We are committed to making our online information accessible to all visitors and are striving to adhere to accessibility guidelines. Our efforts include:

* Maintaining a standard layout and navigation structure throughout
* Using headings, paragraphs, lists and other HTML (HyperText Markup Language) to create a logical document structure
* Allowing visitors to resize all text using their browser settings
* Using plain backgrounds to improve the readability of all text
* Using foreground and background colour combinations which have sufficient contrast and are not known to cause problems to those with visual impairments
* Using alt attributes and/or titles on all images where appropriate, and ensuring that all alt and title attributes are meaningful
* Designing layouts to work satisfactorily over a range of screen resolutions
* Ensuring all hyperlinks use descriptive and meaningful text
* Avoiding short-hand language such as 'Click here'
* Providing internal anchors for visitors using screen readers or similar technology
* Always providing an alternative to scripts or other controls which rely on client device capability
* Using plain English
* Using a written style that is straightforward and understandable

We are always trying to improve our website. If you have any comments on our accessibility policy, or suggestions about how to improve the site please contact us using the details below.
Resizing the text

To increase the text size:

Internet Explorer: View > Text size
Firefox: View > Text size
Opera: File > Preferences > Fonts > Minimum font size (pixels)

You can also resize the text by scrolling with the wheel of your mouse whilst holding down the control key.

Have this website read to you

This website is speech-enabled to help you to access the information in a way that is convenient to you.

Who uses Browsealoud?

Speech-enabled websites can be used by all including those with dyslexia, mild visual impairments, non-native speakers or any users who prefer to listen to information published online.
How to get Browsealoud

Browsealoud is free. It is quick to download from http://www.browsealoud.com, due to its small file size (2.5MB). Browsealoud is easy to set up, and once installed on your computer, will allow you to have the information read to you when you highlight the text using your mouse or keyboard.

How to customise Browsealoud

You can alter the settings on Browsealoud; for example, you may wish to make the voice read more slowly, or read continuously rather than reading small chunks of highlighted text only.

Screen settings

This website has been designed for a screen resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. To get the best from this site please alter your screen settings to this specification. The resolution is the number of pixels or dots in an image.

If you are viewing this website on a lower resolution screen such as 640 x 480 pixels, the text and images will look larger, and horizontal scroll bars will appear.

Browser compatibility

This website has been designed to be compatible with the following browser types and versions:

* IE6
* IE7
* Firefox 1.0
* Opera 9
* Safari 2