ASCC website - help

The ASCC is committed to making it's website content accessible to all users, regardless of physical, economic or technological circumstances.

If you have any problems accessing the content of this site or using any form of adaptive technology, please contact us and we will make every effort to resolve the issue.

All pages within the ASCC site comply with priority 1 and 2 guidelines of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Practical help

How do I make the text bigger so that it is easier for me to read?
How do I change colours so that the contrast is better for me?
Can I move around this website without using a mouse?
How do I download files from the ASCC website?
What are PDF's and how do I read them?
How can I view a Word file if I don't have Word software?
Can I link to the ASCC website from another website?
Where can I learn more about using the Internet?

How do I make the text bigger so that it is easier for me to read?

Using Internet Explorer, go to View > Text size > and select the size you want
Using Netscape, go to View > Text zoom > and select the size you want

How do I change colours so that the contrast is better for me?

To change the colour of the text and background your browser displays you need to find the Colors option dialogue box .

Using Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet options > Colors then uncheck Use windows colors and select the colours you prefer.
Using Netscape, go to Edit > Preferences > Colors and select Use my chosen colors

I find a mouse difficult to use. How do I move around without one?

Access keys

Access keys allow you to move around the main areas of the site without using a mouse.

Press the ALT key (Windows) or the Control key (Mac) and the appropriate letter key to jump to the link, and then Return to activate the link.

Links in the main menu

Home = h
About ASCC = a
Join ASCC = j
Contact us = c
Good practice = g
Resources = r
Conference = e
Awards = w
Previous events = p

Links at bottom of page

Accessibility = s
Terms and conditions = t

Links in the Members area menu

Members home = b
Directory = d
Noticeboard = n
Regions = i
Newsletters= l
Good practice = o

Not all web browsers support Access keys and some browsers use these key combinations as shortcuts to browser menus or functions.

Tab key

You can also click on the the Tab key to move forward between links. This includes links in the main text area. Shift and Tab will move you backwards.

How do I download files from the ASCC website?

Some documents on this site can be downloaded on to your computer. Just click on the link and the document will open in a new browser window. Links to files will normally tell you the type of file and how big it is. Nearly all downloadable files on this site are in PDF format - see below for more information.

Occasionally you may experience difficulty downloading a file. You can sometimes get round this by clicking on the link with the right (rather than left) mouse button and then selecting the 'Save target as..' option from the menu. If this does not work, please Contact us.

What are PDFs and how do I read them?

PDF stands for Portable Document File. It's the most popular way of making downloadable documents available on the web. You need a plug-in called Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files which you can download for free from Adobe's website.

Users who have concerns about accessibility should visit Adobe's accessibility website .

Adobe Acrobat documents can be converted to plain text documents using Online conversion tools for Adobe PDF documents.

The latest versions of Acrobat Reader has a Read Out Loud facility, which can be found under the View menu.

How can I view a Word file if I don't have Word software?

A free Word viewer is available from Microsoft at the Microsoft Download Center . You'll find Word, Excel and PowerPoint viewers here too.

Can I link to the ASCC website from another website?

Yes, we are happy for other organisations to link to the ASCC website from their website.

Where can I learn more about using the Internet?

For detailed information about changing fonts and font sizes using different web browsers and operating systems, and using the keyboard instead of the mouse, visit the BBC's My Web My Way website.

For general online help and web tips, visit the BBC's Webwise website

You can find out more about how to set up your computer to make browsing the web easier and more pleasant at AbilityNet (PC) or Apple Accessibility (Mac).