O U S A Accessibility - Browser Information
This page provides information on how to set text size and display colours, control cookies, block popups, stop animated gifs for a number of browsers and where these browsers may be downloaded from. Each set of instructions apply to a specific browser version, but should be similar for different versions of the same browser.
- Internet Explorer (version 6.0.28)
- Netscape Navigator (version 7.2)
- Firefox (version 1.0.4)
- Opera (version 7.23)
- Mozilla (version 1.7.2)
- Mac users (Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari)
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer comes with the Microsoft Windows operating systems. The following tells you how to:
- set text size
- display colours
- control cookies
- disable animated gifs
- disable Javascript
- disable image loading
Changing text size
a) as browser settings
The following will ensure that text is displayed at the default size for the browser, thus helping to overcome the common problem of sites setting their text size inconveniently small. However, this may cause the formatting to be lost on some sites. If this occurs on sites you visit, you may be better off downloading and using one of the other browsers listed here. They are all free.
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select General tab
- select Accessibility button near the bottom on the right
- check “Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages” box
- select OK at each menu level to save settings
b) while browsing
- select View menu
- select Text Size
- select the size you want
Setting display colours
The following will set default display colours.
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select General tab
- select Colors button near the bottom on the left
- use the colour boxes to choose the default colours
- select OK at each menu level to save settings
To override the colours specified on web pages with the default colours carry out the following.
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select General tab
- select Accessibility button near the bottom on the right
- check the “Ignore colors specified on Web pages” box
- select OK at each menu level to save settings
Controlling cookies
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select Privacy tab
- select Advanced button
- check “Override automatic cookie handling” box near the top
- for First-party Cookies check “Block” radio button
- for Third-party Cookies check “Block” radio button
- check “Always allow session cookies” box
- select OK at each menu level to save changes
Disabling animated gifs
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select Advanced tab
- scroll down to Multimedia
- uncheck “Play animations in web pages” box
- select OK at each menu level to save changes
Disable Javascript
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select Security
- select Custom Level button
- select 'Disable' for Active scripting, Allow paste operation via script, and Scripting of Java applets
Disable image loading
- select Tools menu
- select Internet Options
- select the Advanced tab
- uncheck “Show Pictures” under the Multimedia category
Netscape Navigator
The Netscape Communicator 7.x suite includes a browser, mail client, address book, HTML editor and web development tools. Version 7.2 is no longer available for download. (Netscape Browser software contains encryption technology that is subject to the U.S. Export Administration Regulations.) Older versions may be downloaded free from netscape.co.uk/netscape/. The latest version of Netscape Navigator, Netscape Browser 8.0, may be downloaded free.
For how to change the Netscape Navigator 7.x browser settings see the instructions for Mozilla.
