The Improvement Service believes that everyone should be able to access its website regardless of any impairments or technical constraints.

As well as being intuitive and easy to use, the Improvement Service website combines aesthetic value with practicality. This user-focused design combines these requirements into one website solution to satisfy all of its users.

Some of the measures we have taken to ensure that this website is accessible are detailed briefly below:

Standards compliance

Where possible, all pages within the site comply with the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Priority Level 1 Guidelines.

The W3C Markup Validation Service (v0.7.1) passes the site as being valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional. WebXACT Watchfire (WebXACT are the makers of Bobby) passes the site in its General, Quality and Priority 1 Accessibility checks.

Many Priority Levels 2 and 3 guidelines have also been followed in the creation of this web site, and we intend to improve upon this in the future.

Forms

All forms have been made accessible using labels that are explicitly associated with the text boxes, radio buttons and checkboxes that make up these forms.

Text

Use of text
Where possible, and without compromising design, text has been used instead of images on this website. Navigation, page titles and subtitles, links and other elements have all been created using accessible html text.

Text Size
To allow full user control over how text appears on screen, this site has been created using relative text sizes.

Contrast and colour

Contrast
The site has been tested to ensure that pages provide sufficient contrast when viewed by users with colour blindness or when viewed on a black and white screen.

Colour
No information is conveyed through colour alone. Links are consistently dark in colour throughout the site, and are marked with an underline when hovered over.

Images

Alt text
All content images include descriptive ALT text attributes.

External links

Links that lead to external websites will automatically open a new window in which the external website can be viewed.

Alternative formats

If you require an Improvement Service publication in an alternative format and/or language, please contact us on 01506 775558 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss your needs. Publications are also available in computer format, as PDF and RTF documents, from our website.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
International standards organisation, part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)