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 Windows follow the instructions below (for Mac see Changing Background and Text Colour for Mac).
→ Internet
Explorer for Windows
→ Firefox
for Windows
→ Opera
for Windows
→ Netscape
for Windows
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 Windows
On the menu bar at the top of the window, click 'Tools'.
Select 'Internet Options' from the Tools menu.
Click on the 'General' tab.
Click on the 'Accessibility' button.
To change your font colour, check the box marked 'Ignore colors specified
on Web pages'.
Click ' OK' to bring you back to the 'Internet Options'
box.
Click on the 'Colors' button.
Uncheck the box next to 'Use Windows colors', allowing you
access to change the colours yourself.
Select your own Text, Background and Link colours from those available.
Click on the 'OK' button on this tab and then on the 'OK'
button on the 'Internet Options' box.
Windows keyboard shortcuts:
Open the 'Tools' menu by pressing 'Alt'+'T
'.
Select the 'Internet Options' option by pressing 'O'.
Select the 'Accessibility' button by pressing 'Alt'+'E'.
Check the 'Ignore colours specified on web page' checkbox
by pressing 'Alt' + 'C'.
Press 'Enter' to return to 'Internet Options'.
With the 'Internet Options' box still open, press 'Alt'
+ 'O'.
Uncheck the box next to 'Use Windows colors' by pressing
'Alt' + 'W', allowing you access to change
the colours yourself.
Select either:
- the 'Text' button by pressing 'Alt' + 'T', or
- the 'Background' button by pressing 'Alt' + 'B'
Select the colour of your choice by using the arrow keys to highlight it
and then pressing 'Spacebar' to select.
Press 'Enter' to indicate OK.
If needed, repeat the process of selecting a colour for:
- visited links - 'Alt' + 'I' and
- unvisited links 'Alt' + 'N'
When you have changed all the colours you want, press 'Enter'
to return to the 'Internet Options' box.
Press 'Tab' until the 'OK' button is selected
and press 'Enter' once which will return you to Internet
Explorer.
Firefox for Windows
On the menu bar at the top of the window, click 'Tools'.
Select 'Options' from the 'Tools' menu.
Click on the 'Content' tab.
Go to the 'Fonts & Colours' section.
Click on the 'Advanced' button.
Untick the 'Allow pages to choose their own colours, instead of my
selections above' box and click 'OK'.
Click on the 'Colours' button. Select the colours you wish
to choose for your text and background and click 'OK'.
Click 'OK' again exit the options menu to return to Firefox.
Click on the 'Reload current page' button on the Navigation
toolbar to reload the page with your colour settings.
Windows keyboard shortcuts:
Click the 'Tools' menu by pressing 'Alt'
+ 'T'.
Press 'O' to display the 'Options' dialog
box.
Use the arrow keys until the 'Content' tab is highlighted.
Press 'Alt' + 'A' open the 'Advanced'
dialog box.
Press 'Alt' + 'A' to deselect 'Allow
pages select their own colours, instead of my selections above' check
box.
Press 'Enter' to return to the 'Options'
dialog box.
Press 'Alt' + 'C' to open the 'Colours'
dialog box.
Ensure the 'Use system colors' checkbox is unchecked (if
need be pressing 'Alt' + 'S' to deselect).
For your background colour, press 'Alt' + 'B'
to jump to the background colour palette and use the cursor keys to browse
the list of colours and then press 'Enter' to choose the
highlighted colour.
For your text colour, press 'Alt' + 'T'
to jump to the background colour palette and use the cursor keys to browse
the list of colours and then press 'Enter' to choose the
highlighted colour.
Press 'Tab' until the 'OK' button is selected
and press 'Enter' to return to Firefox.
Press 'Ctrl' + 'R' to reload the page with
your colour settings.
Opera for Windows
Open the 'Tools' menu and select 'Preferences'.
Click the 'Web Pages' tab.
Select the type of text you want to change the colour of for example 'Normal
font' from the list by clicking it.
Click on the 'Color' option box.
Click on the colour option you want.
Click 'OK' and press 'Enter' to return to
the 'Preferences' window.
To change the background colour click in the 'background colour'
box, to display the 'colour picker box'.
