Trinity College Dublin – Web Accessibility Statement

Trinity College is committed to providing web pages that are universally accessible to all users. To this end, new Trinity websites meet a minimum of W3C Level 2 compliance in line with the Web Accessibility guidelines (WCAG 1.0). It may be the case that older pages do not meet level 2 web accessibility due to the large volume of pages on the College website. For further information regarding Trinity's web design requirements and making accessible websites, please see the Web Design Office website.

In addition to the above, College has a formal Accessible Information policy published in conformity with the requirements of the Disability Act 2005, Universities Act, 1997, the Employment Equality Act, 1998-2004 and Equal Status Acts, 2000-2004. The Accessible Information Policy of the College sets out a formal commitment by the College that information should be available in an accessible format, without discrimination against those with print disabilities.

Navigating the Trinity website

Heading elements (H1, H2, H3) etc. are used extensively throughout the website along with skip links and back to top links.

The first link on a Trinity web page is a hidden link called "Skip to main content ". By pressing enter on this link, the screen reader will skip directly to the main page content. Many web pages include a "Back to Top" link(s). Pressing enter on these links will take the user back to the main content.

The standard Trinity header includes the following:

The College Crest – links back to the Trinity Home Page.
Search Box - searches the entire Trinity website.
Trinity Core Navigation - links to TCD Home, Faculties and Schools, Courses, Research, Services, Contact and A - Z

The standard Trinity footer includes the following:

Trinity's postal address.
Links to Accessibility, Privacy and Disclaimer statements.

Website Coding

The following technical web design requirements apply to the design and coding of Trinity College websites. All new websites are required to meet a minimum of W3C Level 2 Web Accessibility guidelines (http://www.w3.org/WAI/).

Navigation - Website navigation is coded as lists to ensure that all menu navigation can be read by screen readers
Tables – Data tables include summary attributes and are coded using Row and Column titles. It is recommended not to use tables for layout purposes.
Images - All images are coded to use an ALT attribute or LONGDESC attribute. Blank alt attributes are used for decorative images such as bulleted-list images, spacer images, etc.
Font-sizing and Stylesheets – Content and presentation are separate with presentation being controlled by Stylesheets. The default font is set to a sans-serif for main webpage content and fonts can be resized in each browser using CTRL +/- in Firefox and View, Text Size in IE (method is dependent on browser version).
Forms - All forms are coded where labels are explicitly linked to relevant input field

Validators

Websites that are designed by and in conjunction with the Web Office are validated for:

XHTML 1.0 Transitional
Level 2 Web Accessibility referencing the WAI guidelines
CSS

Screen Readers

Examples of screen readers are as JAWS and Browsealoud.

Using your browser

The following are some tips on getting the most from your browser (note the following may not work in all browsers e.g. IE 6, 7)

Open a new Tab – Hold down CTRL and click on a link
Open a new Window – Hold down SHIFT and click on a link
Increase Font Size – Hold down CTRL and press +
Decrease Font Size - Hold down CTRL and press –
Reset font size – Hold down CTRL and press 0

Feedback

We continue to make further improvements and enhancements to our accessibility features and value your feedback. Please let us know of any problems you may have encountered, or of any features that you have found particularly useful.