Accessibilty

Accessibility policy

This version agreed by the Board Spring 2010

Next review due 2013

 

AACT aims to provide a website that is accessible to everyone. We design the site with usability and accessibility in mind.

If you have any problems accessing any information on the site please contact us.

 

Adjusting text size

 All font sizes are relative, with the exception of graphical text, and text size can be increased or decreased by following these steps:

  • For Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to the ‘View’ menu, select ‘Text Size’ and then the option that suits you.
  • For Mozilla Firefox, go to the ‘View’, select ‘Text Size’ and then either ‘Increase’ or ‘Decrease’ until the text is the size you require.
  • For Apple Safari: Use the Safari > Preferences > Appearance options in the browser menu.

 

Images

All images have descriptive alternative text, with the exception of images that are used for aesthetic reasons only. Those images have null ALT text.

 

Colours

Colours have been chosen to give good contrast and to aid accessibility by colour-blind users.

 

Coding

This website is built using code compliant with W3C standards for XHTML 1.0 Strict and Cascading Style Sheets. You can check each of our pages for conformance by clicking the W3C buttons at the bottom of the particular page. If you find we have made a mistake please let us know by contacting us.

 

[There is one exception to adherence to XHTML Strict standards – we use the target attribute to allow some external webpages to open in a new window. Practical trials showed that this seems to be the lesser of two evils in trying to create an environment which is not muddling for users.]

 

PDF

We use PDF format for some information on our site. You will need Adobe reader (or another PDF viewer) to view PDF documents. Download the more recent version of Adobe reader here.

 

Testing for compliance

Testing for compliance with WAIG standards is not an exact science and we do not currently have the confidence to declare conformance to a specific level. We do test our website for accessibility using various utilities (such as Wave3.0 and those indicating colour contrast) as listed by W3C. We try it out on as many browsers and platforms as seems practical. From time to time we ask users with various accessibility needs to try the site for us.

 

Contact us

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us.

 

Useful Links

The following have useful advice and information about web accessibility.

 

Our thanks to the UK Government’s Companies House and Oxfam websites which inspired us to include this accessibility statement following their examples.

Fundraising policy

Fundraising Policy

(merged with the previously published Policy which was agreed in Spring 2010)

Reviewed by the Board at its Summer 2011 meeting

Next review due Summer 2012

 

  • The Board of Trustee Directors (the Board) will act as fundraising coordinator.
  • Fundraising will be targeted to fulfill the mission of the charity, to add value to the work of disability professionals by providing help, particularly with outside funding bodies. Leveraging funding in the area of those with communication difficulties is our priority in developing potential projects and funding applications.
  • There will be careful selection of potential funders to ensure AACT meets their requirements and charitable aims and bids will be individualized and targeted as appropriate.
  • Any proposal to seek funds must be agreed by the Board in advance of any approach to potential funders.
  • There will be active relationship building to enhance the benefit to both parties.
  • Any project must provide a fundraising plan to be agreed by the Board.
  • Any ongoing service must have a sustainable funding plan approved by the Board.
  • The admin team is responsible for raising the funds required for basic inescapable costs and for fundraising costs.
  • The Board will decide on a lead fundraiser for any project or service it wishes to take forward.

 

Much of the work of AACT is undertaken by volunteers, but we have in the past paid modest amounts to a professional fundraiser and may do so again if Trustees feel this is in the best interests of our beneficiaries.

 

We take notice of the guidelines put forward by the Institute of Fundraising (http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/bestpractice) and believe like them that fundraising activities should be undertaken with clarity and openness.

 

If you have suggestions for fundraising, or would like to comment on our fundraising in any way, please do get in touch.

Information policy

This version adopted by the Board Winter 2010-11

Next review due on or before Winter 2013-14

 

We aim to keep the information we hold relevant and fit for purpose.

 

In line with our purpose ‘to advance the education of the public’ as stated in our Memorandum of Association, we will publish suitably-reviewed information we have that is relevant to our mission where it is both practical and legal so to do.

