Accessing the site

This page contains information to help you use the site and the documents contained within it. Information is provided on:

  • Downloading and viewing pdf files
  • Adjusting your font size and colour

Downloading and viewing pdf files

Most of the documents on the site are available in the Portable Document format (pdf). To view these files you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free from the Adobe website.

If you are unable to read pdf documents you can use the Adobe online conversion tools on the Adobe website to convert the document to html or text.

For more information on accessing pdf documents you can visit the Accessibility Resource Center.

Adjusting your font size and colour

Some users might find that the default size and colour of the font isn't easy to read. However you can change the font easily in your browser settings:

To find out which version of the browser you are using, go to the "Help" menu at the top of your screen and choose the item beginning with the word "About" (e.g. "About Internet Explorer" or "About Netscape Communicator").

Please follow the instructions below for your relevant browser. The instructions here are for Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 5 and above and Netscape Communicator version 4.7; in other browsers the procedure may differ slightly.

For further assistance in changing your browser settings, please refer to the "Help" menu on your browser toolbar.

1. Internet Explorer (versions 5.5 and above)

Changing font size

To change the size of the text, click on "view" at the very top of your browser window. A dropdown menu will appear. From this, select "text size" and choose a size from the list.

Changing colours

Follow the instructions below to change the colours you see on web pages:

  1. Click "Tools"at the very top of your browser window. A dropdown menu will appear.
  2. From this dropdown menu, select "Internet options". Another box will appear.
  3. Look for the button marked "Accessibility" in the bottom right of the screen and click on it. A new box will appear.
  4. Click in the white square next to "Ignore colours specified on web pages". When a tick appears in the box, click "OK" to close the box.
  5. In the "Internet options" box (which should still be open, if it isn't open it again from the "Tools" menu on your browser) click the button labelled "Colours". Another box will open.
  6. Uncheck the box marked "Use Windows colours".
  7. Now click the rectangle to the right of "Text" and choose a text colour (e.g. yellow).
  8. Click the rectangle to the right of "background"and choose a background colour (e.g. black).
  9. Click "OK" when you're done.

Having done all this you should find that most pages you visit automatically have large text that is yellow on a black background.

2. Netscape Communicator (version 4.7)

To change browser settings, first open the "Preferences" box by clicking on "Edit" and selecting "Preferences". You may then choose to make any of the changes listed below.

Changing the text font

  1. To change the text font, follow these steps:
  2. Click on "Appearance".
  3. Click "Font".
  4. Choose the variable-width font and fixed-width font you want to use.
  5. Click "OK".

If you want to set these fonts for all future usage on your browser, click on "Use my default fonts overriding document specified fonts".

Changing colours

To change the text and background colours, do the following:

  1. Click on "Appearance".
  2. Click "Colours".
  3. Select the box next to "Text" and choose a colour.
  4. Click "OK".
  5. Select the box next to "Background"' and choose a colour.
  6. Click "OK".
  7. Click "OK" to close "Preferences".

To set these colours as your browser default, click on "Always use my colours, overriding document".


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