Help

• Navigation Help
  • Site Map
  • Search
• Accessibility Help
  • Accessibility Features Statement
  • Document Formats
  • Increasing Text Size
  • Client-side CSS for Enhancing Accessibility
    • How to Configure Your Browser
• Technical Help
• Contact Us

Navigation Help

Browsing our website is assisted by the use of the top navigation bar, as well as by the links located in the left hand margin.

Site Map

The Site Map is a guide providing users with a quick overview of the layout and content of this website.

Search

The search engine offers quick access to information through bilingual (French or English) keyword or phrase searches.

Accessibility Help

Accessibility Features Statement

In order to make this site more accessible, we have employed templates which:

• are XHTML 1.0 Strict conformant, to improve compatibility with adaptive technologies, handheld devices, browsers and search engines;
• have been successfully tested on a wide range of adaptive technologies and browser/platform combinations to ensure that Canadians can access Web pages regardless of the technology used;
• include major components, such as the common menu bar, side menu, and content area that are properly marked up with headings to simplify navigation with a screen reader;
• employ table-less layout and design to simplify screen reader navigation by reducing the structural complexity of Web pages;
• improve accessibility by allowing visitors to configure visual elements to meet their accessibility needs;
• use scaleable fonts and text-based navigational elements to improve accessibility and simplify navigation using adaptive technologies;
• provide printer-friendly functionality in the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to render pages more compatible with printers and to prevent printing unnecessary page elements;
• separate visual presentation from the document structure;
• avoid truncated and overlapped elements at very large font sizes;
• display the title value when a link gains keyboard focus; and
• employ skip navigation links at the beginning of the page for quickly moving to the content or the institutional links. These skip navigation links become visible when a mouse pointer hovers over top or when selected using a keyboard or other alternate input device.

Documents Formats

Most content is available in HTML format (like this page). Many documents are also available in their original format:

• PDF - They may also be available as Portable Document Format. To view these files you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If the Adobe download site is not accessible to you, you can download Acrobat Reader from an accessible page. You can also visit the Adobe site for online conversion tools for PDF documents.
• DOC - Some files are available in Microsoft Word or Rich Text formats. To view these files you will need Microsoft Word Reader.

Increasing Text Size

To increase the text size on our Web pages, you can change the settings in your Web browser. Just follow the instructions below based on the browser you are using or see your browser's help for details.

• Internet Explorer

  1. Select "View" in the menu bar.
  2. Select "Text Size".
  3. Select "Larger" or "Largest".

• Mozilla Firefox

  1. Select "View" in the menu bar.
  2. Select "Text Size".
  3. Select "Increase".
  4. To increase the text size further, continue selecting "Increase".

• Opera

  1. Select "View" in the menu bar.
  2. Select "Zoom".
  3. From the menu, select the size with which you would like to view the Web site.
  4. To increase the text size further, increase the percentage.

• Netscape

  1. Select "View" in the menu bar.
  2. Select "Text Size".
  3. From the menu, select the size with which you would like to view the Web site.

Client-side CSS for Enhancing Accessibility

The design of the Web pages on this Web site are flexible enough to allow you to configure the visual presentation to meet your accessibility needs by using a client-side Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) file.

Most browsers provide the ability to specify a client-side CSS file, which would be applied to every Web page on this Web site that you visit. To take advantage of this feature, perform the following steps:

• Download the client-side CSS file, and
• Configure your browser to use the client-side CSS file.

How to Configure Your Browser to Use a Client-side CSS File

• Internet Explorer for Windows

  1. Select "Internet Options…" in the "Tools" menu.
  2. Select the "Accessibility…" button.
  3. Check the "Format documents using my style sheet" box.
  4. Use the "Browse…" button to select your client-side CSS file.
  5. Confirm the changes by using the "OK" button.

• Internet Explorer for Mac

  1. Select "Preferences…" in the "Explorer" menu.
  2. Select the "Web Content" section under the "Web Browser" list item (expand the "Web Browser" list item as necessary).
  3. Check the "Show style sheets" and "Use my style sheet" boxes.
  4. Use the "Select Style Sheet…" button to select your client-side CSS file.
  5. Confirm the changes by using the "OK" button.

• Mozilla Firefox, Netscape (6.0 and later) and Mozilla

  1. Rename your client-side CSS file to "userContent.css".
  2. Copy the file to the "chrome" sub-folder in your browser profile folder. Instructions for finding your profile folder. The "chrome" sub-folder should contain the files "userContent-example.css" and "userChrome-example.css".
  3. Restart the browser.

• Opera 8 and later

  1. Select "Preferences…" in the "Tools" menu.
  2. Select the "Advanced" tab.
  3. Select the "Content" option in the list.
  4. Select the "Style options…" button.
  5. Use the "Choose…" button to select your client-side CSS file.
  6. Confirm the changes by using the "OK" button.

• Opera 7

  1. Select "Preferences…" in the "File" menu.
  2. Select "Page Style".
  3. Use the "Choose…" button to select your client-side CSS file.
  4. Confirm the changes by using the "OK" button.

• Safari

  1. Select "Preferences" in the "Safari" menu.
  2. Select "Advanced".
  3. Use the "Other" button to select your client-side CSS file.
  4. Confirm the changes by using the "OK" button.

Technical Help

If you require assistance while visiting our site, please contact victims-victimes@ombudsman.gc.ca.

Contact Us

If you are still unable to locate the information on the program or service you desire, please contact us.