Help with reading a site
Helping hearing a website
Help with shortcuts
Access Keys
Tab-key
Firefox Accessibility Extension
Other useful links
Microsoft Accessibility Tutorial
BBC and AbilityNet
Help with reading a website
Readable and resizable fonts and layout
The IPS website uses font sizes that you can control using your web browser.
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'.
You can change the text size in Mozilla Firefox by selecting View
> Text size followed by 'Increase' or 'Decrease'. To return
the text size to its default setting, select 'Normal'.
The website's fonts have been chosen for their legibility on computer screens.
The website's layout has been designed to stretch to fill the width of the
browser, so that you can resize the browser to suit your own viewing preferences.
Top of page
Using IPS's text features
At
the top of each page on IPS are three buttons that let you change the
the way IPS looks.
- The first button is the normal button
- the second button increases the text size and
- the third button increases the text size and sets the background to black
and the text to white so it is "high visibility".
A cookie is put on your machine so that IPS remembers your preference.
IPS also highlights links to make them more visible when you put your
mouse over, try it here to see what happens!
Help
with hearing a website
Readable by screen readers
Images on our website have alternative text attributes, often known as
alt text. This means that when an image is used on a web page to convey
information its content is also described in the alt text. This means that
the image can be understood by text browsers and assistive technologies
such as screen readers. If an image is used for simply decorative purposes,
the text attribute for the image is left empty in line with accepted best
practice.
IPS uses Cascading Style Sheets which make the site easier to read by
text readers. We do not use frames which can sometimes trip up screen readers.
Top of page
Browsealoud
You can download a programme that reads websites that have been enabled,
the software reads text when you hover over it with your mouse.
Click here to download
browsealoud
Read
Please - free download
ReadPlease 2003 (Free Edition) offers full support for all Microsoft voices,
reads text via Windows clipboard from any program, Adjustable voice speed
(rate) and more.
Click here to find
out more and download ReadPlease
Help
with shortcuts around the site
Access keys
Access keys are a navigation device enabling you to get around the IPS
using your keyboard. They can be used to jump to different sections of content
across the main IPS site.
More in depth information about access keys can be found at W3C
Accessibility Guidelines. Available Access Keys.
Top of page
How to use Access Keys
Internet Explorer 5+ (PC)
Hold down the ALT key, press the number or letter of the access key,
release both keys then press ENTER
Internet Explorer 4 (PC)
Hold down the ALT key and press the number or letter of the access key
Internet Explorer 5+ (Mac)
Hold down the CTRL key and press the number or letter of the access key
Internet Explorer 4.5 (Mac)
Access keys are not supported
Netscape 6 and earlier (PC and Mac)
Not supported
Netscape 7 (PC)
Hold down the ALT key and press the number or letter of the access key
Mozilla (PC)
Hold down the ALT key and press the number or letter of the access key
Mozilla (Mac)
Hold down the CTRL key and press the number or letter of the access key
Safari and Omniweb (Mac)
Hold down the CTRL key and press the number or letter of the access key
Top of page
Using
the Tab-Key to navigate
IPS has been designed so that you can use the Tab Key to navigate from
link to link. In most cases the "active link" known as the "link
that has focus" will be highlighted. When it is highlighted, press
the Enter key and you will be taken to that link's destination.
Accessibility extension for Firefox users
Users of Mozilla/Firefox can download
an accessibility extension here that will help browse and navigate pages.
Microsoft
products accessibility tutorials
Microsoft has produced a range of tutorials to help users get the most
out of the inbuilt accessibility features in its products from Windows 2000
to Office 2003 and Internet Explorer 7. Click here for Microsoft
accessibility tutorials.
Partnership
between bbc.co.uk and AbilityNet
My Web, My
Way is a new website which aims to help users with the tools and understanding
which will enable them to make the most of the world-wide web (not just
bbc.co.uk), whatever their ability or disability.
Top of page
