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Accessibility and Technical Information
Links to Help Pages
This section will provide technical information and advice on accessing the site.
Accessibility Standards
Accessibility Tips
Software requirements
Downloading Documents
Speed and Internet connectivity
Contact Us
What standards does this website meet for accessibility?
There is now a legal duty to meet the information needs of our blind and partially
sighted customers following the implementation of Section 21 of the Disability Discrimination
Act in October 1999.
ELEXON is committed to making sure its website is as accessible as possible to the
visually impaired or those with other disabilities. The site has been designed in
accordance with the guidelines set out by the RNIB and has been audited by the them.
Their logo, displayed on all our pages, confirms that we have successfully achieved
accreditation against the RNIB See
it Right (opens new window)
accessible website standard.
The RNIB See it Right checkpoints are taken from
Website Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines, published by the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The WAI guidelines are the definitive
international guidelines for building accessible websites. The See it Right checkpoints
set a standard of accessibility exceeding WAI single 'A' and close to WAI 'AA'.
As well as requiring compliance with WAI priority one checkpoints, the requirements
for gaining their Accessible Website logo incorporate a range of priority two and
three checkpoints which have particular relevance to users with sight problems.
With content being continually updated on our site, our efforts to make sure our
site accessible will clearly be ongoing. However, if you experience any difficulties
accessing or understanding the information on our site, please contact the BSC Service Desk.
I have very restrictive vision. What are my options?
If you are visually impaired, this site can be accessed using screen magnification
software, a screen reader, a speaking browser and refreshable braille displays.
Screen Magnification software greatly increases the size of screen elements. A screen
reader and speaking browser will read out the contents of the 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.
Using Access technology
ELEXON have endeavoured to improve the browsing experience wherever possible on
the site. The information and tips below will provide further suggestions on how
to take advantage of the available Accessibility features.
There is very limited use of Javascript on the site. Limiting the use of Javascript
improves the overall experience for users with screen readers and will not restrict
the functionality available to those users with text-only browsers.
Please note that the built-in features described below, although useful, do not
offer the same level of access as the magnification software packages developed
by specialist software suppliers. The RNIB website provides in-depth information
for partially sighted web users.
Using Access technology
Screen Resolution
The recommended minimum display settings for viewing the ELEXON website is 800x600
and 16-bit colour (65,356 colours, or thousands of colours depending on your operating
system).
Access Keys are keyboard shortcuts that have been used in the design of this site to allow users with limited physical capabilities to navigate more easily to key parts of the site. Access Keys have also been assigned to the hidden navigation links (see below) to improve site usability for users with screen reading software.
Using the Access Keys differs slightly in use and behavior depending on the browser and Operating System (OS) used. Depending on the type of OS you have, using the access keys will create different results:
- Windows OS - Pressing "Alt" and the access key will give focus to that specific link on the page. If using Internet Explorer, you must then press Return to be taken to that page
- Macintosh OS - Pressing the Apple key and the access key will automatically send you to that specific page
For each of the access keys listed below, modifier keys need to be pressed in addition to the access key itself. The modifier keys vary between browser and platforms and are listed beneath the access key table.
