About Us

We're always looking for ways to improve accessibility on our website because it's important to us that as many people as possible can benefit from the services we offer. So far we've implemented the following accessibility and usability features:

Accesskeys

Accesskeys allow you to use a website without using your mouse.

On this site, the main navigation items (Mortgages, Savings, Loans, Insurance, Partnerships, Membership and About Us) have been assigned accesskeys. You'll recognise which key has been assigned to each by the dash (-) positioned underneath the letter. Accesskeys are easy to use...

Example: If you're using Microsoft Windows, you activate an accesskey by pressing 'ALT' and the assigned letter (eg. 'M' for Mortgages), and then 'return' on your keyboard.

As well as Accesskeys for the main navigation areas, we've also created some shortcut keys for commonly used areas of the site. Here's the full list:

	Accesskey		Desination Page
	M		Mortgages
	S		Savings
	L		Loans
	I		Insurance
	P		Partnerships
	R		Membership
	B		About Us
	0		Accessibility
	1		Home
	3		Site Map
	7		Complaints
	9		Contact Us

		Remember - to use the accesskey in Microsoft Windows, press the 'ALT' key, plus the number or letter indicated above, and then press the return key on your keyboard

HTML

Web pages are created using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The W3C defines the standards that should be followed when writing HTML to ensure that internet pages are displayed correctly across different computers, including accessibility software, such as screen readers for people who have a visual impairment. We've coded this website to 'HTML 4.01 Transitional' rules.

The W3C offers a HTML validation service, to enable you to see if website providers have taken the care to create correctly coded web pages. You can check the validity of this page by clicking on the logo below.

Cascading Stylesheets (CSS)

This website has been created using CSS, which follow the principle of separating content from presentation. The CSS files contain instructions which determine the style for the page, such as the size of the fonts, the background colour, etc. Internet browsers can be configured to ignore CSS. If you're having difficulty reading the webpages because of the colours, fonts, etc, you can disable the CSS. The page will retain all of the information, without the style formatting.

Images

The practice of using images for text titles (eg. an image displaying the word ‘Mortgages’) is not recommended for an accessible website. All of our titles are text, which not only makes the pages more accessible, but also reduces the number of images that need to be downloaded. This therefore reduces the amount of time it takes to view a page.

All photographs and graphics on the website have been given relevant alternative text. This is a description of the image, which screen reading software will read out to visually impaired users.

Colours

We've ensured that the web pages' font and background colour contrast notably enough to enable users to read the text, even if they suffer from conditions such as colour blindness. The contrast in colours also helps people viewing the site on a monochrome (black and white) screen.

Tables

All data tables, such as mortgage rate tables have been created with properly scoped header cells. This enables screen readers to interpret the information in the table correctly.

Content

The copy within our web pages has been written to be clear and concise without using jargon. In order to aid understanding of terms, such as 'AER' for savings accounts, we have provided a glossary which can be opened from the bottom of any page in the site.

Assistive Technology

Important: Please note, if you're using assistive technology, such as screen readers or screen magnification software, you may find they are not compatible with our mortgage quote and application functionality.

To avoid any inconvenience we advise you give our Sales Team a call on 0800 915 0517*

Or, if you'd like to discuss your mortgage requirements, pop in to your local branch for advice and recommendation.

*Lines are open 8am-8pm Mon to Fri, 9am-1pm Sat. Telephone calls may be recorded and/or monitored. Calls from landline phones are free, however mobile providers may charge.

Contact Us

We're committed to continually improving this site and making it as accessible as possible. If you've any feedback regarding the accessibility of this site, please email it to us.

If you're unable to use any functionality on our site, we offer alternative means of help, via the contact us section.