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Accessibility Statement

This is the accessibility statement for the Statistical Accounts of Scotland user interface. Please also see the the main EDINA Accessibility Statement which covers the EDINA web site, including the Statistical Accounts of Scotland support pages you are now reading.

EDINA has a policy of working towards maximum accessibility for all users to all services that we provide. In addition to using clear, simple and effective design principles throughout, we incorporate certain features that are specifically intended to enhance accessibility. This statement describes these features.

In the event that you discover any part of the user interface that does not match this statement, please email edina@ed.ac.uk and we will attempt to rectify the matter at the earliest opportunity.

Compliance with appropriate standards

  1. All web pages within the user interface are compliant with XHTML 1.0 Strict and have been passed by the W3C Validator.
  2. Where Javascript is used, it complies with this standard, and browser vendors' extensions are not used. Javascript is designed to follow W3C recommendations, but small variations may be implemented when the service is accessed with a browser that has a known Javascript fault (this is done in exceptional circumstances and in general we will not undertake to work around Javascript faults in browsers).
  3. All functions of the service are available without Javascript, Java is not used, and no "plugins" are required.

Use of images

  1. Where an image is used to display text, matching alt text is provided
  2. Where images are used for form controls ("buttons"), alt text equivalent to the button label is included; where the images are context sensitive, context sensitive alt text is provided
  3. Certain images are used as form controls that resemble common user interface widgets with which many users are familiar, such as the small + and - symbols used for hierarchical structures like file directories. These do not include word that can be replicated as alt text, so a functional description is provided as alt text.
  4. Images used for form controls are designed to be large enough to be easy to click on using a mouse or other pointing device; the smallest size used is 16x16 pixels.
  5. Images that are purely decorative or used to control layout have a blank alt attributes
  6. The default means of accessing the content of the original Statistical Accounts publications is by scanned images of the pages of the books. Transcripts of these pages are accessible via the subscription service. The subscription service provides special features of particular interest to expert, academic and professional users; it is the only source of funding available to us for future development of the service. The subscription service is not intended to restrict access to users with disabilities who cannot read the scanned page images; if you are in this group and find yourself disadvantaged by the restrictions on access to page transcripts, please email edina@ed.ac.uk for assistance.

Use of tables

  1. Tables used for layout have blank summary attributes and do not use headers or captions.
  2. The user interface does not currently contain data tables.

Opening new browser windows

  1. Certain features such as help will open a new browser window. There is a warning in the title attribute of any link that opens a new window. All new windows also carry a warning at the top for non visual browsers.
  2. New browser windows are opened using Javascript, if it is enabled. All these links will function without Javascript, but a new window is not opened; in this case you will need to use the browser back button to return to the previous page within the user interface. A warning to this effect is displayed at the top of the page.

Labelling and mark up of HTML forms and links

  1. Controls in forms have a title attribute that indicates their function, intended to indicate to the user the use of that control and the effect of clicking on it.
  2. Text is used to label controls in forms. In graphical browsers the position of this label text is intended to make it clear to which control it refers. To provide the same clarity in non-graphical browsers, the label text is marked up using a <label> tag that logically associates the text with the control; please note that this is an approved technique, but the effectiveness depends on the capabilities of your browser.
  3. Certain controls are grouped together. In graphical browsers this is intended to indicate that these controls purpose have functions related to a common task. To provide the same clarity in non-graphical browsers, such groups of controls are marked up using a <fieldset> tag, each of which has a <legend> tag that logically relates descriptive text with that group of controls; please note that this is an approved technique, but the effectiveness depends on the capabilities of your browser.
  4. Links are provided with title attributes wherever we felt this would be helpful to ensure clarity, particularly for users of non-visual browsers Typically this would be used where functions are made apparent partly by visual effects, e.g. a button with an arrow symbol, or a link that opens a new window.

Pages reloaded with updated content

  1. Pages within the user interface will be reloaded when you click a link or submit a form that causes the page content to change. Some examples of this are:
    1. Submitting a search form, which causes the page to reload and display the search results underneath the form.
    2. Using the hierarchical navigation bars, where clicking on the '+' and '-' symbols to display or hides items
    3. When viewing scanned page images, clicking the "next page" or "previous page" buttons causes a new page image to be displayed
  2. When these pages are reloaded, an anchor in the relevant part of the page is used. For example, after submitting a search form, an anchor at the start of that form is used. This should cause the browser to display content starting from that point. With non-visual browsers this should avoid the need to scan through the reloaded page to find the relevant section, but please note this is dependant on your browser behaviour.

Session control

  1. Sessions will time out after 15 minutes of non-activity. If you click on anything is the user interface after this time, you will be returned to the login page, with a message at indicating that your session timed out.

Navigation

  1. The title of each web page (from the HTML header) is specific to each page within the user interface
  2. The banner at the head of each page provides a link back to the starting page.
  3. The Exit link at the bottom of each page terminates the session and returns the user to the login page.

Special features for non-graphical browsers

  1. Non-graphical browsers include browsers that are non-visual, plus browsers that are visual but do not use a graphical user interface (GUI), such as the text browser Lynx.
  2. In certain parts of the user interface, special content is provided for non-graphical browsers. These use invisible graphics to hide the link from graphical browsers. These are used mainly where the user interface may convey useful information visually, and are intended to provide equal clarity for non-graphical browsers.
  3. The "title" and "alt" attributes of links are intended to make the functions clear in non-graphical browsers, and particular attention is given to cases where visual effects (e.g. buttons with arrows) convey meaning.

Access keys

Access keys are provided for frequently used options in the user interface. An access key can be used in most browsers by pressing ALT+the key (Macintosh users should press CONTROL+ the key).

Access Keys used within the service
Access key Associated legend/label
c 'County map' menu option.
f 'Find parishes and counties' menu option
s 'Search texts' menu option
n 'Navigate as published' menu option
r 'Related resources' menu option
h Help
e Exit
+ Show next page of Accounts (when a scanned image or transcript is displayed)
- Show previous page of Accounts (when a scanned image or transcript is displayed)
Access Keys used when browsing scanned pages (public access without a login)
Access key Associated legend/label
s 'Search page' menu option.
h Help
e Exit
+ Show next page of Accounts (when a scanned image or transcript is displayed)
- Show previous page of Accounts (when a scanned image or transcript is displayed)