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NOTE: This page provides information about WorkWORLD Website Accessibility. For information about WorkWORLD software program accessibility, see the WorkWORLD Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) document.
We have attempted to make our WorkWORLDTM website as user-friendly as possible for people who may need to use individualized browser settings or additional accessibility software or hardware. It is our desire and intention to make our site accessible to all people by following nationally recognized accessibility guidelines, and continuously improving our Web site.
Please remember that these guidelines change (and occasionally conflict) as technology advances, so it may not be possible for us to incorporate simultaneously every desirable function. We recognize, however, the difficulties faced by some of our users and we are committed to eliminating barriers on our site as we discover them.
If you are experiencing difficulty accessing our site, please read the topics below for information about accessibility and solutions to common problems. If you are unable to resolve the problem, please contact us and describe the problem you are having. You may be helping others as well as yourself.
References to browser commands in the topics below refer to operation of the latest browser versions available for Windows of Internet Explorer and Netscape.
Additionally, many educational institutions encourage the use of Firefox or Mozilla.
Internet Explorer has, by far, the largest group of users with its nearly 90% worldwide market share. More than half of all Internet Explorer users now use Version 6. Use of Firefox has recently expanded greatly. Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, and other browsers compete for an increasingly smaller portion of the market. Due to our limited resources and the dominant position of Internet Explorer, most of our testing is done with it. We also test with Firefox. While we try to assure basic compatibility with other browsers, the fact that no browser completely adheres to published specifications means that most users will find greatest compatibility by using the latest version of Internet Explorer.
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You need to use a current version of browser software. As standards are formulated and revised, developers of Web sites and software incorporate new features and standards into Web sites and browsers. We test our Web pages with both Internet Explorer and Firefox to make sure that current versions of either browser will display the pages properly.
If you are using an older version of software, you may not be able to properly display or access all features of this or other Web sites you are visiting. Since you can currently get new Internet browser software directly over the Internet at no cost, you should make sure you have and use the latest version.
Internet Explorer
To check which version of Internet Explorer you have, click Help on the main menu, then select About Internet Explorer from the drop down
menu. Using the keyboard rather than a mouse, you may type Alt+H and then A to do the same thing. The latest version of Internet
Explorer for Windows is available directly from Microsoft at this URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.htm
Macintosh users may get Internet Explorer for Macintosh from Microsoft at this URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/ie/default.asp
Netscape Navigator
To check which version of Netscape Navigator you have, click Help on the main menu, then select About Navigator from the drop down menu. Using
the keyboard rather than a mouse, you may type Alt+H and then A to do the same thing. The latest versions of Netscape Navigator (for both
Windows and Macintosh) are available directly from Netscape at this URL:
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/default.jsp
Mozilla
To check which version of Mozilla you have, click Help on the main menu, then select About Mozilla from the drop down menu. Using
the keyboard rather than a mouse, you may type Alt+H and then A to do the same thing. The latest versions of Mozilla (for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and a variety of other operating systems) are available directly from The Mozilla Organization at this URL:
http://www.mozilla.org/releases/
Firefox
To check which version of Firefox you have, click Help on the main menu, then select About Firefox from the drop down menu. Using
the keyboard rather than a mouse, you may type Alt+H and then A to do the same thing. The latest versions of Firefox (for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) are available directly from The Mozilla Organization at this URL:
http://getfirefox.com/
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Our Web site is designed so that you may use font size controls built into your browser to adjust the size of the text displayed on your screen. By default, your browser will display our Web pages using a medium size for the text. However, if you would like to view the text using larger (or smaller) fonts, you can easily do so.
Internet Explorer
To adjust text size in Internet Explorer, click View on the main menu, then Text Size from the drop down menu, and finally make a choice from the
various sizes available. From the keyboard, you may type Alt+V to drop down the menu, then type X to select Text Size, and finally type one of
the underlined characters corresponding to the text size you want. Note that there are five discrete sizes available.
Netscape Navigator
To adjust text size in Netscape Navigator, click View on the main menu, and then click on either the Increase Font or Decrease Font
selections. From the keyboard, you may adjust the text size at any time without opening the menu. Simply type Ctrl+] to increase the font size, or Ctrl+[ to
decrease the font size. In Netscape, font sizes are continuously adjustable up or down.
