Accessibility
Southwark Council is committed to making this website as accessible as possible, to the broadest range of people, whether you have a disability or find it hard to use the internet for another reason.
Text only version
You can access a text only version of most of our web pages by clicking on the 'text only' link in the top left-hand corner of the website.
Change text size
To make the text bigger or smaller, choose one of the following:
- click 'view' in the toolbar at the top of your browser window, then select 'text size' and choose the size that suits you
- press the Ctrl key and the '+' or '-' key
- press the Ctrl key and scroll the mouse wheel.
Visually impaired people
We have invited the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) to help us improve access to the site. The site has been created to allow the most efficient use of  the best-regarded screen reading software, JAWS. You could also read the RNIB's useful technology information sheet called 'Using the internet'.
All Southwark libraries have a computer running Dolphin Supernova. Dolphin Supernova gives screen magnification and audio assistance for people who are visually impaired.
This site is best viewed in 1024 x 768 pixels or above, using 256 colours or above. It is available in as many current browsers as possible. For Internet Explorer we recommend version 6 or higher and for Firefox 2 or higher.
Assistive technology can help
If you have a visual impairment, you may find assistive technology that can help you
- Screen enlargers or magnifiers work like a magnifying glass
- Screen readers are software programs that present images and text as speech. A screen reader will speak everything on the screen, including buttons and menus
- Speech recognition or voice recognition lets you interact with your computer using your voice instead of a mouse or keyboard
- Speech synthesisers (text-to-speech or TTS systems) receive what you type in to the keyboard and speak it out loud, so you can check what you're typing as you type
- Refreshable Braille displays provide tactile output of on-screen information. You read the Braille letters with your fingers then the next line is presented
- Braille embossers transfer computer-generated text into embossed Braille output. Braille translation programs convert text scanned in or generated
To find out more about these technologies and further information, please visit the RNIB website.
Information about pictures
We use alternative text tags, or "alt tags", which are a verbal description of a picture. These are useful not only to blind people but also to those using text-only browsers or who have chosen not to display images in their browser.
Find it hard to access the internet?
Whether it's because you're not very experienced at going online or it's not easy to find a computer to use, we try to help.
It is free to surf the internet in Southwark's libraries. For details of your local library, please go to our libraries and locations section. You can also book some time on a computer in a library.
We recognise that not everyone wants to or is able to use the internet, so we try to make sure that you can contact the council in as many different ways as possible, including by phone, fax, letter, email or online form. Go to our contacts page for a simple guide to getting in touch with the council.
Links and downloading documents
Links
When you click on a link, also known as a hyperlink, you are taken to a new web page or another section of the Southwark website or another website. These links appear as purple underlined text.
Downloading documents
When the information on the website is given in a form or document that you have to download or open in a new window, we tell you this.
We also tell you the size of the document, measured in kilobytes (kb) or megabytes (mb). The larger the size is, the longer it will take to appear and the more space it will take up in your computer's memory.
In order for you to access pdf (or portable document format) documents, you need Adobe software installed on your computer. Wherever we include a link to a pdf document on our pages, we also give a link to download the Adobe software you need. Download Adobe Reader for free.
Adobe also enables users who have difficulty using pdf documents to convert them to appear as a normal website pages. Visit Adobe's accessibility pages to find out more.
Online forms
So that residents can register, report and pay for Southwark services online, the council uses interactive eforms. You type the information directly on screen and then submit the eform to the council by pressing a button on screen.
When using a screen reader you can use headers to jump between forms. Questions appear directly above the entry field. Tables are used to present forms.
If you are using a screen reader you should use the table navigation commands. It may be worth using the screen reader's refresh screen command to ensure that the screen has been refreshed. This will help the screen reading software to identify any new links.
International standards
We are compliant with the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) guidelines on accessibility and we are continually working on improving our standards.
At this time the discussion forum is not fully accessible but we hope to make the necessary changes soon. This site does not use frames that can interfere with accessibility.
Browser compatibility
This website is available in as many current browsers as possible; for Internet Explorer we recommend version 6 or higher and for Firefox version 2 or higher.
Download the latest version of the Internet Explorer browser.
Download the latest version of the Firefox browser.
Moving around
You can browse via links on the left-hand side of each page, or use the search function in the top line or select from the A to Z services link in the top line of every page.
You can also use the tab button to move around. This is useful if you have difficulty using a mouse.
Useful links
Here are some links to organisations that offer further information on website accessibility issues
Contact us
If you would like to give us feedback on our website, please use the website feedback form or contact
Web content manager
Southwark Council
Tel: 020 7525 5000
Southwark Town Hall
Peckham Road
London SE5 8UB |