Accessibility Information

Endeavour Housing Association have tried to ensure that our web site is accessible to a wide a range of users and browsing devices. In addition to structuring our site using the standards set by the World Wide Web Association we have implemented a number of accessibility features:

• Changing Text Size
• Website Speech Enabled using 'browsealoud' software
• Skip Navigation Facility
• Access Keys
• Accessibility Testing

Changing Text Size

On every page of the site we have included a text resizing system which functions on a wide range of web browsers and allows you to increase or decrease the size of the text in this site. This system uses 'Cookies' (small information files which are downloaded to your computer) to remember your text size preference from page to page of the site.

It is possible that your browser is set up not to allow cookies to download to your computer. If this is the case you will find that the text size reverts to standard size on each new page. However, most common web browsers include a built-in feature to allow you to change the text size from within the browser settings. Instructions for doing this using different browsers are shown below:

Web Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on PC

Please note that whilst steps 1 to 7 should not be necessary for changing text size on the Endeavour Housing Association website, they may be necessary in order to allow resizing of text on some other sites.

1. Click on the 'Tools' menu button at the top of your browser window.
2. Select 'Internet options...' from the drop-down menu.
3. In the window that opens up, click on the tab marked 'General' if not already selected.
4. Click on the button marked 'Accessibility' near the bottom right corner.
5. To enable your browser to over-ride the size specified in web site pages, click on the the checkbox marked 'Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages' to put a tick in it.
6. If you wish to remove background and font colours from web pages, click on the checkbox marked 'Ignore colours specified on web pages' to put a tick in it. This may make it easier to read the text.
7. Click 'OK' to close the Accessibility window and then click 'OK' again to close the Internet Options window.
8. Now click on the 'View' menu button at the top of your browser window.
9. Select 'Text size' from the drop-down menu.
10. Select your desired text size from the roll-out menu of options shown for Text Size.

Web Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 on Apple Mac

Please note that whilst steps 1 to 6 should not be necessary for changing text size on the Endeavour Housing Association website, they may be necessary in order to allow resizing of text on some other sites.

1. Click on the 'Explorer' menu button at the top of your browser window.
2. Select 'Preferences...' from the drop-down menu.
3. In the window that opens up, click on the menu button marked 'Web Content' if not already selected.
4. To enable your browser to over-ride the size specified in web site pages, click on the the checkbox marked 'Page Specify Fonts' to remove the tick in it.
5. If you wish to remove background and font colours from web pages, click on the the checkbox marked 'Page Specify Colors' to remove the tick in it. This may make it easier to read the text.
6. Click 'OK' to close the Internet Explorer Preferences window.
7. Now click on the 'View' menu button at the top of your browser window.
8. Select 'Text Zoom' from the drop-down menu.
9. Select your desired text size from the roll-out menu of options shown for Text Size.

Web Browser: Netscape Navigator 7 on PC

Please note that whilst steps 1 to 9 should not be necessary for changing text size on the Endeavour Housing Association website, they may be necessary in order to allow resizing of text on some other sites.

1. Click on the 'Tools' menu button at the top of your browser window.
2. Select 'Preferences...' from the drop-down menu.
3. In the window that opens up, click on the arrow next to the menu button marked 'Appearance' so that it points down and shows addtional menu items underneath.
4. From these additional menu buttons, click on the button marked 'Fonts' to show font options to the right of the menu.
5. The drop-down menu labeled 'Fonts for' should read ‘Western’ to tell the browser which types of letters and symbols to use.
6. Set the 'Proportional Size' menu selection to 18 and the 'Monospace Size' menu selection to 18. These are your default text sizes though you will still be able to scale up and down as indicated below (you can change these defaults later if they are still too small).
7. To enable your browser to use these settings to over-ride the sizes specified in web site pages, click on the the checkbox marked 'Allow Documents to use other fonts' to remove the tick in it.
8. Please note, you can also set your own colours and backgrounds, overriding those embedded in the website, by clicking on the 'Colors' munu button to the left, underneath the 'Fonts' menu button.
9. Click 'OK' to close the Preferences window.
10. Now click on the 'View' menu button at the top of your browser window.
11. Select 'Text Zoom' from the drop-down menu.
12. Select your desired text size from the roll-out menu of options shown for Text Size.

