Accessibility

Learn more about the accessibility in our branches and on our website

We are committed to providing all our members with excellent service, whatever type of relationship you have with us. However, there are a number of ways in which we have adapted our range of products and services to make them accessible to everyone. We have a network of building societies stretching from Cleethorpes in the north, down to St Albans in the south, most of which are open plan to make it easier for customers to find their way around. Our employees are always on hand to discuss specific needs or answer queries.

Take a look about the facilities and services we can provide.

Wheelchair users

Getting in and out of our branches is usually easy with level or ramped access from pavements. Wherever possible, we have doors that open automatically to make access easier, but please check before you visit the branch

Call assistance

At some branches, steps are unavoidable and a ‘Call assistance’ bell system has been installed so that a member of staff can be called.

Low-level counters and counter queue rails

Lower level writing surfaces are increasingly being provided at the counter. All branches have counter queuing rails, often with lower level writing surfaces.

Visually impaired

We welcome assistance dogs in all branches and we can provide leaflets/statements in large print or braille on request. Please ask in branch.

Hearing impaired

We are always willing to help by writing things down and are equally happy to receive written instructions. In addition, we also have induction loops in our branches. They can be used with the T-setting on hearing aids to enhance sound.

Accessibility on our website

We are committed to making our website accessible to all our members and have an ongoing programme of making useful updates and improvements. We have also introduced several improvements to our website in accordance with guidelines and you can read about some of the changes here:

Changing the size of text

You can make the text either larger or smaller via your browser settings. Some browsers allow you to magnify the whole page. See below for guidance:

Internet Explorer browser

  1. Click View to open the View menu
  2. Select the Text size option
  3. Choose your preferred text size using your mouse or use the up and down arrow keys
  4. Click to select the text size or press Enter
  5. The text size should change to reflect your choice

Firefox and Chrome browser

  1. Click on Open menu
  2. Use up and down arrows to increase or reduce size of text

Safari browser

  1. Click View to open the View menu
  2. Click on Make text bigger or Make text smaller or to use the keyboard shortcuts select Command and + (plus, to increase) or Command and - (minus, to decrease)
  3. The text size on our site should change to reflect your choice

Consistent page headings and titles

A consistent heading structure has been used so that page information is compatible with access technology.

Contrasting colours

We have taken care to ensure that foreground and background colours on the site contrast effectively. If you want to override the site’s colours, you can do this by changing your browser settings.

Alternative text for graphics

All graphics and images contain descriptive alt tag attributes (alternative text). Where an image has no importance, the alt tag is set to null to make the site easier to read by all users.

Descriptive links

All links have been written to make sense when taken out of context. Where appropriate, we have also added information to let you know if the link will open a new window, or if additional software is required to view.

Additional information

Adobe PDF files – you need Adobe Reader software to view Adobe PDF files. If you do not have the software installed on your computer, you can download it for free at Adobe Reader.

If you are using access technology to view Adobe PDF documents, go to the Adobe Accessibility Resource Center, which provides information and tools. An online PDF conversion tool can be found at online conversion tools for Adobe PDF documents.

Style sheets – this site uses cascading style sheets to make it look better and so you can tailor it to your requirements.

Keeping your browser updated

We recommend you keep your browser up to date, because the newer versions provide higher levels of security. To check the version of your current browser, check in the Help or About section of your browser toolbar.

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