Website accessibility guide
The VEC is committed to providing a website that is inclusive and accessible to all Victorians, regardless of location, technology or ability.
To achieve this, the site has been developed to conform to level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) (external link). These guidelines are the internationally recognised benchmark for building accessible web sites and provide guidance on how to make websites more accessible for people with disabilities.
To comply with these guidelines specific design features have been incorporated to address the needs of users with limitations in five key areas: vision impairment, motor skill or mobility issues, auditory limitations, people affected by seizures, and people with cognitive difficulties.
Vision limitations
The site is compatible with screen readers and uses high contrast fonts. All text on the site can be enlarged by using the zoom feature available in web browsers. To use your browser's zoom function please follow these instructions:
Microsoft Windows users:
- Internet Explorer 7 and 8: Either select the 'View' menu and select the 'Zoom' option or for keyboard users hold 'Ctrl' and press the '+' (plus) or '-' (minus) keys.
- Internet Explorer 9: Either select the 'View' option from the menu bar and select the 'Zoom' or for keyboard users hold 'Ctrl' and press the '+' (plus) or '-' (minus) keys.
- Firefox: Display the standard menus by going to the menu bar, select 'View' menu and select the 'Zoom' option or for keyboard users hold 'Ctrl' and press the '+' (plus) or '-' (minus) keys.
Mac/OSX users:
Safari: Either select the 'View' menu and select 'Zoom In' or 'Zoom Out' or for keyboard users hold 'Command' and press the '+' (plus) or '-' (minus) keys.
Different browsers will allow you to customise the colour scheme and contrast levels to suit individual needs. Helpful information on the different browsers and methods for customising the font colours and background colours can be found on the British Broadcasting Commission (BBC's) My Web My Way (external link).
Key electoral information and announcements are also provided in a downloadable audio format on our Accessible Audio page.
You can also have this website read to you by clicking the ReadSpeaker icon near the top of each page.
Motor/Mobility limitations
The site has been structured so that it can be navigated with a keyboard or mouse alone or with a combination of both. This defined structure also maximises the number of supplementary devices that are compatible with the site.
To navigate the site with just a keyboard:
- press the 'tab' key to cycle through links and interactive elements on the page
- hold shift while pressing the 'tab' key to cycle in reverse order
- press enter to 'click' the highlighted link
Skip to links are provided for keyboard users to directly skip to the main content areas of the website including:
- Skip to: Navigation
- Skip to: Search
- Skip to: Content
- Skip to: Accessibility statement
Skip to links are accessed by using the ‘tab’ key as outlined in the paragraph directly above.
Auditory limitations
Text alternatives to audio cues are available whenever audio is a necessary part of the interactive experience.
If you have a hearing impairment and need to contact the VEC by phone, there are several options available.
Seizures
No content on the site flashes more than three times in any one second period, nor does any content flash below the general flash and red flash thresholds.
Cognitive limitations
The site uses plain English wherever possible and there is also a glossary available. This glossary can be accessed from the footer of every page.
Business critical pages are also provided in Easy English. An icon next to a heading indicates that an equivalent Easy English version is available and can be accessed by clicking the icon.
For users with dyslexia, OpenDyslexic, a special, weighted font approved by the Australian Dyslexia Association (external link) can be applied by clicking the Dyslexic font icon near the top of the page.
Documents and downloads
Wherever possible, documents and downloadable files available on this site are provided in multiple formats. These common formats include portable document format (PDF), Microsoft Word (DOC) and Microsoft Excel (XLS). For more information about the formats used on the site please see our file formats page.
If you cannot access documents in the formats that are available on this website, please contact the VEC.
Further information
Please click the AccessIN icon near the top of each page, if you experience any accessibility issues with information on this website. This feature submits a short online form to us with information relating to your accessibility issue.
For information about assistance that is available for voters with special needs please visit our assistance for voters page.