Accessibility

At times, you might need help to make choices about your life or to make sure others hear what you have to say.

You may ask a friend, family member, or support worker to help you.

Please let us know if you want to be supported by a representative or advocate when you contact us. With your permission, we are happy to liaise with someone you nominate.

If you have any additional needs, such as mental health needs, autism spectrum conditions or a learning disability and feel that you need help to have your views and wishes heard and acted upon, we are happy to signpost you to an independent advocacy service in your area.  The role of an advocate depends on your situation and the support you want. But they are there to support your choices.

Where possible and practical to do so, we will provide information for all tenancy types as standard in the following formats:

• Plain language

• Easy Read (pictorial)

• Large print

We will aim to accommodate, where practical, the provision of information in the following formats on request:

• Audio

• Subtitled video

• Braille

• Yellow, pink or blue paper

• Other languages

We also offer BSL signing and interpretation services.

Please note that time-sensitive communications may need to be provided in the standard format.

If English isn't your first or preferred language, you can use Language Line.

Language Line is free to use.

To use Language Line:

Phone 0333 320 4555 and ask for Language Line.

The colleague who answers will request language support, and will arrange for an interpreter to join the call.

Once connected to an interpreter, you'll have a three-way conversation with us to explain the problem in your language.

If you are a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use SignLive to connect to us through a BSL interpreter free of charge during our opening hours.

How to access SignLive

Just log in to the SignLive app on App Store , Google Play  or a web browser and find us in the community directory.

The first time you use SignLive, you will need to complete a quick registration. This will keep your account secure and allow the team to call you back if needed.

You can also talk to us using SignLive at our reception desk at Sumner House in Leyland.

Please ask us if you’d like to use SignLive.

How SignLive works

Once registered, or when at our reception, you will speak to a BSL interpreter via video link.

The interpreter will then talk to our colleague, and will then sign their responses back to you.

All SignLive interpreters are highly qualified, have at least five years of interpreting experience, and are NRCPD-registered and DBS/PVG licenced.

SignLive is completely free to use when contacting us and hundreds of other organisations on the SignLive community directory.

You can also access SignLive for your own needs - find out more here. 

Level access

Level access in all buildings.
Lift access at Sumner House.
Accessible kitchen/dining areas at Leyland House and Progress House.

Hearing

We offer SignLive services in all buildings. 

Visual

We have information available in high contrast, audio, Easy Read, and large print upon request. 

General

All employees undertake mandatory training in equality and diversity, health and safety and safeguarding.
We have evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.
We offer Language Line. 
We have information available in Easy Read upon request. 

Facilities

Accessible toilets.
Accessible welfare facilities. 
Private breastfeeding spaces at Sumner House and Progress House. 
Dedicated quiet/low-level noise spaces are available in all buildings. 

We are committed to ensuring our website is accessible and inclusive.

Content and design

The site is designed to improve readability on multiple screen sizes and devices. The content has been written and formatted to make it accessible.

For example:

• headings highlight sections of text
  
  
• sentences are short, with the meaning at the beginning
  
  
• links use meaningful text
  
  
• forms can be navigated using the tab key
  
  
• Alt tags
  
  
• Use of HTML instead of PDF where possible.

Accessibility software

Below is a list of popular software that may be useful for customising this site to your needs. Some assistive technologies are free, and some are commercial but with free demos.

• NVDA, is a free screen reader that is compatible with Windows and available in multiple languages.

• VoiceOver, is a screen reader built into Apple's macOS and iOS, which allows users to access devices via spoken description and control the Mac using gestures, keyboard or Braille display.

• Lynx browser, a free text-only web browser for blind users with refreshable Braille displays.

• Links browser, a free text-only web browser for visual users with low bandwidth.

• Opera browser, a visual browser with many accessibility-related features, including text zooming, user stylesheets, and image toggle. A free downloadable version is available. Compatible with Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and several other operating systems.

Get help

You can visit AbilityNet to alter the accessibility features of your computer to suit your needs.

Conformance status

When building this website, we have tried to ensure that everyone can use its content and services, regardless of their ability or disability.

The site design and build has taken into account the following guidelines:

The WC3 Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, part 3)

The site exceeds WAI single 'A' and is close to WAI 'AA' standards. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. Conformance with these guidelines will help make the web more user-friendly for all people.

We are continually working towards complying with 'AAA' standard of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. While we strive to adhere to the accepted guidelines and standards for accessibility and usability, it is not always possible to do so in all website areas.

Translate information on this website

You can translate information on this website using an online translator.

Although online translators can accurately translate individual words and phrases, they may not always be able to interpret the meaning of larger or more complex pieces of information.

Feedback

If you encounter any issues or have any questions regarding the accessibility of this website, please don't hesitate to report any problems to us.