Accessibility

Access keys

The ability to navigate the site using other means than a mouse can be important for those who have difficulties using a mouse or other pointing devices. To help with this we have set up ‘Access keys’ (see below) on the site which allow easy navigation to the main pages on the web site.

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.

To use the access keys on the site follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the “Alt” key.
2. Press the required letter.
3. If necessary, release all keys and press the return key. The browser will then load the relevant page.

Keyboard shortcuts

K – Skip to main content
A – Accessibility
H – Homepage
S – Search
1 – About us main page
2– Business main page
3 – Not for Profit main page
4 – Services main page
5 – Careers main page
6 – Events main page
7 – News & Insights main page
8 – Publications main page
C – Contact us
P – Privacy page

Visitors can also use the “Tab” key on their keyboards to navigate the site. Press the Tab key once and a “Skip to main content” link will appear with a dotted border. Press it again and the text changes to “Accessibility”. Pressing the Enter key will then activate that link and take visitors to the Accessibility page where they can read about which keys provide access to what content.

Resizable text

We have not fixed the size of the textual information on the site. This allows visitors to alter the font size on the screen making the site easier to read using their browser or keyboard. Depending on the browser being used, the controls to increase or decrease the font size can usually be found in a “settings” or “tools” menu.

Coding Standards

Although there is no definitive standard to use when coding we have tried to make sure our site conforms to a number of very important criteria listed under the W3C’s Double AA standard for HTML and CSS (where any unmet criteria may not be considered applicable to the website). The W3C is currently the leading authority on web standards and accessibility and we consider following its guidance, where appropriate and possible, a matter of best practice. Adhering to these standards makes our site accessible to those browsers that also adhere to these standards, and makes our web pages more accessible to those using screen readers and similar devices.

Typically, meeting these criteria ensures that:

• Images have associated ‘alt’ tags (ie text alternatives) so that visitors know what the image is meant to convey should it not load, or if the visitor has chosen to browse with images switched off (or browsing with a screen reader or similar browser that does not display images)
• Text size can be altered by the visitor if required (see Resizable text, above)
• Text contrasts sufficiently with the background and is easily distinguishable for colour-blind visitors
• The site was also built commensurate with the guidance set out in the Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice which is designed to limit or eliminate discrimination: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/EqualityAct/servicescode.pdf

Consistent navigation

We have kept the navigation consistent throughout the site. All the top level pages and sections are available from every single page on the site.

Other consistent navigational aids include the section headers, the breadcrumb trail and the pull-down navigation menu.

If you have any comments about the navigation on the site please contact our Webmaster via the Get in Touch page.

Browsers and Operating Systems

The haysmacintyre web site has been designed to work correctly with the following browsers across a variety of popular devices ranging from desktop PCs to mobile phones and tablets:

Browsers tested in include:

It may also work adequately with a number of legacy browsers and operating systems and devices although it may not display perfectly (Support for BlackBerrys is also limited).

Further information

Screen Settings

This web site’s pages are designed to scale and respond to browser windows of approximately 340 pixels or wider. As such, no horizontal scrolling should be necessary. Below that width some content may not display as intended or desired.

PDF

The haysmacintyre site makes use of Adobe® PDF files. These are usually opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader, but that does not necessarily make them accessible to all users, browsers or devices. A solution to this is offered by Adobe at their PDF conversion page.

The URL (exact location) of a PDF file will appear in the web browser when it is selected. If that URL is copied and submitted at the PDF conversion page, it will be converted to HTML and in that form it should then be accessible.

Printing Pages

Visitors can print any page of the web site by using the “print” dialogue box within their browser settings. Additionally, visitors using a mouse, may right-click and choose “print” from the menu options.