PDFs on our website

As you navigate around our website you will come across PDF documents. This page tells you more about PDF documents, why we use them, and looks at PDFs and accessibility.

What are PDFs?

PDFs are downloadable attachments produced in 'portable document format' - this means that they can be accessed with free software that can be downloaded from the Adobe website.

Before downloading a PDF you are given the opportunity to access a free download of Adobe Reader.

Why do we use PDFs on our website?

We convert downloadable documents to PDF wherever possible to ensure that they are available to people who do not have access to commercial software such as Microsoft Word. PDFs can be read using free software that can be downloaded from the Adobe website. It also means that we can be sure that documents are presented in the correct format, particularly when printed out. (This can sometimes be necessary for legal reasons.)