Accessibility
The EvertSmith.com web site has been designed to be as accessible as possible. However, we recognise that accessibility is a subjective experience and therefore we’d like to encourage you to let us know if you encounter any problems using the site. We will take action and respond as quickly as we can.
Site Features
All text and image content used on this web site expand based on your preferred text-size set using your browser’s controls. You can ‘zoom’ in to the content at any time using your browser font size settings. The layout will stay the same no matter how far you wish to zoom in.
If any aspect of the default layout of the site causes you any difficulty, it may be preferable for you to remove all ‘styles’ completely and adjust your browser settings as you require. Read on for useful links to accessibility help for different operating systems and browsers.
Accessibility Help
- Apple Universal Access overview
- Information about Apple Mac OS X Tiger operating system accessibility features
- Microsoft accessibility
- Information about Windows accessibility features
- Mozilla Firefox accessibility
- Accessibility features of Firefox and links to further information
- Opera accessibility
- Accessibility features of Opera and with tutorials and help
- Internet Explorer 6 Accessibility Tutorials
- Tutorials and help for Internet Explorer 6 acessibility features
- Disability Rights Commission
- Information and help towards a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens.
- AbilityNet
- Advice and information on all aspects making technology accessible for people with a disability or limiting condition.
Conformance and Law
The web site conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (exceeding priority 2 checkpoints) from the Web Accessibility Initiative – part of the World Wide Web Consortium. In addition, the latest best practice techniques have also been used where appropriate.
All web sites based in the UK are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that the content is accessible according the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This web site excedes that statutory requirement.
Why Design For Accessibility?
Accessible design benefits all users not merely disabled ones. Accessible design means that web sites are easier to use in every respect and better for search engines to index – everyone benefits from accessible web sites.
It is a popular misconception that web accessibility is just about disabled users such as the visually impaired. Not true! It also includes those with equally dibilitating conditions such as dyslexia, color blindness, and mobility / dexterity impairment caused by conditions like arthritis.
In the UK, the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey, Winter 2004 suggests that as many as 20% of the working age population have disabilities that accessible web design can help.
In the USA, in 2001 an estimated 19.4% of civilians in the United States, totaling 48.9 million people, have a disability. It is estimated that now somewhere between 10% and 20% of the total browsing population are disabled in some way.