ELEXON Access Keys
|
Key |
Destination |
|
0 |
Access Keys - ELEXON Online Browser Shortcuts
|
|
1 |
Home Page
|
|
2 |
What's New
|
|
3 |
Site map
|
|
4 |
Search
|
|
5
|
Glossary
|
|
6 |
Help - Using this Site
|
|
7 |
Privacy Policy
|
|
8 |
Disclaimer
|
|
9 |
Feedback Form
|
|
S |
Skip to Navigation
|
Modifiers for Access Keys in Different Browsers
|
Web Browser |
Modifier |
Notes |
|
Internet Explorer |
Alt + Access Key, then Enter
|
|
|
Firefox 2 & 3 |
Alt + Shift + Access Key
|
|
|
Opera |
Shift + Esc + Access Key
|
The modifier key must be released before the Access Key is pressed
|
|
Google Chrome |
Alt + Access Key
|
|
|
Konqueror |
Ctrl + Access Key
|
The modifier key must be released before the Access Key is pressed
|
|
Safari 4 |
Ctrl + Option + Access Key
|
|
Hidden Navigation
This site has hidden links to facilitate users with screen readers or physical disabilities. These links provide convenient means to:
- Skip to the Access Key information (this page)
- Skip to main navigation
- Skip to breadcrumb trail
- Skip to main content
Other Useful Keyboard Shortcuts
The shortcuts below are common to both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
|
To: |
Press: |
|
Move to the next element in the page, e.g. link |
Tab |
|
Move to the previous element in the page |
Shift and Tab |
|
Activate a selected link |
Enter |
|
Go to previous page |
Alt and Left Arrow |
|
Go to next (previously visited) page |
Alt and Right Arrow |
|
Scroll up the page |
Up Arrow |
|
Scroll down the page |
Down Arrow |
|
Scroll up in larger increments |
Page Up |
|
Scroll down in larger increments |
Page Down |
|
Move to the beginning of a page |
Ctrl and Home |
|
Move to the end of a page |
Ctrl and End |
|
Display shortcut menu for selected hyperlink |
Shift and F10 |
|
Close the Window |
Ctrl and W |
Graphics and Alt Text
The use of graphics on the ELEXON website has been kept to the minimum to improve
site performance and accessibility. However, icons have been used extensively to
provide visual indications of document types and one or two other functions. All
icons have been assigned with ‘Alt’ text to provide textual information on what
the image is. There are some exceptions to this where images are merely providing
a decorative or visually enhancing role.
This Alt text is visible if browsing with image viewing is disabled in the browser
or if using a text-only browser.
Unfortunately, due to their complex nature, Alt text has not been provided for the
Business Process Model diagrams available from the BSC and Related Documents section
of the site. However, should you require assistance in this area, please contact
bscservicedesk@logica.com
Browser Optimisations for Internet Explorer 5+
Adjusting Text Size
The website has been designed in order that you may change the size of the text.
To do this, select ‘View’ and then ‘Text Size’ from the menu in your Internet Explorer
browser.
When using a screen reader, make the font size as small as possible to prevent the
text from wrapping. This makes it easier for the screen reader to read the text.
Default Fonts and Overriding the CSS
It is generally accepted that it is easier to read Sans Serif fonts (such as Arial
or Verdana) on websites in preference to Serif fonts such as Times New Roman. The
ELEXON website uses Sans Serif fonts throughout, but if you prefer to use a different
font face or wish to set your own choice of font to use on all Internet sites, carry
out the following steps:
- From the Tools menu (the View menu in Internet Explorer 4) select
Internet Options
- On the General tab click the Fonts button
- Select your preferred fonts from the Font list
- Click OK
Continue with these Internet Explorer 5+ options:
- Click the Accessibility button
- Select the relevant Ignore options in the Formatting section to
force your preferences over the web page settings
- Click OK twice
You may now wish to adjust your font size settings as described above.
This and other websites use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to specify font sizes,
colours, etc. Advanced users may wish to apply their own preferences for colour
and layout by attaching their own style sheets. This is accomplished using the Accessibility
options as detailed below:
- From the Tools menu select Internet Options
- Click the Accessibility button
- Select the ‘Format documents using my stylesheet ’ option and
Browse to your preferred style sheet
- Click OK twice
Background and Text Colours
- From the Tools Menu select Internet Options
- Ensure the tab at the top of the window is set to General
- select the Accessibility button at the bottom right of the dialogue
box
- Select the box next to 'Ignore colors specified on web pages'
- Select OK
- Select the Color button at the bottom left of the window
- Ensure the Use Windows Colors is not ticked
- Select either of the Text or Background buttons and select
new colours from the options
- Select OK to confirm your settings; you will have to select 3 OK's
before you return to your browser window
Increase Window Size
To increase the viewing area for the site you can do one of the three options below:
- Click Full Screen on the toolbar if available
- Press F11 on the keyboard (press F11 again to toggle to normal
view)
- Click on the View menu, and then select Full Screen
Browser Optimisations for Netscape Navigator 6+
Adjusting Text Size
The website has been designed in order that you may change the size of the text.
From the View Menu select Text Size and then the
percentage increase that you want. We recommended not increasing
the value above 150%.
