What's new on the website?
Improvements
Accessibility
Signpost's mission puts residents firmly at the heart of the
business. By making improvements to the websites and accessibility
tools we aim to enhance the accessibility of websites and at the
same time fulfil our legal obligations to comply with the
Disability Discrimination Act.
To make the website more inclusive we have included several new
accessibility features on the website. These features are
highlighted on the Site
Help link at the top of each page of the website.
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Feature
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What does it do?
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Who does it benefit?
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Where to find it
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Option to change the text size
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Change the text size larger on the screen by clicking on the
'AAA' links the text size can be made bigger.
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Anyone who prefers text size to be larger, people with mild
visual impairments and older people.
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Appears like this at the top of every page:
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Different colour backgrounds
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Changes the text and background colours to create different
contrasts and colour frequencies.
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People with eye conditions, such as glaucoma, may find it hard
to read certain colour combinations.
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Changing text size and colours
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Text only option
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Removes the layout, images and formatting delivering the site a
simplified list
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People using screen readers such as blind or partially sighted
people.
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Appears like this at the top of every page:
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Text-to-speech:
Browsealoud
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Reads the text out loud. Browsealoud is a free plug-in to be
installed by the site visitor. They will need speakers!
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People with mild visual impairments, low literacy skills or
dyslexia and those who do not speak English as their first
language
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Listening
to our website
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'Skip navigation' link
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A link at the top of the page that allows keyboard users to jump
over the navigation links and land on the main content of the
page.
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People using screen readers such as blind or partially sighted
people or people who don't use a mouse.
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Appears like this at the top of every page:
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Translations
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Google Translate tool offers automatic (machine) translation of
site content.
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People who do not speak English as their first language.
Browsealoud will also read content in 9 languages.
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Translation
Services
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Quality of Content
We are committed to deliver resident focussed content and have
consulted with residents. The content has been reviewed and changed
with a lot of input and co-operation from staff.
As Signpost staff we own the content on the website and have an
obligation to ensure it is up-to-date and accurate. The information
should be consistent with information in handbooks, guides and
other literature. If you spot something is wrong or conflicting
please report it. At the foot of each page there is a 'comment'
link. Complete the form and submit your comments.
New Look
The refreshed design gives the website a new look. Residents and
staff have been consulted on the designs and feedback has been
positive. There is a consistent page layout and navigational links
so visitors can easily browse round the site.
The colours used reflect those of the Signpost brand. The
Spectrum brand is also reflected in the shapes used in the top
banner and the colours used for the links. There are links to the
Spectrum website from the logo in the top right corner of each page
and a text link in the footer.
There are several new features to help all visitors:
- Contact details on all pages including address, phone number
and email address
- Home page link on all pages (logo also links to the home
page)
- Search box on all pages
- Link to site map on all pages
- Guidance on downloading PDF files and using the Acrobat Reader
application
New Content Management System
We have invested in a new Content Management System to be used
across Spectrum Housing Group. The purpose of the system is to make
it easier for non-technical staff to edit and add content to the
website after receiving training.
Its 'Microsoft Word-like' editing
interface makes it familiar and intuitive to use and creating
content in a web based tool means that workflow and auditing
capabilities are automatically available. When content is added or
edited it goes through workflow from Editor to Approver to accept
or reject the changes. Changes and versions of published pages are
stored to create an audit trail.
The system also applies accessibility checks to ensure content
meets standards set by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).
Improvements Still to Come…
Online Services for Residents
It is planned that by the end of October 2009 Signpost residents
will enjoy Online Services which enable residents to register for
an online account so that they can check their rent account, see
how their repairs requests are progressing and amend their personal
details.
In addition the following improvements are planned for Phase
2:
- Housing Officer locator
- Planned maintenance diary
- Performance Information
- Enhancements to the process for editing and approving new
information