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Most Web sites are designed with particular font faces in mind. While other fonts may be substituted, doing so may affect the appearance in your browser due to different font widths associated with each character in a particular font. Additionally, particular font faces may be chosen due to their visual characteristics, which may affect your perception of certain pages.
However, any font specified on a page must reside on your computer in order for the page to display using it. If a Web page calls for a font that does not exist on your computer, a substitution is made. First, Web designers usually specify a list of similar font faces, in order of desirability and similarity, that your browser will follow if the first choice is not installed on your computer. If none of the fonts on the list is available, the text will be displayed using the default font setting on your computer. This may result in the display of the page being substantially different than the designer intended.
For a number of years, Microsoft has promoted the idea of a core set of Web fonts. Many Web sites are designed using only these fonts. Having these fonts installed on your computer will enhance your chances of viewing Web pages as their designers intended them to be seen. Microsoft has distributed and installed these fonts on many user's computers as part of the installation of a wide variety of software, including both operating systems and applications. There is a good chance that most of these fonts have been installed on your computer. Once installed, the fonts are available for use in any application, not just in your browser.
The table below lists the core Web fonts. The left column (Core Font Name) shows their names and what they look like. The right column (On Your Computer) shows how your computer displays these fonts when called for on a Web page. It should look like the first column if the font is on your computer (there may be a size difference, but the style should be the same). If your computer displays something that looks different, the core font is not installed on your computer, and you will see the default browser font set on your computer.
| Core Font Name | On Your Computer |
|---|---|
 |
Andale Mono |
 |
Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet MS Bold,
Trebuchet MS Italic, Bold Italic |
 |
Georgia, Georgia Bold, Georgia
Italic, Georgia Bold Italic |
 |
Verdana, Verdana Bold,
Verdana Italic, Bold Italic |
 |
Comic Sans, Comic Sans Bold |
 |
Arial® Black |
 |
ImpactTM |
 |
Arial®, Arial Bold, Italic, Bold Italic |
 |
Times New Roman®, Times New
Roman Bold, Italic, Bold Italic |
 |
CourierTM New, Courier New
Bold, Italic, Bold Italic |
You can freely download all of these TrueType fonts for use on your computer. They were once downloadable directly from Microsoft; however they are no longer available from the Microsoft Typography Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/
Additional information about these fonts is available from the Microsoft website at:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/faq8.htm
As a service to our users, the fonts are now available for personal use from this website. There is a separate, self-installing version of each of the TrueType fonts for Windows-based computers only. The installation files may contain several variants of each font, as shown in the table above. Use the appropriate text link below for the font you want, and select the 'Save to disk' option to download the file to your hard disk. Save the file to your desktop or a temporary folder. Double click on the downloaded file to automatically install the fonts. Be sure to make backup copies of any fonts you plan to overwrite.
Read the Microsoft End User License Agreement governing use of these fonts at:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fontpack/eula.htm
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When Web authors and designers create Web pages, they often specify particular font colors and sizes, typefaces, and background colors. These settings are specified for each item, or in a "style sheet," which is a type of template for specifying how different styles should appear throughout a Web page or site.
You can override any or all of these settings, which may be useful if you have limited or low vision. You can specify your font and color preferences for all pages that do not use style sheets, and then you can specify whether to use any or all of your preferences on pages that use style sheets.
Note: Before changing any of these settings, you should read and thoroughly understand the associated help topics.
Caution: Changing settings as described below will substantially alter the appearance of Web pages displayed on your computer. You should change these settings only when necessary to accommodate accessibility requirements. Remember that the Web page designer designated these settings for a reason, and changing them may alter the relationship of various elements of the page.
Internet Explorer
For detailed information about font styles and background colors in Internet Explorer, see the topic "Changing Fonts and Background Colors" in the Internet Explorer Help system.
Note that Help on an item is available by clicking the "?" button at the top of the dialog box, and then clicking the item.
Netscape Navigator
For detailed information about font styles and background colors in Netscape Navigator, see the topics "Viewing the Preference Panels", "The Fonts Panel", and "The Colors Panel" in
the Netscape Navigator Help system.
Note that Help for each panel is available by clicking the Help button at the bottom of the dialog box.
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If you do not want graphics or pictures displayed, you can turn them off through your browser. The pages will display faster since they will be in text-only mode. Some accessibility software, such as screen readers, may function better without graphics.
Internet Explorer
For detailed information about turning off graphics display in Internet Explorer, see the topic "Turn off graphics to display all Web pages faster" in the Internet Explorer Help system.