When using a screen reader, make the font size as small as possible to prevent the
text from wrapping. This makes it easier for the screen reader to read the text.
Default Fonts
- From the Edit menu select Preferences
- From the Appearance category click on Fonts
- Choose the required fonts and font sizes
- Click OK
CSS settings cannot be overridden in Netscape Navigator 6.
Background and Text Colours
- From the Tools Menu select Internet Options
- Ensure the tab at the top of the window is set to General
- Select the Accessibility button at the bottom right of the dialogue
box
- Select the box next to 'Ignore colors specified on web pages'
- Select OK
- Select the Color button at the bottom left of the window
- Ensure the Use Windows Colors is not ticked
- Select either of the Text or Background buttons and select
new colours from the options
- Select OK to confirm your settings; you will have to select 3 OK's
before you return to your browser window
Browser Compatibility
The ELEXON site is optimised for use with a minimum of Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.0, Firefox 2.0 and above but is also checked using Opera, Safari and Google Chrome. Although Netscape Navigator is no longer supported by AOL, we continue to check our site using Navigator version 6.0 and above. The site relies heavily on Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for its presentation and layout. Whilst the CSS conforms to the CSS2 standards, the implementation in older versions of the above mentioned browsers, or alternative browsers may result in some anomalies in the presentation of the site. For example, users with Netscape 4 will see a plain, text orientated version of the pages laid out in a very linear fashion.
To check your browser version, look in your browser’s ‘Help’ or ‘File’ menu.
Browser upgrades can be found at:
Internet Explorer
Firefox
Adobe Acrobat
Portable Document Format files (PDF) can be opened on PC and Macintosh computers.
To read these files you need Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or above) installed
on your machine.
The latest version of Acrobat Reader is available for free at
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
There are several ways to download PDF documents.
- Right click on the PDF link, select 'save target as' from the pop-up menu, download
to your hard disk.
- Open the PDF, click on the save icon on the Acrobat toolbar, download to hard disk.
- Add the document to the Document Basket
and use your preferred checkout option
PDF documents on the ELEXON website will open in a new browser window (which can
be closed by pressing Ctrl + W).
Some PDF documents are very large and will take several minutes to download, particularly
if they are being accessed over a dial-up connection.
Check the file size which is published alongside each document before you commence
download.
|
Activity |
Toolbar Icon |
Comments |
|
Print the document |
 |
If you want to print a PDF document that you have opened in your browser, use the
Print button that appears to the left of the special Adobe Acrobat Reader toolbar
(which appears immediately above the viewing window). |
|
Navigating pages |
  
 |
Click one of the four icons shown to go to:
- First Page
- Previous Page
- Next Page
- Last Page
|
|
Make the page fit the screen |
 |
Click one of the three icons shown to display the document in the following ways:
- Actual Size
- Fit in window
- Fit Width
|
|
Click a link in the document |
 |
If the mouse pointer turns into a pointing finger, you can follow the link by clicking
on it. |
|
Jump to a page |
 |
To go to a specific page in a document, click inside the field showing the page
number, enter the required page number and press enter. |
|
Search the document |
 |
To search for text in a document click the icon shown. |
PDF Documents and Accessibility
Adobe provides online conversion tools for PDF documents that help visually disabled
users whose screen reader software is not compatible with the Adobe Acrobat Reader
5.0. These online tools convert PDF documents to either HTML or ASCII text, which
can then be read by a number of common screen reader programs. Adobe has a special
Adobe Access homepage
which offers online conversion tools to allow people using screen readers to access
PDF documents.
Microsoft documents
The Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents are designed to be viewed in versions 97
and above.
Broken links and Error messages
We endeavour to ensure that all links on our site are up-to-date. If you do find
a broken link or an error message, please advise us:
webmaster@elexon.co.uk
Excessive delays are not normal and the site should generally respond quickly. If
it does not, this may be due to the following:
- the pages of the site have been designed to be loaded over a 56k modem or faster,
a lower specification computer or modem will have an impact on performance
- high demand – the site may become slow around periods of peak demand (publication
of documentation of high importance)
If you cannot find an answer to a technical query and you think it is caused by
our website (rather than something that your IT department may be able to help with),
please contact us at webmaster@elexon.co.uk