Turn2us Website Accessibility

We have developed our website following international web standards and accessibility guidelines. The web pages comply with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) XHTML 1.0 standard for HTML web pages, and we strive to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standard for accessibility. 

You can read through this page, or go directly to the sections you want to read by clicking on the links below:

• Text size
• Mobile responsive
• Headings
• Links
• Contrast
• Plain English
• Asking about gender
• E-Learning Courses
• Exceptions
• Useful resources
• Questions about accessibility and the Turn2us website

 

Known accessibility issues on the Turn2us website

We are aware of a few areas of our site where it is not accessible. We apologise, and are working on fixing these within the next few months.

• On our benefits guides, the orange hyperlinked text is not accessible against the grey background.
• There are some colour contrast issues and other problems on some of our online forms.

If you are unable to use the site easily, please contact us

Text size

The text size is set in a way that makes it resizable in any browser, should you find it too small to read comfortably.

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Mobile responsive

The site will detect and respond to any mobile device or tablet, resizing images and layout to fit correctly

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Headings

Headings are used on each page on the website. They make it easier to read pages by providing visual structure and help people using screen readers and other assistive technologies navigate the site.

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Links

Links have been written to make sense when read out in isolation. This helps visitors who may use a list of links to move around the site. 

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Contrast

The website is designed to provide default contrast ratio for AA standard.

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Plain English Campaign Internet Crystal Mark

We are committed to using plain English throughout our website and to making our content as readable by as many people as possible.

Our website has been approved by the Plain English Campaign which allows us to display the Internet Crystal Mark.

This means the Plain English Campaign have checked that our site is clearly written in plain English and easy to use. Where "out of the ordinary" words are  necessary we have a jargon buster to explain their meanings.

If there is anything on our site that you feel could be explained more clearly, please let us know by using our Contact Us form.

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Asking about gender

We strive for Turn2us services to be accessible to everyone regardless of their sex or gender identity.

In some circumstances when we ask about gender, we only include ‘male’ and ‘female’ as possible answers.

This is because we are restricted by external factors:

• When using the Turn2us Benefits Calculator, we need to ask what your legal gender is to calculate what benefits you are entitled to. UK law only recognises two genders: male and female. 

You no longer need to enter your gender to use the Turn2us Grants Search. 

However, some grant-giving organisations give grants to only men, or only women. Some of these third-party organisations require this to be your legal gender, while others consider applications based on gender identity. Please contact these organisations specifically to find out their criteria.

We understand that the way we ask about gender may not make everyone feel comfortable. 

If the format of these questions is preventing you from using Turn2us services, please use the contact us form. We are keen to hear suggestions on how to make our services more inclusive. 

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E-Learning Courses

While we are always looking for ways to improve the accessibility of our interactive courses, we are presently unable to offer a fully accessible experience. Currently the only course that has a fully accessible alternative version - a text only version - is the Turn2us PIP Helper for advisers course.

Vertical and Horizontal scrolling with increased viewing sizes

Vertical scrolling content at a width equivalent to 320 CSS pixels & Horizontal scrolling content at a height equivalent to 256 CSS pixels: You will have the capability to increase the viewing size on a web-browser, but this functionality does not work properly on the courses. 

Legibility of resized text

While you will be able to increase the font size both on the platform itself and on the courses, if you increase the font size of the interactive courses they will often not retain their legibility. The interactive courses will retain legibility and functionality up to 200 percent of the text size.

Audio and video playback speed

While you will still be able to start, pause and restart audio and video content, you will not be able to adjust the speed.

Screen reader limitations

The interactive courses are unfortunately only compatible with the NVDA screen reader on Chrome browser. To alleviate this we have recorded own own voice over on every page.

Braille terminals

The platform is unfortunately not compatible with braille terminals.

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Exceptions

Downloadable documents

Occasionally Turn2us will upload documents, usually in a PDF format, created by a third party. Turn2us is not responsible for the compliance of external documents with accessibility but will forward any issues to that organisation.

If you download any Turn2us documents and have problems accessing them please use the contact us form request it in an alternative format.

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Useful resources

AbilityNet

AbilityNet is a national charity helping disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology.

They have a My Computer, My Way section which gives information on ways to make using your computer easier if you have disabilities.

They also have an advice and information service. 

Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB)

RNIB, which supports people with visual impairments, has many resources on technology, including a technology section on its website; blogs and bulletins to keep you up to date; and a technology support squad made up of volunteers who can help by phone or with a home visit.  See the RNIB website for more information.

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) guide on how to change text size and colours

This W3C page shows you how to change text size, text and background colours, and other display settings through your browser.

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Questions about accessibility and the Turn2us website

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the accessibility of this site, please contact us

Last updated: June 2023

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