Web Accessibility

The National Trust has a strong and on-going commitment to accessibility in all areas of its work.

We strive to achieve this in many ways:

• improving access to and around our properties
• making it easy for people of all abilities to join our staff or volunteer teams
• allowing everyone access to our information and interpretation

Our website gives people another way of accessing the National Trust, and its wealth of properties and information, but its usefulness depends upon its accessibility.

Although it is impossible to create a website that is accessible to absolutely everyone, there is always more that can be done to make it accessible. Usability testing of this website is done on a regular basis to gain a clearer and deeper understanding of the needs and expectations of disabled people in using websites, and to make improvements based on their recommendations.

Some Flash items may not be fully accessible, but these are discreet, optional parts of the site and leaving them in their current state will not adversely detract from the enjoyment of the site or the information available.

Improving your experience of our website

You can change the text size on our website if you're having trouble reading it. This is how to change the text size in recent versions of the three major browsers:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer users: select 'View', then 'Text size', then select desired size.
• Netscape and Firefox users: select 'View', then 'Text zoom' then select desired size. Text size (100%) is the default original text size.

If you use a scroll-wheel mouse with Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari, you can press the Ctrl key and use the scroll-wheel to increase text size. If you use another browser, look at its help section for tips on increasing text size.

If you do not use a mouse, you can use this website with your keyboard instead.  Press the tab key to move to the link you want. The BBC's My Web My Way pages have extensive tips on using your keyboard to navigate websites.

We have added text descriptions (as ALT text) to all images, describing their content so that everyone can access them.

To get tips on how to change your computer to make the web more accessible to you, visit the BBC's My Web My Way pages.

Accessibility of our properties

Our Access for All page (via the National Trust Website) both explains our commitment to increasing accessibility and shows the activity at national, regional and property level that ensures this work remains a priority. It also details our admission policies and the 'Admit One' card for companions of disabled people to use, the links pass for groups and the 'Access Guide', our publication which contains detailed information about accessibility at pay-for-entry properties.

If you would like to order a copy of this book please quote ref no 7330908 for standard print or 7331708 for large print. The guide is also available on tape. Please contact the Access office on accessforall@nationaltrust.org.uk

Access keys

Access keys allow you to navigate a Website just by using your keyboard. The following list contains the access keys supported here:

Browser	What to do
Internet Explorer 5+ (PC)	Hold down the ALT key, press the access key, release both keys then press ENTER
Internet Explorer 5+ (Mac)	Hold down the CTRL key and press the access key
Firefox, Mozilla (PC)	Hold down the ALT key and press the access key
Firefox, Mozilla (Linux)	Hold down the ALT and SHIFT keys and press the access key
Firefox, Mozilla (Mac)	Hold down the CTRL key and press the access key
Safari and Omniweb (Mac)	Hold down the CTRL key and press the access key
Opera	Hold down the Shift key and press Escape, release both keys, then press the access key
Google Chrome	Hold down the ALT key and press the access key