Note that Help on an item is available by clicking the "?" button at the top of the dialog box, and then clicking the item.
Netscape Navigator
For detailed information about turning off graphics display in Netscape Navigator, see the topic "Viewing Images" in the Netscape Navigator Help system.
Note that Help is available by clicking the Help button at the bottom of the dialog box.
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Certain files on this and many other Web sites are available in Portable Document Format (PDF). This format, developed by Adobe Systems, allows the document to be viewed and printed
on many types of computers and printers in the exact original format. You do not need to have the software that was used to create the document in order to see or print it exactly as
the author intended.
Acrobat Reader
In order to use a PDF file, you must have the Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Once you download and install the reader, it will open automatically in your browser when you download a PDF file.
This will allow you to view, print, or save a PDF file from within the reader.
The current version 7.0 Acrobat Reader, for use with Windows, Macintosh, and other systems, is available for download at no cost directly from the Adobe Systems web site at this URL:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
PDF Files and Screen Readers
The current version 7.0 Acrobat Reader comes complete with built-in Search and Accessibility features. There was a special version of Acrobat Reader 6.0 for Windows with Search and Accessibility. These versions of Acrobat Reader include support for screen readers (Accessibility) via the Microsoft Active Access API (MSAA).
Adobe offers a no-cost online service that will convert PDF files available on the Web into HTML "on the fly" and make them available on your browser.
Finally, users may submit any PDF file by email attachment for free automated conversion using the email conversion tool available from Adobe. The file will be converted within minutes to either HTML or plain text and returned as an attachment to email.
For details and instructions on the use of any of these conversion options, visit the Adobe accessibility Web site at this URL:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_onlinetools.html
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Certain files on this and other Web sites are available in MS Word Document Format. You need to have the software that was used to create the document (Microsoft Word, also found in the Microsoft Office suite), or the free Microsoft Word Viewer in order to see or print the document. Additionally, recent versions of other software (such as Open Office, Sun StarOffice, IBM Lotus, and Corel WordPerfect) are also able to open Word documents.
Microsoft Word Viewer is a freeware program that allows users who do not own Microsoft Word to view and print documents that were created in Word. The latest version of Word Viewer can open documents created with all previous versions of Word for Windows and Word for Macintosh. You cannot edit an open document in Word Viewer; however, you can copy text to the Clipboard to paste it in other applications.
Microsoft Word Viewer Downloads
The current version of the Microsoft Word Viewer, for use with Windows 2000 and later systems, is available for download at no cost directly from the Microsoft web site at this URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=95E24C87-8732-48D5-8689-AB826E7B8FDF
A Microsoft Knowledge Base support article, How to obtain the latest Microsoft Word Viewer, is available at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/891090/
Another more comprehensive Microsoft article, Description of the Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003, is available at:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/889347/
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Some pages in the Distance Learning Modules Lessons are available for you to listen to via streaming audio. Look for the following icon and link near the top each page:
Click on either the icon or the text link (on the Lesson page, not here of course) to start the streaming audio.
As you listen to the audio, you may also follow along by reading the text in your browser. The audio will be played through your RealPlayer®, which will pop up as a different window. All of the controls on that window will be fully functional and controllable by you. If you are reading along, for instance, you may wish to use the Pause button in order to remain in sync with the audio. Similarly, you may wish to use it if you follow a link off the page, and later use your browser's Back button to return to the Lesson page. At that time, you can use the player's Play button to resume the audio where you left off.
Additionally, if your RealPlayer version supports the feature, it may be advantageous to switch it to compact mode. This will greatly reduce the player window size on your screen while still allowing you to use its controls. You can also minimize the player window to remove it from your screen entirely but still continue to listen to it. See the Help button on the player for more information about operational details.
Closing the player window will stop the audio. If you leave the Lesson page, the player will not be closed automatically.
In order to use the audio features described above, you must have the free RealPlayer installed on your computer. You can get more information about it, and download a free copy of the latest version by following the link below (be sure to select the free "Basic" version rather than the "Plus" version offered for sale):
http://www.real.com/products/player/index.html
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Recent versions of Windows include a number of accessibility features built into the operating system. Detailed instructions about how to use them are beyond the scope of this topic. For complete information about these programs and features, look under accessibility in the Windows Help index.