Click on the colour option you want.
Click ' OK ' and press 'Enter' to return to the 'Preferences'
window.
Click the 'Advanced' tab
Select 'Content' from the list on the left.
Uncheck the 'Page style sheet' checkboxes under both the
'Author mode' and 'User mode' headings by
clicking on the checkboxes.
Uncheck the 'Page fonts and colors' checkboxes under both
the 'Author mode' and 'User mode' headings
by clicking on the checkboxes.
Select the 'My fonts and colours' checkboxes under both the
'Author mode' and 'User mode' headings by
clicking on the checkboxes.
Click the 'OK' button to return to the 'Preferences'
box.
Click the 'OK' button to return to Opera.
Refresh the page by clicking on the 'Reload' button.
Windows keyboard shortcuts:
Press 'Ctrl' + 'F12'
Press 'Ctrl' + 'Tab' keys to cycle through
the tabs until 'Web Pages' is selected.
Select the type of text you want to change the colour of for example 'Normal
font' from the list by pressing 'Tab' until the
font name is selected then 'Spacebar' to open the 'Font'
dialog box.
'Tab' to the 'Color' option box and then
press 'Spacebar' to open the colour options.
'Tab' to focus on the colour and then press 'Spacebar'
to select it.
Press 'Tab' until 'OK' it is highlighted
and press 'Enter' to return to the 'Preferences'
window.
To change the background colour press 'Tab' until it is highlighted
and press 'Spacebar' to display the 'colour picker
box'.
Use 'Tab' to focus on the colour you want and then press
'Spacebar' to select it.
Press 'Tab' until 'OK' it is highlighted
and press 'Enter' to return to the 'Preferences'
window.
Press 'Ctrl' + 'Tab' keys to cycle through
the tabs until 'Advanced' is selected.
Press the up and down arrows until 'Content' is highlighted
in the left pane.
Press 'Tab' until the 'Style options ...'
link is selected and then press 'Enter' to bring up the 'Presentation
modes' dialog box
Uncheck the 'Page style sheet' checkboxes under both the
'Author mode' and 'User mode' headings by
tabbing to them and pressing the 'Spacerbar' to deselect
them.
Uncheck the 'Page fonts and colors' checkboxes under both
the 'Author mode' and 'User mode' headings
by tabbing to them and pressing the 'Spacerbar' to deselect
them.
Select the ' My fonts and colours' checkboxes under both
the 'Author mode' and 'User mode' headings
by tabbing to them and pressing the 'Spacerbar' to deselect
them.
'Tab' to the 'OK' button and press 'Enter'
to return to the 'Preferences' box.
'Tab' to the 'OK' button and press 'Enter'
to return to Opera.
Refresh the page by pressing 'F5'.
Netscape for Windows
Click the 'Edit' menu.
Click 'Preferences'.
Click on the arrow (or cross) next to the 'Appearance' heading
on the left, to expand it.
Click the 'Colors' sub heading to view the 'Colors'
preferences section.
To change your preferred text colour, click the colour swatch next to the
'Text:' heading and click your preferred colour.
To change your preferred background colour, click the colour swatch next to
the 'Background:' heading and click your preferred colour.
Click the radio button next to 'Use my chosen colours ignoring the
colors and background image specified'.
Click 'OK' to return to Netscape.
Windows keyboard shortcuts:
Press 'Alt' + 'E' to bring up the 'Edit
Menu'.
Press 'E' to display the preferences dialog box.
Select the arrow (or cross) next to 'Appearance' using the
arrow keys and press the 'right arrow' key.
Select the 'Colors' sub heading using the arrow keys, to
view the 'Colors' preferences section.
To change your preferred text colour, press 'Alt' + 'T'
to jump to the text colour palette and use the cursor keys to browse the list
of colours. Press 'Enter' when your chosen colour is selected.
To change your preferred background colour, press 'Alt' +
'B' to jump to the background colour palette and use the
cursor keys to browse the list of colours. Press 'Enter'
when your chosen colour is selected.
'Tab' to the radio button next to 'Use my chosen
colours ignoring the colors and background image specified' and select
this option with the arrow keys.
'Tab' to the 'OK' button and press 'Enter',
to return to Netscape.
