Prof. Rod Tucker

Accessibility features of this web site

This page highlights some of the accessibility features found in the University of Melbourne web site, including:

changing the text size
using 'jump' links to skip navigation or content blocks
using access keys to navigate
other design and programming features

These features are built into the University's web design templates, and should work on any University subsite that uses the templates.

If you encounter an accessibility problem on a University web page, please contact the web team and let us know: telephone +(61 3) 8344 0476 or email web-info@unimelb.edu.au.

You can change the size of text on this site by following the instructions provided below.

Use the 'jump' links to skip navigation or content blocks.

Use the access keys to navigate by shortcuts. To use the access keys on a Windows computer, hold down the alt key and press the relevant letter key. On a Macintosh, hold down the control key while you type the relevant letter. (Access keys are not available in all web browsers.) Here is a list of access keys for this web site:

Alt g is a shortcut to the selected jump menu option (go)
Alt t is a shortcut to the top of the page
Alt c is a shortcut to the content part of the page
Alt h is a shortcut to the home page
Alt a is a shortcut to the this accessibility page
Alt d is a shortcut to the disclaimer page
Alt p is a shortcut to the privacy page

Changing the size of text

Instructions for Windows PC users with Internet Explorer

Select Internet Options from the View or the Tools menu, depending on your browser
Click on the Accessibility button
Click the Ignore fonts now showing on web pages box so that it now shows a tick
Click OK
Click OK again to close Internet Options
Select the View option from the Menu bar
Select the Text Size option
Choose the text size you prefer

Instructions for Windows PC users with Netscape 4 or later

Select Edit from the Menu Bar
Select Preferences. You now have the option to either Select Appearance or Select Font

Instructions for Macintosh users with Internet Explorer

Select the View option from the Menu bar.
Select the Text Size option
Choose the text size you prefer

Instructions for Macintosh users with Netscape 4 or later

Select the View option from the Menu bar.
Select the Text Size option
Choose the text size you prefer

Other design and programming features

The following features are standard parts of the University's web publishing templates:

Validated XHTML 1.0 Transitional code is used for the all templates.
Cascading style sheets (CSS) are used for presentation and layout of content.
Text is used for headings and links with the only imaged text used being in the university's logotype.
Minimum text size is 10 pixels; content and navigation text are 12 pixels. The user can resize fonts if required. Content text is near black against a white background for improved readability. No italics are used.
Links behave consistently (rollover, visited links). Links are not identified by colour alone: underline, rollover behaviour and layout provide additional visual cues.
Platform- and language-neutral W3CDom scripting to allow programs and scripts to dynamically access and update the content, structure and style of documents.
Navigation menus and forms work properly with or without javascript.

When creating web pages based on the templates, University staff are expected to:

Use standard XML-based structural markup to denote content changes, such as lists and headings
Add alt text and captions to all images.
Insert titles to provide additional information about links. Use acronym, abbreviation and other tags to explain language and concepts.
Ensure the page uses validated code and style sheets.
Include table headers and summaries for tables that display data.
Label all forms, use explicitly associations with input elements and provide instructional text to help with searching and submitting data.
Check all web content for compliance with World Wide Web Consortium guidelines.