Just like the museum, we aim to make the website as accessible as possible.
We follow best practice so far as possible. The website comprises around 350
pages and development has to be gradual. We try to incorporate improvements in
all new development work.
Access Keys
The following access keys are used on this website
- 0
- Accessibility statement - this page (not used on all pages)
- 1
- Main home page of website
- 2
- News page (not used on all pages)
- 3
- Site Map. Available on some pages at present
- 5
- Sub-site or section home page. Available on distinct sub-sites (e.g.
education) and sub-sections (e.g. collection)
- 9
- Feedback form (not used on all pages)
The Education Sub-site
The Learning Zone section of the education sub-site is designed for use by
children and navigation links are more restricted on the online learnng
resource pages. This is to reduce the opportunities for distraction whilst
working through the educational material. There is always a link to the
education sub-site home page. The education sub-site home page has an option to
display the full navigation menu.
Search Facility
The site's search facility is provided by Freefind.com, a leading
international external seach service provider. The pages which are displayed
giving search results and also alternative site maps, are not fully accessible
although they have been customised as far as possible to make them accessible
to all users. Some particular points to note are:
- Search tips link on the search results page opens a new pop-up browser
window without warning
- There is a link "click here" at the very end of the page. This
links to Freefind's home page where you can find out about using the Freefind
service on your own website.
- The page structure consists of a main heading "Results found in London
Canal Museum Website" followed by two headings which are not coded as
headings "Search Sponsors" and "Search Results from London Canal
Museum". (The site map pages are similar but with some different wording)
Accessible Website Design
Every effort is made to ensure that the site is accessible to all users
including those with a disability. Our policy is:
- To comply with W3C web design standards throughout the site. There is only
one intentional exception, on the third page of the virtual tour. The inclusion
of a sound clip presents difficulty with validation but will be accessible to
most users. A transcript and a second way to make the sound play are provided
as alternatives.
- To design data tables with header cells and data cells running from left to
right accross the page so that screen reader users can understand the data.
- To use javascript code for pop-up boxes which allows the link to function
as a standard text link if javascript is not available.
- To provide an alternative for other javascript functions
- To unfailingly provide meaningful information in the descriptions of
images. We use the ALT tag supplemented by the LONGDESC tag and a separate
description file, on occasions.
- We do not use frames at all.
- We use tables for layout only if tabular information is provided.
Otherwise, the site is designed using cascading style sheets to separate
content from layout. The content is designed to make sence when read by a
screen reader. There are some exceptions. Certain pages have yet to be updated
to the current format. The education enquiries in the Education sub-site,
Learning Zone, are the major remaining use of tables for layout.
- We use heading tags in a logical way to provide structure to pages
- All links are intended to be meaningful when read in isolation
- We provide an alternative whenever possible to sound files. There are few
of these. It is extremely difficult to describe the sound of the Bantam Tug
engine in words.
- To use contrast and colour so that pages can be read in black and white or
by readers for whom colour vision is a problem.
- Only to open links in a new browser window if the link includes an
indication of this OR the title of the pop-up window includes the word
"pop-up".
We try to do a good job, but of course errors occasionally occur. If you
notice an instance where we do not adhere to the above standards or there is
any mistake or other other accessibility problem, please bring it to our
attention. (webmaster@canalmuseum.org.uk)
