We are committed to designing our website to make it as accessible as possible but still visually interesting.
To do this we have included a variety of features which are summarised as follows:
BrowseAloud is an online screen reader to help the visually impaired. This is software which reads the text on the screen and speaks those words to you.
How to use the BrowseAloud screen reader
Once the software is installed on your computer you will be able to listen to any website offering the Browsealoud service.
We use the standard UK Government access keys. These are-
Follow these steps:
Please note Access Keys may not work on all browsers.
The ability to navigate the site using other means than a mouse can be important for those who have difficulties in using a mouse or other pointing device.
To help with this we have set up 'Access Keys' on the site which allows easy navigation to the main pages on the website.
As well as helping those who have difficulty using a Mouse it also allows quick access to the main pages for anyone who prefers to use the keyboard.
We have avoided using excessive graphics within the website where possible to ensure quick download times and access to information which cannot be read if in image format.
Where images have been used we have added 'Alt' tags - text alternatives so that you will still know what the image is meant to convey even if it does not load or if you've have chosen to browse with the images switched off or you are using an assistive technology like a screen reader to browse the webpage rather than view.
We have been careful to make sure that we haven't fixed the size of the textual information on the website so that visitors who wish to can alter the font size on the screen to make it easier to read.
There are a number of ways to change the text size in your browser, the easiest way is to follow the following steps: (In Internet Explorer)
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 key board whilst using the scroll wheel on the mouse to increase (or decrease) the size of the text.
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 browsers, and using standard XHTML code means that any future browsers will also display this website correctly.
We are continuously improving this website to ensure that pages conform to the Double-A level (and in places Triple-A) 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.
Individual pages are tested using W3C Validation tool and Bobby accessibility check tool.
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 so many contributors, this is an ongoing process.
If you have any problem accessing any information on the site, you can advise us using the page error report form available on every page or contact us by email and we will endeavour to provide the information in a suitable manner.
Throughout the site we have tried to keep the navigation consistent. Certain pages (Search, Accessibility, Site Map, Disclaimer, Contact) are available from every single page on the website.
The top level of navigation to the main standard category headings are also available from all the pages.
As well as finding pages via the standard navigation users should also be able to find them through the Search and Site Map pages.
If you have any comments about the navigation on the site please contact the web team. We have tried to make it as easy as possible, but with with over 10,000 pages of information this can be difficult.
On the top of the site there is a link to 'Skip Navigation' - this automatically moves you down the page to below the navigation so if you are using a screen reader you can click straight on this link and not have to listen to all the links being read out.
If you find any pages with an accessibility problem please let us know. You can use our report a page error form or email us at webeditor@lbbd.gov.uk|
We are dedicated to modifying this site to be fully accessible, and to meet the following legislation and guidelines. We have already gone some way to doing this, but some features, such as PDF files, still require amending.
|
Home|
Advice, Benefits and Emergencies|
Help|
© MMVII London Borough
of Barking and Dagenham
Civic Centre
Dagenham, RM10 7BN
Telephone: 020 8215 3000
Fax: 020 8227 5184
Textphone: 020 8227 5755
E-mail: enquiries@lbbd.gov.uk|
Telephone: 020 8594 8356
Fax: 020 8227 3470
This website is speech enabled.