Our website has been built with findability, accessibility and usability in mind, so we hope you can find, access and use the information you need. This page explains the accessibility features available on the web site. We are always happy to receive feedback via the helpline about accessibility on the web site.
On this page
Help with understanding the information
Have a web page read aloud to you using Read Speak or Browse Aloud
Change the colour of the web site
Change the size of the text
Navigate around the web site using a keyboard and access keys
Help with downloading media files and documents
Contact the helpline by writing email via the web site
Useful links to accessibility web sites
Help with understanding the information
Our writing style presents information in plain and simple language
We have tried to write the information on this web site in plain and simple language so it is easy to understand for as many people as possible.
Easy to read information
Some people need to have information and ideas explained in an easy to read way. There is a selection of easy to read information in the Publications and resources section. These explain things with pictures and simple writing.
Our glossary explains difficult words and phrases
Where we introduce difficult words or phrases and specialist terms they are defined in the Glossary.
Information in your own language
Where possible we provide information in a variety of languages. Information in other languages is avalable for download in the Publications and resources section.
The website can be translated into Welsh by using the 'Cymraeg' link at the top right of each page.
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Have a web page read aloud to you using Read Speak or Browse Aloud
If you cannot see the text on the web site we have endeavoured to make this site easy to access with text-to-speech screen readers.
If you don't have one of the popular screen readers on your computer there is some alternative free text-to-speech software available that will read web pages aloud.
Listen
On our web site there is a link at the top of each page saying 'Listen'. You can click that link to have the web page read out aloud to you by ReadSpeak software. You will need speakers or headphones to hear it and the volume should be turned up on your computer.
Browse aloud
Alternatively you may like to use the free text-to-speech software Browse Aloud which is available to download from www.browsealoud.com.
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Change the colour of the web site
At the top of every page you can change the colour of the web site display. This is intended to help people with sight impairments and people with dyslexia.
To change the colour click on one of the coloured boxes with a letter 'C' in it at the top of the page.
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Change the size of the text
There are various ways to change the size of the text displayed on each page.
Change the text size in the web page
At the top of each page you can click on the 'Text larger' or 'Text smaller' links.
- Text larger increases the text size each time you click it.
- Text smaller decreases the text size each time you click it.
- Text standard puts the text back to the standard size on this web site.
Change the text display settings in your web browser
You can also change the text size settings in your web browser. In most web browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer) this is done by going to the 'View' menu and selecting the 'Text size' option.
Flexible page layout so the column width resizes when you stretch the window
Our web site has a flexible page layout. The central text column stretches to fit as you resize your browser window. This allows you to adjust the text line length for easier reading at whatever text size you have chosen.
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Navigate around the web site using a keyboard and access keys
To help you find your way around the web site there are a number of navigation aids.
Access keys
If you use a keyboard to navigate web sites there are access keys that you can use as shortcuts. We have provided the access keys in the government standard and added a few extra for this web site.
S - Skip content
l - Skip to main navigation menu
1 - Home page
2 – News
3 - Site map
4 - Search
8 - Terms and conditions
0 - Accessibility
Y - Your Rights
O - Adviser Centre
B - For business and organisations
P - Publications
M - Campaigns and events
U - About Us
n - Contact us
i - A to Z Index
q - Copyright
r - Privacy
Using Internet Explorer in Windows
To use access keys in Internet Explorer 5+ press Alt + Access Key then release both keys and press Enter, e.g. Alt + 1 then Enter to go to the home page.
In earlier versions of Internet Explorer press Alt + Access Key.
On a Macintosh
To use access keys on Macintosh press Ctrl + Access Key, e.g. Ctrl + 1 to go to the home page.
Firefox 2
To use access keys in Firefox 2 you will need to press Shift + Alt + Access Key, e.g. Shift + Alt + 1 to go to the home page.
Opera
To use access keys in Opera press Shift + Escape then release both keys and press the Access Key, e.g. Shift + Escape then 1 to go to the home page
Skip to navigation
For people using screen readers the first link on every page says "skip and go to site navigation". Following this link will skip over the pager header and go to the main site navigation menu. The page header is repeated on every page so this avoids hearing it again and again. However, note that you will miss the link to the accessibility page by skipping straight to page navigation.
The access key for skipping straight to the navigation menu is l (the letter l for 'left'). You can use this shortcut on any page.
Skip to content
For people using screen readers the second link on every page says "skip to content". Following this link will skip over the pager header and skip over the navigation menu to take you straight to the content of the page. The page header and navigation is repeated on every page so this avoids hearing it again and again. However, note that you will miss the link to the accessibility page and the main navigation menu by skipping straight to content.
The access key for skipping straight to the content is 1 (the number one). You can use this shortcut on any page.
Site map
We have provided a site map of the main headings in the web site. This is the best place to get an overview of what is available on the web site. The links in the site map take you to the main sections of the site.
The access key taking you to the site map is 3. You can use this shortcut on any page.
A-Z Index
We have provided an A to Z index of topics covered in the web site. Here you can find an extensive list of topics and subjects about equality and human rights. Each topic is linked to a page that writes about that topic in detail.
Search and search options
You can search the web site by typing one or more keywords into the search input box at the top of any web page.
If your search returns too many results you can use the Search options to refine your search. There is further help for using search in the Search tips.
The access key taking you to the search engine is 4. You can use this shortcut on any page.
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Help with downloading media files and documents
There are many documents and media files for download on the web site. Most of them can be found in the Publications and resources section. Here are a few tips about accessing those resources.
Some documents are available in a variety of formats
Some documents are published in more than one format.
Formats for text documents include Microsoft Word (doc), Rich Text Format (RTF), Portable Document Format (PDF), HTML for web browsers and basic Text (txt).
Some documents are also published in Braille, large print, easy to read, and Welsh bi-lingual.
Some documents can be ordered for delivery on compact disk, on diskette, on audio tape.
Help with accessing PDF files
To read PDF documents you need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Commonly this is already on your computer, installed with your web browser. But if you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it for free from adobe.com.
Downloading documents
You can download documents and open them to read in your web browser or save them to your computer to read offline.
To read a downloadable document in your web browser simply click the link to the document.
To save a downloadable document right-click on the download (PC) or shift+click (Mac) and select the 'Save link' or 'Save target' option.
Ordering media and documents for delivery to you for offline use
Many of our documents can be ordered for delivery. These include Braille, large print, audio cassette, compact disk and printed versions of the document.
To order a document in the Publications and resources section for delivery click one of the icons under the document title next to the 'Add to basket' prompt. The title of the icon indicates what format it is.
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Contact the helpline by writing email via the web site
If you cannot contact the helpline by telephone you can type a text message to our helpline staff using this helpline enquiry form. They will respond to your enquiry by email.
Useful links to accessibility web sites
BBC - My Web My Way
A comprehensive resource for web accesibility with lots of advice about how to adjust your computer to get the best out of the web. My Web My Way
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