You are here: Information > Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

Portsmouth City Council wants to ensure everyone is able to access the Visit Portsmouth website. As such, we have developed the site to suit the varying needs of many different users. We believe in access to information over the internet for all, and aim to provide a website that is accessible to everyone.

This section details the ways in which we have made the site accessible. We’ve also included some tips and links to other websites for further assistance.

If you still have concerns, or would like to provide feedback, please get in touch:
Email: VIS@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Telephone: 023 9282 7261

Introduction to our website

Visit Portsmouth is the official destination website for people looking to visit the Great Waterfront City. It was created and is maintained on behalf of Portsmouth City Council.

The website has its main navigation within the 'hamburger' menu you can access by clicking the three horizontal lines on the top of every page. This opens a sub-menu of options - if you want to head directly to a specific page. Or, click through to the landing page itself, where there will be links to each sub-page within the text.

All pages link to the site map.

Visual presentation

This site uses Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) so that you may customise the presentation to suit your preferences.

All the information can be viewed without styles
The text size is relative, allowing you to adjust the size of the text in your browser

Reasonable adjustment statement

We want all our visitors to be able to access our services. If you have a disability or find it difficult to use the Visit Portsmouth website, and need us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know and we will do everything we can to help.

Download our reasonable adjustment statement here.

Audio description

Blind or visually impaired web users can utilise tools so their computer reads web content out loud. These programs are called screen readers.

Microsoft Windows comes with a screen reader built in – it’s called Narrator. It reads content from the page and informs users if they’re presented with an error message.

A comprehensive guide to Narrator can be found on the Microsoft website.

There is a similar tool built into Mac devices called VoiceOver. This can be accessed through ‘System Preferences’ and ‘Universal Access’.

If you’d prefer a different tool, there are many other screen readers available with varying features and functions. These include – but are not limited to – WebAnywhere, Orca and NVDA.

Magnifying the screen

Magnification software has been included in all recent versions of Microsoft Windows. This allows you to zoom in on sections of the screen to make the text much larger. However, the area this covers will be relatively small, to allow for the magnification. Use the mouse to change the percentage of magnification or to move around the screen.

The location of your magnifier will vary depending on the Windows edition you are using. Click Start, then find Magnifier either under ‘Windows Ease of Access’, ‘Windows Accessories’ or ‘Programmes – Accessories’.

On Mac devices, there’s a screen magnifier under ‘System Preferences’ and then ‘Universal Access’.

Making the mouse point bigger

It’s also possible to make the mouse pointer appear larger on your screen. You can do this on Windows Devices by clicking through ‘Settings’, ‘Mouse’, ‘Additional Mouse Options’ and ‘Pointers’. There’s a drop-down menu called ‘Scheme’, in which you can change both the size and colour of your pointer. Here you can also change the speed, double click speed, button configuration and more.

Mac users can do the same by clicking on ‘System Preferences’, ‘Universal Access’ and ‘Mouse & Track pad’. From here, slide the Cursor Size bar to change the pointer size.

Using the keyboard to navigate

If you’re unable to use a mouse or track pad, you can navigate this website – and others – via your keyboard.

In addition to common shortcuts (like Ctrl + C to copy) there are many others allowing you to navigate around a website.

Further information on keyboard shortcuts can be found on the Microsoft Windows website. There is a guide specifically for blind or partially sighted web users on the RNIB website. This covers navigating around specific websites and programs for anyone with visual impairments.