Site help and accessibility provisions

Accessibility statement

We aim to make this site easy to use and accessible to all visitors, regardless of the computers, devices or software they use to browse the web. The web site designer followed current best practice accessibility guidelines in building the site, and hopefully avoided any serious pitfalls. If you find a specific problem viewing or reading the site, please contact us and we will see what we can do about it.

Features that help you to use this web site

You will find below some specific information that may be helpful when using this web site. For a wider explanation of the many ways you can change your browser, computer, keyboard and mouse settings to make the web more accessible for you, check out the BBC My Web My Way site. If you use the Firefox web browser, there is an excellent page detailing Firefox’s accessibility features.

Text size adjustment

If you are using a visual browser, you can change the size of the text for more comfortable viewing.

  1. Most browsers have text size adjustment options under their View menus. In Internet Explorer, for example, you can make your default text size larger under the View menu (you may have to press the Alt key to reveal the menu bar) by selecting Text Size, Larger (or Largest).
  2. If you have a wheel mouse, many browsers allow you to increase or decrease the text size by holding down the Ctrl key (Command key on Mac) while you move the scroll wheel up or down.
  3. Most browsers let you increase or decrease the text size by holding down the Ctrl key (Command key on Mac) while pressing the + or − keys respectively.

Internet Explorer version 7+, Firefox version 3+ and Opera all have a “zoom” feature, which changes the magnification of the page view including the images on the page: methods 2 or 3 above operate the zoom effect on those browsers. In Firefox, if you want to zoom the text but not the images, go to the View menu (you may have to press the Alt key to reveal the menu bar), then select Zoom, Zoom Text Only.

Navigation with the tab key

If you navigate using the keyboard rather than a mouse, you will find three discreetly concealed links at the top of the page. The first of these lets you skip past the primary or “global” navigation to the main content; the second lets you skip to the secondary or “local” navigation, and the third takes you to this page. These links are spoken by screen reading software, and become visible when you tab to them.

Otherwise, tabbing follows a logical order through the primary navigation menu, then any links and form fields in the main page content, then the secondary navigation menu, then the links in the footer. In modern graphical browsers, when you tab to a link or form field, its appearance changes to indicate that you are “focused” on it.

Design standards and practices

HTML5 PoweredThe code for the pages on this site has been written in accordance with the emerging HTML5 and CSS Level 3 specifications published by the World Wide Web Consortium. Every page aims to meet Conformance Level Double-A of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, tempered by good practice, experience and common sense.

This site uses JavaScript to provide small enhancements for those visitors whose browsers understand it. However, the site does not rely on JavaScript (or on any plugin) to deliver its core content or services.

The aim in following these standards and practices is to assure maximum compatibility between the pages on the CT Wellbeing web site and current and future web browsers, and assistive technologies employed by disabled internet users.

“Mobile” browsing

Adopting the standards above in conjunction with other practices means that if you are browsing this site on a device with a small screen, such as a mobile phone, you will still have access to all of the site content, just as you would if you were using a desktop computer and browser. However, the presentation and layout adapt to the smaller screen size in a way that makes pages easier to read. If you use a smartphone or tablet equipped with a modern web browser that complies with web standards (such as an iPhone or Android device), you should experience a nicely-styled, small-screen version of the site. On older phones without adequately standards-compliant browsers (typically devices with screens no more than 240 pixels in width), the presentation will be more basic and completely unstyled.