Web Accessibility at The Holistic Shop
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Accessibility Contact Details Initial queries about The Holistic Shop's website or any accessibility issues that we haven't answered here should be sent to info@theholisticshop.com The content author and webmaster for this webpage is Margaret McGoverne who can be emailed at margaret@theholisticshop.com If you have difficulty in using our website you can talk to us on the phone or send us an email. You can ring us on 01296 681671 during working hours (normally between 10am and 5pm). Outside these hours our answerphone is available 24 hours a day. Alternatively you can e-mail us at info@theholisticshop.com. Whenever you contact us it would help if you include your name, e-mail address and a full description of your query or question. Web Accessibility InitiativeWe are currently working towards achieving the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative accreditation. Our initial aim is to reach WAI Priority 1 level accessibility for the Holistic Shop website. Our long term aim is to achieve Priority level 2, if not 3. We are working towards integrating the following key concepts of accessible web design: - All images and animations to include a text description of each visual
- Provide captioning and text transcripts of audio and video multimedia
- All hypertext links to use text that makes sense when read out of context, for example by replacing "click here" links.
- Consistent page organisation and structure
- Alternative descriptions and content to be provided for scripts, applets, & plug-ins, for where such features are inaccessible or unsupported
- Consistent, easy to read tables with summaries
Visual impairments & Dyslexia sufferers If you have a visual impairment or dyslexia you can make use of the following tools and settings: - The '+ Larger Text and -Smaller Text' links at the top right hand corner of most pages allow you to increase or decrease the size of the text on the page.
- To support visually impaired users many of the pages on this website have a skip to content link at the top of the page; this allows users to skip over our navigation links and to go straight to the main content of the page.
- All images on the website have a text tag, and we do not use colours as the only way to display information. Our colour scheme is a high definition scheme, menaing that our text is easily definable from the background colour and is therefore clearer for visually impaired readers.
- You may also find making changes to your web browser settings help you use this web site. You can change the options in your browser to adjust the size of the text, the colour of the text and the colour of the background. If you are using the latest version of Internet Explorer you will be able to override the colour scheme of this and many other websites.
Changing browser settings to aid accessibility To change the display size of text on your browser, go to the View menu and choose text size. You can then choose the setting you are most comfortable with: Largest, Larger, Medium, Smaller or Smallest. 
To set Internet Explorer to ignore the colours and fonts used in web sites: - Go to the 'Tools' menu and choose 'Internet Options'.
- Click on the 'Accessibility' button
- Tick the 'ignore colours', 'ignore font styles' and 'ignore font sizes' boxes
- Click "OK" to apply the settings.
Changing Mouse Pointer Size and Visibility
Many people have difficulty seeing their mouse pointer, especially as the default "arrow" shape pointer is not constant; when hovered over text, the poibnter changes to a straighht black line (also known as an "I-beam" ). Depending on your operating system, it is possible to change the size of your mouse pointer so that it will be easier to see under all conditions. The following instructions are applicable for Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME and XP. - Go to the ' Start ' menu by clicking on the ' Start ' button or by pressing the ' Windows ' logo key (located between the ' Ctrl ' + ' Alt ' keys on most keyboards) alternatively press ' Ctrl ' + ' Esc '.
- Click on ' Settings ' or press the letter ' S ' on the keyboard.
- Click on ' Control Panel ' or press the letter ' C ' on the keyboard.
- Double click on the Mouse icon or press the ' M ' key repeatedly until ' Mouse ' is highlighted and then press ' Enter '.
The ' Mouse Properties ' page should be displayed as shown below.
- Select the ' Pointer ' tab or press ' Ctrl ' + ' Tab ' until the ' Pointer ' tab is displayed as shown in the screenshot above.
- Underneath ' Scheme ' is a drop down box which contains different sets of mouse pointers. Click on this box, or press ' Tab ' until the ' Scheme ' drop down box is highlighted, and the list appears.
- Use the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard to scroll through the list. The sets labelled as ' Large', 'Extra Large ' or ' Inverted ' schemes are the ones you should try in order to increase mouse visibility.
- To choose a scheme either click on it, or if it is already highlighted press the ' Enter ' key on the keyboard.
- Click ' OK ' or press ' Enter ' to exit the ' Mouse Properties ' page.
Additional Accessibility Resources and LinksMy Computer, My Way!
A guide to making your PC more accessible from AbilityNet, an organisation providing free information and advice on assistive technology.
www.abilitynet.org.uk
Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)
The RNIB provides a selection of fact sheets, links and guides to using PCs more efficiently, and accessibility features for sight impaired users.
www.rnib.org.uk Changes to Our Accessibility If, in the future, we add additional accessibility tools or features, all such changes will be noted here. This information will be archived after a suitable period of time, and the archive will be available from this page. If you still have any questions or comments regarding accessibility on our website, please feel free to email us at info@theholisticshop.com
Accessibility and The Holistic Shop website V1.0 May 2005
V1.1 Updated March 2006 to include advice on changing mouse pointer sizeBack to Top
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