Web Browser: Safari Apple Mac

Please note that whilst steps 1 to 7 should not be necessary for changing text size on the Endeavour Housing Association website, they may be necessary in order to allow resizing of text on some other sites.

1. Click on the 'Safari' menu button at the top of your browser window.
2. Select 'Preferences...' from the drop-down menu.
3. In the window that opens up, click on the tab marked 'Appearance' if not already selected.
4. Click on the button marked 'Select' next to the Standard Font label to open up the Font settings window.
5. Set the 'Size' menu selection to 18 and click on the window close button in the top teft corner of the window to close the Font settings window. This is now your default text size though you will still be able to scale up and down as indicated below (you can change this default later if they are still too small).
6. Click on the button marked 'Select' next to the Fixed-width Font label to open up the Font settings window.
7. Set the 'Size' menu selection to 18 and click on the window close button in the top teft corner of the window to close the Font settings window. This is now your default text size for fixed width fonts (such as 'Courier') though you will still be able to scale up and down as indicated below (you can change this default later if they are still too small).
8. Click on the window close button in the top teft corner of the window to close the Appearance settings window.
9. Now click on the 'View' menu button at the top of your browser window.
10. Select either 'Make Text Bigger' or 'Make Text Smaller' from the drop-down menu.

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Website Speech Enabled using 'browsealoud' software

Speech enabling our website

This website is now speech-enabled, which means that you can download free software onto your personal computer and have the site read aloud to you.

The free software is called browsealoud, and is used on over 2000 websites in the UK and USA. Browsealoud is a Windows browser plug-in designed for use with Internet Explorer 4 upwards or Netscape Navigator. If you install the browsealoud plugin onto your PC, you can have the web pages on the Endeavour Housing Association, North Star Housing Group or Teesdale Housing Association website read to you.

Why speech enable our website?

Speech enabling our website provides an additional way of accessing our content for people who find it hard to read. This includes those with dyslexia or learning difficulties, those for whom English is not their first language, or anyone with a mild visual impairment. It is not designed to replace other screen readers.

What is browsealoud?

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.

How does it work?

You download a free, small browser plug-in. Once the plug-in has been installed, content on this site can be spoken aloud.

Does it work on all pages?

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.

Can I customise browsealoud?

Yes. 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.

Downloading Browsealoud

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.

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Skip Navigation Facility

Visitors who use a linear browsing device, such as a braille or voice reader can bypass the menu which is repeated on every page and jump straight to the page content by using the Skip Navigation link at the top of each page of the site. This avoids having to trawl through the whole navigation menu every time a new page is accessed. This link also uses an access key to speed up the process ( the access key is 'k' ). For more information on access keys within the site, see below.

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Access Keys

The site makes use of Access keys to speed up site navigation to key areas for those visitors who use keyboard-type devices rather than a muose to navigate websites. Access keys are shortcuts which can be used from anywhere within the page to jump straight to a particular part of the page, be it a navigation button or an important area of feature.

Some pages utilise specific access keys unique to the page but there are 'global' access keys which have the same function throughout the site as follows:

• Skip Navigation and go straight to page content - Access Key 'k'
• Go to Home Page - Access Key 'h'
• Site Search facility on current page - Access Key 's'
• Go to Accessibility page (this page) - Access Key 'a'
• Go to Site Map - Access Key 'm'
• Go to Top of current page - Access Key 't'

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Accessibility Testing

This site has been tested for accessibility using the industry standard 'Bobby' Acessibility Testing software tool. In addition we have had human testing performed by local disability organisations. Should you have difficulty accessing this site, please contact our web designers by telephone on 01642 591451 with details of the problem.