.
This web site's design employs several techniques to maximise its accessibility. Some of these were developed specifically for this site and its sister sites (see the "About Us" section). Further accessibility options are considered lower down this page, so please read it in full.
Its compatibility with different web browsers and screen resolutions is dealt with on the "Viewing" page of the Welcome section. In addition the site's pages are designed to interact in a specific way with screenreaders, so that visually impaired users can easily access the content and navigate the site. Hopefully, this will also provide a more complete experience of it .
The previous history of this web site and the nature of some of the documents that it contains, means that there may be an occasional use of the PDF file format. These are usually opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader, but that does not make them accessible to all users. A way round this is offered by the following link:
http://access.adobe.com/simple_form.html
The URL (exact location) of a PDF document will appear in the web browser when it is selected. If that is copied and submitted at the page that this link goes to, it will be converted to HTML - an ordinary web page; and in that form it should then be accessible.
This web site is "Bobby Approved", meaning that it passes the "Bobby" accessibility validator.
All of its pages also conform to the Web Accessibility Initiative's guidelines. In practice most of the site is probably accessible to Priority 2 and Priority 3 users, as well as Priority 1, but only level A conformance is claimed. Some of what this site does goes beyond the expectations of the guidelines.
The appearance of the site may also be altered, to make it more accessible to other users, by using the Internet Explorer 5 web browser (or a higher version), in combination with a style-sheet file downloaded from this page.
These style-sheets are specifically designed for use on this web site. However, they will also modify most other web sites and may help to improve access to the Internet in its entirety. They are therefore offered for general use also, on the understanding that they may not work perfectly on all web sites.
Note: Downloading the file to the Desktop is suggested because it is the default download option on most computers and it will be easy to find when browsing to make the link in 6 (above). An alternative location can be used if you prefer.
Here are the style-sheet files. They are quite small and should download quickly:
This makes the main text much larger and clarifies and increases the size of the text on the menus. To increase the apparent effect still further, set the screen resolution to 640 x 480 pixels.
DOWNLOAD FILE "access_enlarge"
These style sheets alter the background colour. The effect may improve access for some dyslexics, but will not work for all. The alternative backgrounds offered are those most likely to work.
This can be achieved either by checking just the top box "Ignore colours specified on web pages" and not selecting a different style sheet, or by checking all the boxes, when using the style-sheet for ENLARGED TEXT. The pages should then default to a stark white background.
Netscape browsers offer similar possibilities by letting you set fonts, font sizes and colours that override the web page's own instructions. These settings can be made by following "Preferences" or "General Preferences" from the drop-down menu under "Edit" or "Options", depending on the browser version. These are at the top, on the toolbar.
Windows 98 offers additional accessibility options, but these are not installed by default when the operating system is set up. They have to be installed separately from the Windows 98 CD. They are also a feature of Windows 2000. You can find out more about this and other aspects of accessibility from the Microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com. At the time of writing, the recommended page to start at is http://www.microsoft.com/enable/microsoft/overview.htm.
If, despite these efforts, accessibility issues arise, please report them so that improvements can be made, or alternative solutions found. You can do so by following this link: "Contact Us". General feedback on the effectiveness of this site's design in terms of its accessibility will also be of value.
The statements and claims in this page are correct at the time of publication.
Jonathan Stephenson
Web Development Officer
TQEF National Co-ordination Team
April 2001
© 2001
