Updated: September 2017

This is the first phase of our commitment to improving accessibility on our website. We have taken advice from our web developers using examples of best practice with checkpoints taken from the technical standard Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG).

Additional functionality

  • An option for users to increase text size
  • A text only option which removes all images from the website
  • An option enabling users to switch all uppercase titles and headers to lowercase

You can find this functionality on the top right of any page, titled Accessibility.

Accessibility testing

The site is tested regularly by users of different abilities, including blind and partially-sited individuals who are using third-party software to read the content.

Feedback and help

We champion accessibility for all in our values but recognise that ‘learning by doing’ is part of the process. If something doesn’t work for you on this website and you have any suggestions or comments on how we might improve accessibility, or are having trouble accessing some of the information, please contact us on info@paraorchestra.com

Other options

Sometimes there are ways you can make information online easier to access by making some changes to your computer or set up. The BBC published a useful set of How To guides

Further information on accessibility

Accessible formats

We aim to present all important information as HTML web pages, but we do occasionally present downloadable information as PDF (Portable Document Format) and Word document format. If you have any problems downloading or reading these files, you may need to download additional software:

If you can’t open a PDF file try downloading the latest Adobe Reader software. If you can’t open a Word document try downloading the latest Word viewer software.

Accessible language

We want to make sure that the language we use on the website is Plain English. No jargon, no unnecessary language, just simple and useful information.

Alternative Text on Images

We aim to provide Alternative Text (or Alt Text) for all images that present valuable information for screenreader users.

Video

Most video on our website is hosted on YouTube, captioned and embedded on the website. The exception to this is the montage video playing on our home page which is hosted on our servers. This does not have audio and hence is not captioned. You may pause the video by clicking the pause button in the bottom left of the frame.

Larger text size

We’ve designed our website with large font sizes to make text easier to read. You can enlarge the text further by clicking Accessibility on the top right of any page and choosing from the text size options.

This BBC guide shows you how you can increase text size in your browser settings. The BBC has also produced a guide about how to magnify your screen within your browser.

Text and background colours

There are two colours used for the text on our website, most of the text is in blue on white (or white on blue). This was chosen for its AAA compliancy with WCAG 2.0 guidelines. The secondary colour is red on white (or white on red). This has a AA compliancy level. We recognise that this may cause difficulties for some users and welcome your feedback. Please email us at info@paraorchestra.com

In some cases, it is possible to change the font and background headers to suit you. Please refer to the BBC guide

Uppercase and lowercase

Most of the navigation items and headers are in uppercase. We recognise that some users may have difficulties reading text in uppercase. You can change this by clicking Accessibility at the top right of every page and clicking the middle option – Remove Uppercase Text.

Heading structure

We aim to present all of the headers and subheaders across our website in a logical and easy to use format, using H1, H2 etc heading formats.

Link text

Some of the text on our website may contain links to other places on the website, or to external sites. Currently, other than indicated in the text, the links do not tell you where they will take you. We realise this is an area we need to address and aim to work on that in the coming months.

Text Only

Some users may find the website easier to use without images, you can remove these and view the site in a text only format by clicking Accessibility at the top right of any page and selecting the left option, Text Only.

Assistive technology

We have just launched our website and are currently assessing which screen readers the website is compatible with. We aim to list those here in the coming months.