Images and multimedia

We try to use text rather than images whenever possible on our website to give you more control over text resizing and to reduce the download time of pages so that they display more quickly. However, images often form an essential component of the website to graphically describe a subject or location.

Alternative text and long descriptions on images

Where images are used we add alternative text and a long description so that if you are blind, have low vision, or have chosen not to view images, you know what the image on the page is.

Due to technical limitations it is sometimes difficult to provide alternative descriptions, or formats, on some images. For example, if we are using a Google map to show a location it is hard to provide alternative. Where this happens we will do everything reasonably possible to give you an alternative option.