Help

Accessibility

Dstl is committed to ensuring our web site pages are as accessible as possible to the whole of the community.

In particular, we recognise the need to take reasonable steps to enable access to our website for those with impaired sight, learning difficulties or other disabilities.

We also utilise theWorld Wide Web Consortium (W3C) HTML validator. This tool checks our HTML code against the official specifications for the latest version of HTML used. Our Cascading Style Sheets are also checked and validated by W3C.

We have used the following browsers during testing:

Internet Explorer 6
Internet Explorer 7
Firefox 2.0+
Opera 9.26+
Safari 3.1.2 (PC & MAC)

Work on making this site more accessible has been influenced by the Guidelines for UK Government Websites, which incorporate support for the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Some of our documents are produced in Portable Document Format (PDF). The Access Adobe online conversion tools will transform these files to a number of other readable formats, which can then be read by common screen reading programs that synthesize text as audible speech.

Keyboard access

The keyboard shortcut commands available within our site are shown below. These commands are designed to help users who have difficulty in using pointing devices, such as a mouse.

1 - Home
2 - Site Map
3 - Help/Accessibility (this page)
4 - Contact Us
5 - About Us
7 - Links Policy
8 - Privacy Statement
9 - Crown Copyright

To use these keyboard shortcut commands, hold down the ALT or CTRL key and corresponding number on the keyboard at the same time. You will either be taken to the required link, where you will then press ENTER on your keyboard to access the page or the new page will automatically open in your browser window. The keyboard commands used depend on the browser type you are using.

The keyboard shortcut commands available within our site are shown below. These commands are designed to help users who have difficulty in using pointing devices, such as a mouse.

In most web browsers, the user invokes the access key by pressing Alt (on PC) or Ctrl (on Mac) simultaneously with the appropriate character on the keyboard. In Opera, the user presses Shift+Esc followed by the access key (without Alt). In Mozilla Firefox 2.0 the access key keyboard combination was changed to Alt + Shift , while in Amaya, the preferences allow the user the option of choosing Ctrl or Alt. In Firefox 3.0, this has been changed so that the key combination only focuses on the link, and an Enter is required after the access key combo. In Konqueror on Linux, The Ctrl key is pressed and released, and then the access key is pressed.

Whilst Mozilla and Firefox versions prior to 3.0 will execute the corresponding links immediately on the press of the access key, IE will just focus on the link and require Enter to be pressed in order to activate the link. If multiple identical access keys are assigned within the same document, IE will tab through them on each keypress (IE will tab backwards if Shift is pressed as well). This way, links can be logically grouped in various access key rings for easier navigation. IE 4.0 only supported letters of the English alphabet as accesskeys. Firefox 2.0 will activate the last of a group of links assigned the same accesskey.

For more info on keystrokes and a list of reserved keystrokes follow our link to WATS.

Our websites

The design of our websites includes a number of accessibility features including:

The ability to adjust text sizes
Alternative texts for images
The use of cascading style sheets
Access keys
Transcripts for video content
Captioning in video content (This will be a future addition)
Acronym descriptions
High contrast style sheets

Internet Explorer v7.0:

Select the Page menu
Select Text Size
Select your choice of Largest, Larger, Medium, Smaller, Smallest text sizes

Internet Explorer v6.0:

Select the View menu
Select Text Size
Select your choice of Largest, Larger, Medium, Smaller, Smallest text sizes

Firefox v2.0+:

Select the View menu
Select the Text Size option
Select Increase or Decrease to get the desired text size
Alternatively, select and hold the 'Ctrl' button on your keyboard and use ' + ' to increase the text size or ' - ' to decrease the text size. 'Ctrl' and '0' returns the text to the default size.

Opera v9.26:

Select the View menu on your browser
Scroll to Text Zoom
Select the desired text size

Safari 3.1.2 (PC & MAC):

Select the View menu on your browser
Scroll to Make text bigger/Smaller
Select the desired text size

Publication of BS 8878 is expected in summer, 2009

Further help (FAQs)

We also utilise the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) HTML validator. This tool checks our HTML code against the official specifications for the latest version of HTML used. Our Cascading Style Sheets are also checked and validated by W3C.

Work on making this site more accessible has been influenced by the Guidelines for UK Government Websites, which incorporate support for the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Q. What accessibility standards does this website meet?

The site meets World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) AA-level standard. You can read more about these standards at the WWW consortium website

Q. How can I change the text colour and size on this website?

A. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are used to set the colour and size of the text within each page. This formatting can be overridden -

in MS InternetExplorer by selecting Tools - Internet Options - Accessibility
in Netscape by selecting Edit - Preferences - Appearance - Fonts
in Opera by selecting View - Style - Make relevant selection
in Firefox by selecting View - Page Style - Make relevant selection

Q. Can I use screen magnification software?

A. Although some of the web browser features mentioned above might be helpful, they do not offer the same level of access as the magnification software packages developed by specialist software suppliers. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) website provides in-depth information for partially sighted web users..

Q. I have very restrictive vision. What are my options?

If you have little or no vision, the internet can be accessed using a speaking browser and refreshable braille displays. A speaking browser reads aloud the contents of the entire website. Braille displays translate the site's content into braille, which can be read by touch. Visit the RNIB website for details of technology designed to help if you have a visual disability.

Q. I have physical disabilities. What can help me to access the site?

A. The AbilityNet website provides information that can help people with disabilities make better use of computers. AbilityNet is a British charity.

Q. I still have an accessibility problem with this website. Who should I contact?

A. If you are still having problems or have a question that you want to ask, send us your query by email to Dstl webmaster webmaster@dstl.gov.uk