We have tried to make this website as accessible as possible to users. We hope that the design and layout meets your needs, and we will continue to work to improve the accessibility and usability of the website.

User experience design was used in the development of the website. This meant that we focused on the needs and goals of the web visitor, for instance in how they plan a visit, what information they need, and how they find it. We have tried to ensure the usability of the website by using this design method.

The interface for navigating the website is intended to be easy to use. It is consistent throughout the site and the pages are arranged in an understandable hierarchy.

This a responsive website that works across devices (PC, laptop, tablet and mobile) and it may be that one of these devices provides better accessibility than another for you.

If you have any suggestions or are experiencing any difficulties in using this website please contact the digital team.

Alternative Formats

All the information contained on this website can be provided in alternative formats on request. We are happy to provide the information by email, post or on the phone. Email the enquiries teamor phone 0121 348 8000 and tell us about your requirements and we will do our best to meet them.

Language and Text

  • We use Plain English as much as possible, avoided unnecessarily complex language, jargon and acronyms.
  • Our aim is that text should be legible and readable with good size and contrast.
  • You can use the Ctrl key and the + (plus) key to increase the size of the text, and the Ctrl and the - (minus) key to decrease the size.
  • We have tried to make links within text easily identifiable.

Screen Readers

  • For screen reader software, we have avoided words for links such as ‘click here’ or ‘more’. Instead, the text of the link describes the destination.
  • There is no ‘autoplaying’ of video or audio.
  • We try to use alternative text to describe images when the images provide extra information or context to text on the web page. Not all such images currently have alternative text, and we are going through the site rectifying this issue. We do not use alternative text for images that are design features on the website and do not impart information that can be taken from the text.

Video and Audio

  • We don’t rely on sound or videos to present information. Where we use videos on the site the video will be subtitled. We cannot guarantee all external videos we link to will have a transcript or subtitles, but will ensure all Birmingham Museum Trust ones do. Visit our Youtube channelto access all videos.
  • We provide transcripts to audio recordings produced by Birmingham Museums Trust. Where audio has been produced by an external company, and this work has not been commissioned by Birmingham Museums Trust but is felt to be valuable to our work, we may put it on the website without a transcription. The intention in any such case is to create a transcription ourselves as soon as we have the opportunity to do so. Visit our Soundcloud channelto access oral history sound clips and other audio tracks.

Browsers

  • Your browser will support simple keyboard access on this website. For instance, you can use the Tab key to cycle between selectable things, and the Enter key to select them.
  • We have tried to make our website compatible with all browsers. However, if you are using an older browser, the website may not format correctly in which case it will not be as easy or enjoyable to use. In this case for this website and other websites your experience will be improved by downloading a newer version of a browser.

Social Media Accessibility

  • We do not use images, video or audio on twitter or Facebook without providing information and context in the tweet or post. We never use images, video or audio as the sole source of information in a tweet or post.
  • If you are have problems viewing our tweets on the Twitter website, you may wish to try easychirp.com. This is a web accessible alternative to the twitter.com website.
  • Facebook's main site has various accessibility options to improve the usability of the site for different users, and the the mobile version of Facebook may work better with assistive technology for some.