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Accessibility
Website Accessibility for People with Disabilities
Southbucks District Council is fully committed to making this website and it's content fully accessible to all members of society. Our aim is to ensure that everyone is able to read the details contained and that no one is disenfranchised for reasons of disability. The website has been carefully designed, and strict standards have been put in place, to ensure that users with disabilities can access the information contained within it.
Website Construction Standards
The site has been built using XHTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and complies with W3C WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, Level AA and Bobby.
We have a text only section structured to make the content easily readable. We have also tried to ensure that, in the construction of this website, we have allowed and catered for the various 'personal customisation choices' that can be achieved through the use of modern browser technology.
We hope that, throughout the website, you will find a consistent style and structure that will help with both website navigation and web page readability.
Report Accessibility Problems
While we don't profess to have got everything right, we are willing and keen to listen to the views of anyone who, because of a specific disability issue, has problems accessing information. If you encounter any problems regarding accessibility issues, please let us know.
You can do this by emailing us on sbdc@southbucks.gov.uk
Using Online Forms
All online forms attached to this website have been produced using the same strict standards we have applied to the website. Our aim is to ensure that they too are compliant with accessibility standards and are easy to use.
Alternative Website Versions
While many people will use their Internet browser or other assistive technologies to customise the look of the website, we have also provided alternative versions of the website (see the links at the top gray navigation bar of each web page for text only and printer friendly versions).
Those with older browsers, with a slow Internet connection, or those working on different platforms, will find that the website loads quickly and displays properly.
Plug-in Technologies
We do not generally use proprietary publishing formats such as Shockwave, Flash or other media formats requiring third-party plug-ins.
Downloadable Documents
A number of downloadable documents available within this site are in Portable Document Format (often referred to as PDF). In order to view a PDF document, you need free software called Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from the Adobe web site by following the link below:
If you use a screen reading program which synthesizes text as audible speech you may experience difficulty reading PDF files. The Access Adobe web site provides online tools to convert PDF documents into standard HTML or ASCII text. The site can be visited via the link below:
Browser Window Formats
Please note that our standard is to ensure that all downloadable documents are opened in a new browser window. When finished with the downloadable document, close the new browser window to return to the original web page.
Government Specified Access Keys
Access keys are used by those that do not have ability to use a pointing device. Within this website we have adopted those specified by central government in the UK
Instructions
To use these Access Keys please follow the simple instructions below:
Just press and hold the 'Alt' key ('Control' Key on a Macintosh computer)
Press the required number or letter
Press the return key and let the browser do the rest
UK Government Standard Access Keys
Theshort-cut keys are as follows:
Key Action
1 – Homepage
2 – A to Z
4 – Search
8 – Terms & Conditions / Privacy / Feedback
9 – Contact Us
s – Skip to content
q – Quick Links
BrowseAloud
The Council site is now speech-enabled, which means that you can download free software onto your personal computer and have the site read aloud to you.
Browsealoud is a solution that allows you to have website content read to you. As you move the cursor over text, it is spoken aloud.
Browsealoud is free to download and you have control over the voice, word pronunciations and speech highlighting.
You download a free, small browser plug-in. Once the plug-in has been installed, content on this site can be spoken aloud. Browsealoud will read every webpage on our site. It can also read pdfs in Adobe Reader Version 6.0 onwards. This meets the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C's) Level A guidelines for accessibility.
Once plugged in, look for the browsealoud icon in your system tray, which is usually at the bottom right hand corner of your screen (beside the system clock). Right click on the icon and choose 'open browsealoud settings' from the menu. The speech tab on the settings window enables you to choose a male or female voice, and change the speed, pitch and volume of the reader.
To read the entire page from where your cursor points, check the 'Continue reading from pointer' box. Otherwise Browsealoud will only read the individual sentences you point to.
For further help and assistance with the Browsealoud product take a look at the Browsealoud FAQs on their website.
Click on the image below and you will be taken to an external site where you will find full instructions to carry out the download and installation. A browsealoud icon will be placed in your system tray which is at the bottom right of your browser.
Links to Other Websites
Links to other web sites will open either as a popup window or be set to open in a new window. If links open in a popup window, you can click on the X to close the window. If the link takes you out of the site you can click on the back arrow return back to the South Bucks District Council website.
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