Accessibility

According to Tim Bernes-Lee (director of W.3.C. and inventor of the world wide web), accessibility means "making the Web's benefits available to all people, whatever their hardware, software, network infrastructure, native language, culture, geographical location, or physical or mental ability." A website is accessible if its content can easily be accessed by any person equipped with a browser and, in some cases, appropriate tools.

The Lafarge website includes several functions and tools that facilitate access:

• navigation functions,
• keyboard shortcuts,
• page personalization,
• content accessible without JavaScript or Flash,
• alternative formats for inaccessible files (for example, P.D.Fs.).

Lafarge is committed to providing a text alternative to every video, slideshow and animation on the site. This ensures all users can make full use of all content. Transcriptions present the content of videos and animations in text format for people who are unable to watch or listen to this content.

To use this function, click on the "Video - text alternative" or "Animation - text alternative" links to open an R.T.F. page containing the transcript.

You can return to the site homepage at any time by clicking on the Lafarge logo at the top left of the screen, after the invisible quick access links.

You can use the TAB key to move from one link to the next throughout the site.

Users equipped with tools such as voice recognition software can navigate from section title to subtitle.

The main menu is at the top of the screen (level 1) and gives access to the 7 sections of the site.

The secondary menu, at the left of the screen, gives access to all level 2 and 3 content.

Two tools menus are also available on all pages:

• the first tools menu is at the top of the screen, above the main menu. It contains the search engine, as well as links to the advanced search engine, the French version of the site ("Version française") and the help page,
• the second tools menu, at the bottom of the page, gives access to the site map, contacts page, user feedback form, legal notices, directory and a drop-down list of all Lafarge Group websites.

Most browsers include a function that allows users to change the size of the text characters displayed on screen.

Users with Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer should go to the "Display" tab (at the top of the browser window) then select "Font size" and choose the character size they require.

The Lafarge website can be displayed in 2 ways depending on the equipment being used:

• for a screen larger than 800*600 (generally 1024*768 or 1280*960), the whole site is displayed,
• for a screen of 800*600 or smaller, the site is displayed without the vertical bar on the right.

Lafarge will not use the vertical area on the right to display important information, such as regulatory information for shareholders, to avoid discriminating against users with smaller screens.

The decorative features of the site (colors and predefined font style and size) can be disabled. The procedure varies according to your browser:

• Mozilla Firefox: go to the "Display" tab at the top of the browser, then select "Page styles" and choose "No style",
• Internet Explorer: go to the "Tools" tab and select "Internet options". A dialog box will open. Select the "General" tab. Click on the "Accessibility" button. Tick the first 2 boxes in the dialog box: "Ignore specified colors on web pages" and "Ignore font styles specified on web pages". Confirm by clicking "OK".