Accessibility 

Removing barriers to information  

We are committed to designing our website to make it as accessible as possible but still visually interesting.

To do this we have included a variety of features.

  • Browsealoud is an online screen reader to help the visually impaired. This is software which reads the text on the screen and speaks those words to you.

    How to use the Browsealoud screen reader

    Once the software is installed on your computer you will be able to listen to any website offering the Browsealoud service.

     

  • We have avoided using excessive graphics within the website where possible to ensure quick download times and access to information which cannot be read if in image format.

    Where images have been used we have added 'Alt' tags - text alternatives so that you will still know what the image is meant to convey even if it does not load or if you have have chosen to browse with the images switched off or you are using an assistive technology like a screen reader to browse the web page rather than view.

     

  • We have been careful to make sure that we have not fixed the size of the textual information on the website so that visitors who wish to can alter the font size on the screen to make it easier to read.

    There are a number of ways to change the text size in your browser, the easiest way is to follow the following steps: (In Internet Explorer)

    1. Select the 'View' menu
    2. Select the 'Text Size' option from the menu
    3. Click on the text size you want to view

    It is also possible to increase the size of the text by holding down the ctrl key on the bottom left hand row of the key board whilst using the scroll wheel on the mouse to increase (or decrease) the size of the text.

     

  • This website is built using code compliant with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for XHTML and Cascading Style Sheets. W3C is the governing authority on web development standards and practices.

    The site displays correctly with current browsers, and using standard XHTML code means that any future browsers will also display this website correctly.

    We are continuously improving this website to ensure that pages conform to the Double-A level (and in places Triple-A) of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

    The Accessibility Guidelines explain how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. Conformance to these Guidelines helps to make the Web more accessible to users with disabilities and benefits all users.

    Individual pages are tested using the W3C Validation tool.

    There may be a few pages that do not conform to all the guidelines. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the whole site conforms, with so many contributors, this is an ongoing process.

    If you have any problem accessing any information on the site, you can contact us by emailing webteam@lbbd.gov.uk and we will try to provide the information in a suitable manner.

     

  • Throughout the site we have tried to keep the navigation consistent. Certain pages (Search, Accessibility, Site Map, Disclaimer, Contact) are available from every single page on the website.

    The top level of navigation to the main standard category headings are also available from all the pages.

    As well as finding pages via the standard navigation users should also be able to find them through the Search and Site Map pages.

    If you have any comments about the navigation on the site please contact the web team. We have tried to make it as easy as possible, but with with over 10,000 pages of information this can be difficult.

     

  • Legislation:

    Relevant organisations:

    Accessibility standards:

     
  • If you find any pages with an accessibility problem please let us know. You can email us at webteam@lbbd.gov.uk
     
 

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