 

We are also keen to ensure anyone with an interest in our mission can find out about our policies, ways of getting involved and what we are doing and will therefore publish relevant documentation.

 

To implement our policy we will

 

  • Obey all laws concerning the dissemination of information, in particular the UK’s Data Protection Act
  • State openly our attitude and practices as regards data related to a person
  • Regularly review the information that we hold and/or publish to check its currency, accuracy and legality
  • Publish information via our website or other electronic, publicly and widely accessible means
  • Keep our information securely
  • Treat sympathetically requests for information in other formats, subject to the practicality (including cost) of such provision

Policy on Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Harassment

Policy on Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Harassment

Adopted by the Winter 2010-11 Board meeting

Next review due on or before: Winter 2011-12

 

In line with its status as a charity set up to help inclusion within society, AACT confirms its commitment to a comprehensive policy of Equal Opportunities in which individuals are selected, developed, appraised and otherwise treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities and are given Equal Opportunities within the Charity.

 

The object of this policy is to ensure that:

 

no applicant, volunteer, trustee, director, member, student intern, supplier, provider, contractor or user of facilities shall be discriminated against on account (for example) of his or her sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, marital status, Civil Partnership status, family responsibilities, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins and citizenship), religion or belief, political belief, membership (or non-membership) of a Trades Union, disability (including HIV status), age or socio-economic background.

 

AACT opposes any form of discrimination on these stated grounds unless it can be objectively justified as genuine, substantial, reasonable and within the law.

 

Evidence of discriminatory behaviour (including harassment) will be treated as a potential disciplinary matter and could result in cessation of the individual’s association with the Charity.

The effective implementation of this policy can only be achieved by all those associated with AACT acting appropriately. The implementation of this policy will be aided by publishing it and by drawing attention to it in other communications as relevant.

Working with AACT

Working with AACT

Agreed by the Board Winter 2010-11. Next review due on or before: Winter 2013-14

AACT does not have its own employees. Rather, it is helped towards achieving its aims by people holding various other types of role. The aim of this short document is to list the Charity’s policies relating to: trustee-directors, volunteers, paid consultants, student interns, organizations.

The documents giving further information relating to each role are named here. They are published through the Charity’s website. While the roles differ, all outputs must relate directly to AACT’s mission and priorities. Anyone doing work for/on behalf of AACT should enter into an appropriate agreement including to abide by any relevant AACT policies.

Trustee-Directors

Directors are elected by the members of the Company as detailed in the Memorandum and Articles, simultaneously becoming a trustee of the Charity. All must follow the agreed policies documented in Responsibilities and duties of Trustee-Directors.

Volunteers

The Charity and the Volunteer must abide by the policies documented in the Volunteer policy. Apart from ad hoc one-off help (e.g. help at a fundraising sale) there must be a Volunteer agreement in place which lists the activities the Volunteer will undertake. The agreement must have the approval of a Trustee-Director before any activity commences.

Paid consultants

Individual’s circumstances differ and there will be occasion when special contractual conditions will apply. However, the type of agreement we normally require with a self-employed consultant is shown in the Consultancy agreement template. The outcomes expected from the consultancy and the payment terms must be clearly agreed and the agreement signed by a Trustee-Director on behalf of AACT and by the Consultant before work commences.

Student interns

An individual associated with AACT may be prepared to take on a student intern. The situation will differ from that of a volunteer in that there will be some agreement with the student’s host institution (for example: on giving feedback on performance). Whether the individual concerned is prepared to spend the time on supervision, monitoring etc required is a matter for them but as in other cases, any agreement with both student and institution must be clearly understood and agreed by a Trustee-Director before commencement. Particular care will be exercised in making any agreement on accepting an intern to ensure all parties understand there is no payment associated with the role and to be clear that the student’s institution covers insurance issues appropriately.

Organizations

We understand that organizations providing goods or services may have their own form of contract and we therefore do not have an AACT ‘standard’. Any contract must clearly state the goods or services to be provided, must be clear on matters such as insurance and must be agreed and signed by a Trustee-Director before commencement of delivery of any of the goods or services.