To see what your version of Windows contains:Up to the Top
Macintosh users can use a number of features built into the system software, which help make the computer more accessible to all people. The features that make the Macintosh accessible include: CloseView screen magnification software, Easy Access system software (Sticky Keys, Slow Keys, and Mouse Keys), electronic documentation, key-repeat disable, text-to-speech synthesis and voice recognition (PlainTalk), sticky mouse, and visual alert cues.
Mac OS has all the Easy Access features (Universal Access) bundled within the Mac OS installation CD and may be installed from the CD. Alternatively, you may download the Easy Access and CloseView utilities, or installation instructions for them, from Apple's Disability Resources Web site (see below).
While detailed installation and operating information is beyond the scope of this topic, short descriptions of the features appear below.Up to the Top
Further information about accessibility is available at a number of Web sites. The brief list of links to other web sites below is provided only as a convenience to our users, and may be useful to those seeking further information about topics related to accessibility. Note that these sites include their own lists of links to related sites.
The Employment Support Institute does not endorse, takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over the organizations, views, contents, or accuracy of any information contained on the linked sites below, or any link contained in a linked site. Each user should take steps to verify independently any, and all, information obtained from these and all other web sites before acting upon such information.
Microsoft Enable
The Microsoft Accessibility Web site includes descriptions of accessibility features in Windows operating systems and software applications, and product documentation in accessible formats. There is also a catalog of accessibility aids
designed for Windows operating systems, as well as articles, stories, and a calendar of events.
Apple's Special Needs Resources
Apple's site for information about hardware and software solutions for people with disabilities. Downloadable files and instructions for installing and using accessibility features of the Mac OS are available. Apple also provides
downloadable shareware and freeware specific to the needs of people with disabilities.
IBM Accessibility Center
IBM's Special Needs Systems site provides information about products and services for people with disabilities, including their Home Page Reader software used in conjunction with Netscape Navigator.
Trace Research and Development Center
The Trace Center has been widely regarded for many years as the leading research, development, and resource center in the area of access to computers by people with disabilities. This site offers news, information, and software related
to accessibility of computers in general and the World Wide Web specifically.
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Some schools, libraries, and parents have become concerned about the content available to children and others through the World Wide Web. They may employ content filters to block access to certain Web sites deemed inappropriate for users of their computers. The filtering may employ a combination of built-in browser settings and/or special filtering software in conjunction with Web site ratings determined by users, Web sites, and/or external raters. Web sites that have not been rated may be automatically blocked by some browser or filtering software.
This Web site, WWW.WORKWORLD.ORG, and our companion ESI organizational Web site, www.bus.vcu.edu/esi/, contain no images, potrayals, expressions, or descriptions of nudity, sexual activity, hate or objectionable speech, or violence.
Currently, both of our Web sites have been assigned ratings by both the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) and SafeSurf. Both of our Web sites were previously assigned a rating under the now-superceded Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) Ratings Program, administered by ICRA.
Both of our sites automatically include the content label information of all three rating systems within meta tags on their home pages. The label format follows the standards set by the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS). This standard format can be read by most browsers and selection software around the world. The ratings may be used automatically by both the Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers and by a number of filtering programs. If you are having trouble accessing either of our Web sites due to filtering settings made on your browser, the Web sites of the rating organizations (see below) have instructions and information about adjusting the settings on most browser versions.
Our sites also incorporate a new ICRA labelling system, based on the RDF (Resource Description Framework) standard. The newer W3C RDF standard represents a fundamental shift in the technological architecture of the ICRA system. A vocabulary is provided that can be used to describe any and all digital content in a manner that reflects a broad range of parental concerns around the world. The descriptions are machine-understandable and may be used by a variety of agents such as filters, search engines and helper applications that display extra information for users.
The Internet Content Rating Association is an international, independent, non-profit organization that empowers the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of an open, objective, content advisory system. More information about the current ICRA and the previous RSAC Rating Programs is available directly from ICRA at this URL:
http://www.icra.org/sitelabel/
SafeSurf was founded out of concern for children and governmental censorship, and the desire to implement an Internet-wide rating standard.
Its main goals are to employ the SafeSurf Rating Standard on the Internet for the future, while assisting and supporting parents right now. More information about the SafeSurf Rating Standard and other initiatives is available at this URL:
http://www.safesurf.com
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NOTE: Sponsored links and ads help make the WorkWORLD™ website possible by partially defraying its operating and maintenance expenses. No endorsement of these or any related products or services is intended or implied by the Employment Support Institute or any of its partners. |
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