In addition, better accessibility can be achieved by configuring some browser and operation system tools. This page provides information about those possibilities.
A more detailed help page on the same topic can be found at http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/mcmw/. If you have questions or problems regarding these guidelines, please email [email protected].
Keyboard-only navigation
This website allows visitors to navigate using only the keyboard. Navigation works by pressing the Tab key repeatedly. Every keypress brings the focus to the next element, ie. link or a button. The element currently in focus is highlighted by a color change and a framed box around it. To activate this element (ie. “click on it”), press the Enter key.
The first link that becomes active when navigating in this way is “Skip to main content” and it is hidden from the average user. The link is specifically designed for keyboard navigation and skips the header and left pane and jumps to the main content of the page.
The second link is “Accessibility”, which opens a modal with the option to change the page design to high contrast - the text becomes yellow and the background black, and restore the original settings. In addition, this modal contains a link to the accessibility notification.
Zooming in and out
To zoom in we recommend to first use the browser built-in zoom.
All popular browsers allow zooming in and out by pressing the Ctrl (Cmd in OS X) and + or - keys. Or alternatively hold down the Ctrl key and scroll up or down with the mouse.
In your operating system
Windows 7 includes “Magnifier”, a program that allows zooming. Press the “Start” menu and type “Magnifier” (first letters should suffice) and press Enter. A small overlay window appears that can be moved around with the mouse and which zooms everything in it.
In Apple computers, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Accessibility (or Universal Access) > Zoom.
Browser plug-ins
Browsers have plug-ins that extend the zooming capabilities. For example, “Zoom Page” for Firefox, "AutoZoom" for Chrome.
Changing colors
You can change the contrast of content on a web page to make it easier to read. To enter high-contrast view, click or tab to the “Accessibility” link and select “Black and yellow text.” The page will reload and the background of the content will turn black and the text will turn yellow.
Using a screen reader
A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen. This interpretation is then re-presented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a Braille output device.
The content of this website is created in accordance with the screen reader technical standards. For example, pictures have Alt tags, special text-based descriptions; video windows have textual descriptions about whats happening on the screen; structural elements are placed and ordered so that the order of the information read by the screen reader is logical and easy to follow.
A choice of popular screen readers:
JAWS (Windows) http://www.freedomscientific.com/
VoiceOver (OS X, free, built-in)
NVDA (Windows, free) http://www.nvaccess.org/download/
SystemAccess (Windows) http://www.serotek.com/systemaccess
Last updated: 05.11.2024
