Artevia Information

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.).

Hidden links have been inserted at the start of every page in the site so people using voice recognition software or Braille readers can navigate more easily:

• the "Home" link leads back to the site homepage,
• the "Go to content" link leads straight to the page content (the text zone below the breadcrumb trail),
• the "Go to main menu" / "Go to navigation" links lead to the main menu: Group / Sustainable Development / Research & Innovation / Clients & Businesses / Shareholders / Journalists / Job Candidates,
• the "Go to secondary menu" link gives access to all level 2 and 3 content,
• the "Go to tools menu" link leads to the tools menu: Site map / Contacts / Your feedback / F.A.Q. / Legal notices / Directory,
• the "All Lafarge Group websites" link leads to a drop-down list where users can select a country and/or Business and link to its website,
• the "This year's press releases" link leads to a list of press releases from the year in progress,
• the "Top of page" link leads back to the top of the page.

You can return to the site homepage at any time by clicking on the Artevia 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 following shortcuts are valid across the site:

• 1: go to homepage,
• 3: go to site map,
• 4: go to search engine,
• 5: go to F.A.Qs.,
• 6: go to help,
• 7: go to contacts,
• 8: go to legal notices,
• 9: go to all Group websites,
• s: go to the main content of the page, without going to the navigation links.

 

Different browsers use different key combinations, pressed at the same time, to activate these shortcuts:

• Internet Explorer (Windows): Alt and [shortcut] then Enter,
• Mozilla, Netscape, K-Meleon, FireFox Windows: Alt and [shortcut],
• Opera 7 Windows, Macintosh, Linux: Maj and Esc then [shortcut],
• Microsoft I.E. Macintosh: Ctrl and [shortcut] then Enter,
• Safari 1.2 Macintosh: Ctrl and [Shortcut],
• Mozilla, Netscape Macintosh: Ctrl and [Shortcut],
• Galeon / Mozilla / FireFox Linux: Alt and [Shortcut].

 

Please note that the following browsers do not accept keyboard shortcuts: Netscape 4, Camino, Galeon, Konqueror, Omniweb, Safari (before version 1.2) and Opera Windows/Linux (before version 7).

Remember: [Shortcut] stands for the number key, specified above, used to identify the chosen page link.

A breadcrumb trail is present on almost every page below the main menu. The homepage is one of the pages which does not have a breadcrumb trail. The breadcrumb trail allows users to:

• know where they are in the site at all times and to find their place relative to the homepage,
• "backtrack" to the homepage by clicking on the links in the trail.

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.

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".