Plymouth College of Art is committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to all our users. This website has been designed with a number of accessibility features. These include:

• Changing Site Contrast (available from all pages)
• Alternative Text
• Dixerit - Listen to the site being read out loud (available from all pages)
• Minimising the use of images
• Access Keys
• Making content more accessible
• Plain English
• Help us to help you

We also provide assistance in the following areas:

• Guidance for new internet users and information about cookies
• Finding information and services - Scrolling, browsing and using the keyboard or mouse
• Assistance with Internet browsers/viewers, plug ins and printing pages

My Web, My Way is a new website which aims to help arm our audience with the tools and understanding which will enable them to make the most of the world-wide web (not just bbc.co.uk), whatever their ability or disability.

The site provides advice and help to all those people who would benefit from making changes to their browser, operating system, or computer to be able to view bbc.co.uk and the rest of the web in a more accessible way.

The site is not only for those with disabilities (visual, hearing, motor, cognitive or learning impairments) but also, for example, for those people with minor vision impairments who would not consider themselves to have a disability.

Find out more on My Web My Way We also have further information available on our public intranet about Accessibility Essentials

Changing Site Contrast

We aim to provide the most accessible site in its default format, however we understand that we may not get in right for everyone therefore we will continually offer the option to change the site contrast.

Alternative text for images

Images on our website have alternative text attributes, often known as alt text. This means that when an image is used on a web page to convey information its content is also described in the alt text. This means that the image can be understood by text browsers and assistive technologies such as screen readers. Where possible we will not use images for simply decorative purposes however if an image is used for this purpose, the text attribute for the image is left empty in line with accepted best practice.

Dixerit - Listen to the site being read out loud

We have enabled our site to be read out loud using a facility called Dixerit - You will not need to download anything to your PC - When selected (The listen option in the header bar at the top of the webpage) it simply changes the site to a format it reads and providing you have headphones or speakers connected to your PC then you can listen to the pages being read out loud.

Minimising the use of images

Live text is used rather than graphics wherever possible to reduce page download time and to increase your control over text size.

Access Keys

Access keys are a useful navigation device enabling you to get around the Plymouth College of Art's website using your keyboard. They can be used to jump to different sections of content across the main Plymouth College of Art website. View access keys on the Plymouth College of Art website.

Making content more accessible

In order to ensure a consistent user experience for visitors to the site we use what are known as cascading style sheets (CSS for short). CSS enable us to enforce a corporate look-and-feel to our website which ensures that a consistent font typeface, use of colour and optimum text sizes are presented to you.

Using cascading style sheets enables us to meet current legislative and industry standards on website accessibility

Help us to help you

We aim to meet the Priority A, AA, and selected AAA guidelines of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Our website is tested on a regular basis using a combination of automated tools to identify potential problem areas and manual testing to ensure we meet the spirit as well as the letter of the W3C's accessibility guidelines.

The information and Guidelines listed here apply for all of the college websites that come under the Plymouth College of Art name.

Much of the information on our website can be provided in other formats, such as leaflets, brochures, etc. Therefore if you require a different format please telephone (01752) 203434 or email enquiries@plymouthart.ac.uk with your requirements.

Plymouth College of Art aim to make our information accessible to everyone. If you are unable to find the information you are looking for then please ask us to find it for you. If you have a query with regard to the accessibility of this website then please email the webmaster@plymouthart.ac.uk

Thank you to the web team at www.devon.gov.uk for allowing us to use some of their accessibility content.