The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has released theWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines presently comprise the international standard for web accessibility. There are three levels of levels of conformance (A,AA and AAA).
Fairfax Media recognises the importance of providing web accessible content to all users and it is our aim to meet conformance level AA for all content published on our network. We test our sites in the browsers most of our visitors use. The current release for the WCAG is version 2.0.
This page is intended to provide tips and useful information to assist users with disabilities to access Fairfax Media's websites.
How to use our accessibility features
Page structure
Most pages are structured with clear hierarchy and meaningful HTML code to better enable the use of screen readers and to help assistive devices understand and process the content.
Using the keyboard
Pressing the Tab key after a page has loaded provides skip links to the main navigation,content area and footer. Most clickable elements are outlined when you access them using the Tab key.
We do not define any access keys as assistive devices already define many key combinations. We want to avoid access keys interfering with such key combinations.
Explaining content
Our editors strive to add descriptions to images and visual elements for when you use a screen reader or have images turned off.
Contrast
The contrast ratio may vary slightly when text is sitting on top of images,but we generally try to ensure there is enough contrast between text and its background colour as per WCAG recommendations.
Interactive components
If interactive content is partly hidden,as with tabs or popup elements,all content will be shown if you disable interactivity,for example by turning off Javascript.
Enlarging the page
You can enlarge the page using your browser. ‘Ctrl’ and ‘+’ on PCs and ‘Command’ and ‘+’ on Macs will zoom into the page. ‘Ctrl’ and ‘-’ on PCs and ‘Command’ and ‘-’ on Macs will zoom out.
We also provide controls in articles to maximise and minimise the font size. Look for the three ‘A’s at the side or top of the article content.
Known barriers
Not every page on our network will have the accessibility features we strive to offer. This is because it takes time to improve our entire network and help third parties comply with the W3C guidelines.
For example,some pages of our websites use video or audio. We are currently seeking a viable accessibility option for this content,but in the meantime please contact us if you require assistance with particular content.
We are working with our partners and suppliers of externally created content to improve their level of accessible content. This will improve with changing technology and updating of our digital network.
It is Fairfax Media's policy to require any third party software developers (who assist us with the building and maintenance of our digital network) to comply with the W3C guidelines. An exception to this policy would be where compliance with this standard would cause Fairfax Media or the developer an unjustifiable hardship.