Accessibility Statement
You can change the text and background colour displayed on this website and others that you visit by adjusting your browser settings. Web browsers can be customised so that website information is displayed in a way that it is easy for you to read. To change the background and text colour for Mac follow the instructions below (for Windows see Changing Background and Text Colour for Windows).
→ Internet
Explorer for Mac
→ Firefox
for Mac
→ Opera
for Mac
→ Netscape
for Mac
Note - At the moment Safari does not have any options to change text and background colours.
Housing Options do not recommend one browser over another. While some common browsers are included in this page, mention of a specific browser does not imply endorsement or recommendation. For other browsers not included of this page refer to your browser’s help menu.
Internet Explorer for Mac
Click on the 'Explorer' menu.
If you cannot see a list of bulleted options under 'Web Browser'
click the arrow next to 'Web Browser' to expand the options
list.
Click the 'Web Content' section.
Next click the button next to 'Text:' to bring up the Mac
OS colour picker.
Click the bar on the right of the colour picker to change the brightness level
of the colour.
Click on the colour circle to choose a colour - you can also slide around
the colours by clicking and holding the mouse down.
When you are happy with your colour choice click the 'OK'
button to return to the 'Internet Explorer Preferences' window.
Repeat the steps 4 - 7 for the 'Background:', 'Read
Links:' and 'Unread Links:' if necessary.
When you have changed all the colours you want to, uncheck the checkbox next
to 'Page specify colors'.
Click the 'OK' button to return to Internet Explorer.
Note - There are no keyboard shortcuts for some of the steps necessary to change text and background colour. Therefore, keyboard shortcuts have not been included here.
Firefox for Mac
Click the 'Firefox' menu.
Click on 'Preferences'.
Make sure the 'Content' tab is selected and if not click
on it
Under 'Fonts and Colors' click on ' Colors'.
To change your text colour, click the colour swatch next to the 'Text:'
heading and click on the colour you want to use.
To change background colour, click the colour swatch next to the 'Background:'
heading and click on the colour you want to use.
Make sure the 'Use system colors' checkbox is unchecked by
clicking on it.
Next make sure the 'Allow pages to choose their own colors, instead
of my selections above' checkbox is turned off.
Click on the 'OK' button, and then on the 'OK'
button again to return to Firefox.
Click on the 'Reload current page' button on the Navigation
toolbar to reload the page with your colour settings.
Mac keyboard shortcuts:
Press 'Ctrl' + 'F2' to highlight the menu
bar and then press the right arrow to highlight the 'Firefox'
menu.
Press the down arrow to highlight 'Preferences' and then
press 'Enter'.
Make sure the 'Content' tab is selected. If not use the left/right
arrow keys to select it.
Use the 'Tab' key to highlight the 'Colors'
button and press the 'Spacebar' to select.
For your text colour, press 'Tab' to jump to it and press
the 'Spacebar' to bring up the colour swatch.
Use the cursor keys to browse the list of colours and when the colour you
want is highlighted press 'Enter'.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 to change the background color.
Make sure the 'Use system colors' checkbox is unchecked by
using 'Tab' to navigate to the checkbox and press 'Spacebar'
(if it is selected).
Next make sure 'Allow pages to choose their own colors, instead of
my selections above' is unchecked - 'Tab' to the
checkbox and press 'Spacebar' to turn it off (uncheck the
box).
Press 'Enter' and then press 'Apple' + 'W'
to return to Firefox.
Finally press 'Apple' + 'R' to reload the
page with your colour settings.
Opera for Mac
Click on the 'Opera' menu and then click on 'Preferences'.
Click on the 'Web pages' tab.
To change the text colour click on the large button next to 'Normal font'.
This will bring up the 'Select font' window.
click on the box underneath 'color' to bring up the Mac OS 'colour picker'.
Click the bar on the right of the colour picker to change the brightness level
of the colour.
Click on the colour circle to choose a colour - you can also slide around
the colours by clicking and holding the mouse down.
When you are happy with your colour choice click the 'OK' button to return
to the 'Preferences' window.
To change background or link colours click on the large button next to 'Background
color'.
Click the bar on the right of the colour picker to change the brightness level
of the colour.
Click on the colour circle to choose a colour - you can also slide around
the colours by clicking and holding the mouse down.
When you are happy with your background colour choice click the 'OK' button
to return to the 'Preferences' window.
