We have tried to design our website to make it as accessible to users as possible whilst remaining clear and easy to use.
Current accessibility features include:
- Images and Alt tags
- High contrast and low graphic alternatives
- Resizable Text
- Coding Standards
Images and Alt tags
In an effort to maximise quick download times and access to information, we have avoided the use of excessive graphics and representation of information in graphical format.
Where images are used, they have been marked with 'Alt' tags - text alternatives so that you will still know what the image is meant to convey even if it doesn't load or if you've have chosen to browse with the images switched off. These tags also work in tandem with assistive technologies such as screen readers, used to read out the contents of the web page for non-visual use.
Colours and contrast
We have considered the needs of users who are colourblind by selecting colour combinations with sufficient contrast between foreground and background. Click the links at the top right of the page to increase contrast or to select a reduced graphic version.
You can however use your own preferred colour scheme. Instructions on how to change background and font colours for the most common web browsers appear below.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - versions 5 and 6
- Select Tools from the menu bar at the top of your window
- From the options which appear, select Internet options
- Click the General tab
- Click the button marked Accessibility
- To remove background and font colours, tick the checkbox labelled Ignore colours specified on web pages
- Click on Colours
- You can choose your own preferred colours for text, page background and links
Mozilla Firefox
- Select Options from the Tools menu at the top of the window
- Click on the Content button in the window that appears
- Under the "Fonts and Colours" sub-heading, press the button labelled "Colours..."
- Make your selections and then click OK.
Resizable text
We have been careful to make sure that we haven't fixed the size of the textual information on the website. This means that visitors who wish to can alter the font size on the screen to make it easier to read the contents of the site.
There are a number of ways to change the text size in your browser, the easiest way is to follow the following steps (for Internet Explorer):
- Select the 'View' menu
- Select the 'Text Size' option from the menu
- 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 keyboard and either using the scroll wheel on the mouse or plus and minus keys to increase (or decrease) the size of the text.
Coding standards and Double-A conformance
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, standards compliant browsers, and using standard XHTML code means that any future browsers will also display this website correctly.
We are continuously improving this website to conform to the Double-A level 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.
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 many web contributors, this is an ongoing process.
If you have any problem accessing any information on the site, you can advise us by contacting us by e-mail at info@westlondongmp.org.uk and we will endeavour to provide the information in a suitable manner.