Accessibility

You can change the way this website looks to suit your preferences. The settings that do this differ from browser to browser, but most browsers offer some or all of the following,

  • Increasing the font size. If you find the size of the text on skillssoutheast.co.uk too small you can easily adjust it by using the font size setting in your browser. If you use Internet Explorer 6, go to the "View" menu, select "Text Size" and then select "Larger". If you use Internet Explorer 7 and 8 or Firefox, you can resize text using the zoom function by pressing and holding down "Ctrl" and "+". This will then zoom in allowing users with low vision to see the text more clearly. Use "Ctrl" and "-" to decrease the zoom again.

  • Adjusting text and colour changes. Some users who rely on screen magnifiers can find white backgrounds give off a glare. You can change both the background and the text on skillssoutheast.co.uk by changing some settings in your browsers. If you use Internet Explorer, look in the 'Tools' menu, select "Internet Options", select "Colors" and make changes to text and background colours in the "Colors" panel.

PDFs

Some of the documents on skillssoutheast.co.uk are forms or publications created in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). Adobe Reader enables you to read PDFs. The latest versions of Adobe Reader (7.0 and above) offer more in the way of accessibility than earlier versions. Click here to get Adobe Reader.

For information about accessing PDF documents with assistive technology, click here to download a PDF. For tools and information to increase the accessibility of PDF documents visit the Adobe accessibility page.

For information about converting PDF documents into HTML pages, click here to visit the Adobe website. To use this tool, copy and the complete URL of the PDF into the box labelled "URL" on this page. An HTML version will be created when you submit the form. There is also an email facility that will email you an HTML or text file translated from a URL or attached file.

Accessibility Wizard

If you use Windows, there is a program called Accessibility Wizard that enables you to set preferences for using your PC and the internet. To find the Accessibility Wizard, look in the Start menu, select "Programs", select "Accessories", select "Accessibility", select the "Accessibility Wizard" and then follow the instructions.

Further information

You can find step-by-step details of how to optimise the user experience of skillssoutheast.co.uk for users with difficulties or impairments on the BBC website. Click here to visit the BBC accessibility website. Accessibility agencies encourage linking to the BBC website as it is known to be extremely useful and comprehensive.