Usage notes and Accessibility

This website design was made to be accessible; aiming to pass level AAA of the WCAG guidelines.
The contents of this site are "self managed", using a CMS; yet efforts have been made to increase the accessibility of all content included.
If you encounter any problems, please let us know (you can use the email form included at bottom of this page).

The website has certain features inbuilt as an attempt to further increase its usability. These include;

Access Links

Quick links and jump to links have been provided, and are the first thing you should find on the page. These can be easily used via tabbing and also respond to access key usage (see below).

Access Keys

The site employs several access keys for those that wish to use them;

Site Links:

0 key - Accessibility page (this page).

1 key - Home page.

3 key - Sitemap.

4 key - Search page.

9 key - Contact Us.

Jump/Skip Links:

- key - Access Bar (Quick Links and Jump/Skip Links), jump to.

= key - Search Bar (when applicable), jump to.

[ key - Main Navigation (when applicable), jump to.

] key - Sub Navigation (when applicable), jump to.

; key - Previous Links (when applicable), jump to.

' key - Sibling Links (when applicable), jump to.

# key - Main Content, jump to.

, key - Sub Content, jump to.

. key - Footer, jump to.

The use of Accesskeys will depend mainly upon your Operating System and/or Browser.

Windows:
Firefox v. 2+: Hold down the Shift and ALT keys and select the number/letter of the access key.
Internet Explorer 5+: Hold down the ALT key and select the number/letter of the access key, then press Enter.
Netscape 6+: Hold down the ALT key and select the number/letter of the access key.
Netscape versions earlier than 6: Access keys are not supported.

Macintosh:
Firefox v. 2+: Hold down the Shift and ALT keys and select the number/letter of the access key.
Internet Explorer 5+ for Mac: Hold down the CTRL key and select the number/letter of the access key
Internet Explorer 4.5 for Mac: Access keys are not supported.
Netscape 6+: Hold down the ALT key and select the number/letter of the access key.
Mozilla: Hold down the ALT key and select the number/letter of the access key.

Semantic Structure

The pages are built in sectional blocks, using 2nd level headings. If your browser permits you to navigate by sections, you can jump to the same sections as mentioned above.
Additionally, Header tags should be used on most pages, signifying sections and subsections.

Scalable Text

Text on the site can be resized (including in IE6), by using the Text Size option in your Browser (usually in the View menu).
Alternatively, you may be able to alter the size of the text by;
Holding the Control key and tapping the + or - keys,
Holding the Control Key and scrolling with the mouse wheel.

Reactive Areas

Items such as Links and Form Labels have increased reactive areas, making them that much easier to select and use. Additionally, these items should visually respond (change colour/emphasis) when selected or in use (on supporting Browsers).

Standards Compliance

The website design was made to be standards compliant, meeting the W3C's guidelines for Valid XHTML Strict, in an effort to increase browser compatibility and rendering.
Additional CSS has been used to handle known browser issues.

There may be some forms of content on the site that do not pass validation (or that may cause minor inconvenience in regards to accessibility). We welcome all comments, suggestions and concerns, so please feel free to get in touch. You can use the form provided below, or view our contact details on the contact us page.