Repeat these steps for 'Normal link colour' and 'Visited link colour' if you
need to change them.
Once you have changed all the colours you want to, you then need to change
the browser settings.
To do this click on the 'Advanced' tab.
Click on 'Content'.
Click on the 'Style Options' button.
Click on the 'Presentation modes' tab.
Under both the 'Author mode' and 'User mode' options turn off page style sheet
by unticking the checkbox next to 'Page style sheet'.
Repeat this step for the 'Page fonts and colors' checkboxes to turn them off.
Select the 'My fonts and colours' under both the 'Author mode' and 'User mode'
headings by clicking on the checkboxes.
If you changed the 'Normal link colour' and the ' Visited link color' repeat
this step above for the 'My link style' to tick the checkboxes.
Click the 'OK' button twice to return to Opera.
Note: For keyboard access make sure ' Full keyboard access ' is turned on - you can turn it on or off; by pressing ' Ctrl ' + ' F1 ' at any time.
Press 'Apple' +',' (comma) to open the 'Opera' menu .
Press 'Alt' + 'Tab' until the 'Web pages' tab is selected.
To change the text colour
Press 'Tab' until the 'Normal font' button is selected and then press the
'Spacebar'. This will bring up the 'Select font' window.
Press 'Tab' until the box underneath 'color' is highlighted and then press
the 'Spacebar' to bring up the Mac OS 'colour picker'.
Press 'Tab' until the slider on the bar is highlighted and use the up and
down arrows to change the brightness.
Press 'Tab' to highlight the spot on the colour circle and press the cursor
keys to move around the colour circle.
When you are happy with your colour choice press 'Enter' to return to the
'Preferences' window.
To change background or link colours press 'Tab' until the 'Background color'
button is selected and then press the 'Spacebar'.
Press 'Tab' until the slider on the bar is highlighted and use the up and
down arrows to change the brightness.
Press 'Tab' to highlight the spot on the colour circle and press the cursor
keys to move around the colour circle.
When you are happy with your background colour choice press 'Enter' to return
to the 'Preferences ' window.
Repeat these steps for 'Normal link colour' and 'Visited link colour' if you
need to change them.
Once you have changed all the colours you want to, you then need to change
the browser settings. To do this press 'Alt' + 'Tab' to highlight the 'Advanced'
tab.
Use the up and down arrow to selected 'Content'.
Press 'Tab' until the Style Options' button is highlighted and press the 'Spacebar'.
Press 'Alt' + 'Tab' until the 'Presentation modes' tab is selected.
Under both the 'Author mode' and 'User mode' options turn off page style sheet
pressing 'Tab' until the checkbox in the 'Author mode' column is selected
and press the 'Spacebar', repeat for 'Page style sheet' in the 'User mode'
column. The checkboxes should no longer have 'ticks' in them.
Repeat these steps for the 'Page fonts and colors' checkboxes to turn them
off.
Select the 'My fonts and colours' under both the 'Author mode' and 'User mode'
headings by pressing 'Tab' until the checkbox in the 'Author mode' column
is selected and press the 'Spacebar', repeat for 'My fonts and colours' in
the 'User mode ' column. The checkboxes should have 'ticks' in them.
If you changed the 'Normal link colour' and the ' Visited link color' repeat
step above for the 'My link style' checkboxes to turn them on.
Press 'Enter' twice to return to Opera.
Netscape for Mac
Open the 'Edit' menu with the mouse and then click on 'Preferences'.
Click on the 'Colors' heading underneath the 'Appearance'
category. If you cannot see the 'Colors' heading, you may
need to expand the 'Appearance' category. Do this by clicking
on the arrow next to 'Appearance', by double clicking on the heading.
Click on the 'Text' colour option which will bring up a colour
swatch from which you can choose a colour by clicking on it.
Click on the 'Background' colour option which will bring
up a colour swatch from which you can choose a colour by clicking on it.
If you need to change the link colours click on 'Unvisited Links'
colour option which will bring up a colour swatch from which you can choose
a colour by clicking on it. Repeat for the ' Visited Links'
option.
If not already selected click on the radio button 'Use my chosen colours,
ignoring the colours and background images specified'.
Click 'OK' or press 'Enter' to return to
Netscape.
Note - There are no keyboard shortcuts for some of the steps necessary to change text and background colour. Therefore, keyboard shortcuts have not been included here.
