How to use this site
Print pageTo help find your way around this website we have divided it into sections. You will find a series of tabs across the top of the screen, by selecting a tab you will find that the menu on the left hand side changes to show you subsections relating to that area. By selecting options from the left hand menu you can "drill down" to the subject you are interested in. Clicking on the word "Home", or the equipmentdirect.org.uk logo, at the very top left hand corner of every page will take you back to the Home Page
To help you identify links they are highlighted in a different colour and underlined, when you position your cursor over a link the cursor will change appearance to that of a hand. When you visit a link, it will change colour on your return to the original page to highlight that you have visited that link.
Registration
Site
Registration is very easy. You only have to provide some basic login information, username, password and email address, and also choose a 'secret question' and type an answer, to provide extra security.
And please do remember: we will not give your personal details to anyone else.
Please note that you must have a valid email address if you want to register on Equipment Direct. If you do not already have email then you can register for a free email account with Yahoo Email.
I am a registered user and want to log in
Accessibility
We have designed this site to be accessible and easy to use, and are continually trying to improve. We particularly welcome feedback from visitors who have particular requirements or use access technology.
Different people have a wide variety of different requirements when it comes to making an IT system accessible.
Visit our Accessibility page to change the appearance of our site to suit your preferences. You can change text size, colour, and background colour. You can save these changes and every time you visit this site your changes will be automatically loaded.
If you wish to make similar changes to other sites you visit, you can make some changes within your browser software. These changes will mean that most sites you visit will load these settings automatically.
The guidance for changing the appearance of web pages is dependant on the browser you are using. Please select the browser you are using from the list below to view the guides:
Listen to our site
If you prefer to listen as well as read our site, then you can use Readspeaker to do this. Readspeaker is simple to use, simply select the Listen to our site link and the Readspeaker tool bar will open. You can ask Readspeaker to read all of the page, the text, or just the links. You can also highlight text on the page and Readspeaker will just read that section. To make use of Readspeaker you will need a sound card in your computer (most computers come with one fitted as standard), and speakers or headphones connected. There is nothing to download, and you do not need to have anything installed on your machine to make it work.
Readspeaker's Mission Statement is: -
"The Mission of ReadSpeaker is to make the "miracle of the Internet" accessible for dyslexics, people with learning disabilities, low literacy level, people with English as a second language, elderly with impaired vision and others that like to listen as well as read."
These groups represents more than 20% of the population in most European countries and are also an untapped part of the market for online commerce, online banking, etc.
For other useful information on Accessibility tips and guides see the useful links below.
Useful links
Links to other sites which can give further information
Microsoft accessibility pages
Including tips about using Windows and Office products
IBM Accessibility Centre
Extensive information, including advice for personnel staff and managers
Ability Net
Range of information and services
RNIB
Good range of information for people with visual impairments.
Help with Documents
On our site you may occasionally find documents you can download or open. Documents come in many different formats, however we only use documents of the following types: -
PDF;
MSWord;
MSExcel; and
MSPowerpoint.
PDF Documents
PDF (Portable Document Format) is widely used on the Internet. To view PDF documents you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't already have Adobe Acrobat Reader you can download it free from the Adobe Reader website (external link)
Adobe PDF Conversion to HTML or text
To convert an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file to HTML or text, simply enter the URL of the Adobe PDF document into the form on the Online conversion tools for Adobe PDF documents page and select "Convert". The Adobe PDF document will be converted and returned to you in your browser application.
Online conversion tools for Adobe PDF documents
MSWord
Microsoft Word documents can be opened by most word processors. If you want to view MSWord documents and don't have an application to do this then you can download free viewer applications which allow you to view these documents.
To get a free viewer for MSWord files click the link below:
MSExcel
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets can be opened by most spreadsheet applications. If you want to view MSExcel spreadsheets and don't have an application to do this then you can download a free viewer which will allow you to view this type of file.
To get a free viewer for MSExcel files click the link below:
MSPowerpoint
If you want to view Microsoft Powerpoint files and don't have Powerpoint installed, then you can download a free viewer which will allow you to view this type of file.
To get a free viewer for MSPowerpoint files click the link below:
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