Accessibility Statement - Agricultural Regulations (AgRegs)
This website is run by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Northern Ireland. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
- clearly understand the content and instructions of the website.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website aren't fully accessible:
- there are some missing label on form fields and icon buttons
- some users may find it difficult to follow the structure of content as there is no heading hierarchy
- some mobile users may find it difficult to view all the content (content lost from screen or incorrectly positioned), and text may not be able to be resized
- form fields have only light- coloured borders which may make them indistinct for some users
- there is no mechanism to skip large blocks of navigation or content
- the purpose of some 'tooltip' links is unclear
- panels can be dragged across the screen, which may not be straightforward for all users
- some links open in new tabs/windows
What to do if you can't access parts of this website
If you need further information or assistance in using parts of this website, you can contact the NAME OF BRANCH/DIVISION
- email BRANCH/DIVISION
A DAERA member of staff will be able to help you with your request.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We're always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that aren't listed on this page or think we're not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations, contact the DAERA customer helpline on 0300 200 7852 or email daera.helpline@daera-ni.gov.uk.
If you are unhappy with the quality of service received, in the first instance, you can make a complaint to DAERA.
Enforcement procedure
If you remain dissatisfied with the Department's final response to your complaint, you can refer your case to the Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), which is responsible for enforcing accessibility regulations. You can contact them.
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural AffairsClare House
303 Airport Road West
Belfast BT3 9ED
DAERA Headquarters map location
Call DAERA customer helpline on 0300 200 7852 or email daera.helpline@daera-ni.gov.uk.
If you have a hearing difficulty you can contact the Department via Text Relay using the Next Generation Text Service (NGTS).
- Making a call from a textphone dial 18001 + number.
- Making a call from a telephone dial 18002 + number.
There are also various Text to Speech applications available to use.
Technical information about this website's accessibility
DAERA is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications)(No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
The application is primarily map-based and cannot be made fully accessible at this time. Gov.uk advises that maps do not need to be fixed but that essential information should be available in an accessible format.
Issues with technology
- Currently on mobile simulation, in portrait view, the content does not render correctly (1.3.4: Orientation)
- On mobile simulation, there are issues with information panel positioning and cutting off of content; In portrait view, some content appears not to be rendered at all (1.4.10 Reflow)
- The border of input fields/checkboxes, etc. fall below the 3:1 required ratio(1.4.11: Non-text Contrast)
- There is no mechanism to bypass blocks of content, for instance, if the user wants to bypass the tools and go directly to the map (2.4.1 Bypass Blocks)
- Some links (e.g. the 'i' icons on the map layers) do not indicate; that it is a link and not a tooltip; that it opens in a new window; what the link actually shows (all icons are just called 'Details')(2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context))
- When a panel is opened by the user, focus is not trapped within that panel - so potentially the focus can be on a page element hidden behind that panel, e.g. when I open the Get Coordinates panel, I can still tab to the Print Template panel below it (2.4.11: Focus Not Obscured (Minimum))
- Panels can be dragged across the screen to allow visibility of the page content behind. There is no obvious way to move these panels using a single pointer operation (2.5.7 Dragging Movements)
- Some buttons open content in a new window without advising user beforehand. This is considered a change of context (3.2.2: On Input)
- All page content should be contained by landmarks to help screenreaders identify elements on the page (4.1.2: Name, Role, Value)
Issues with text
- Missing form labels on icons buttons over map; Empty buttons - do not contain accessible text to describe their purpose (1.1.1 Non-text Content, 3.3.2 Labels and Instructions)
- No identifiable heading structure (1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
- Text can be resized to 200% on desktop. However, the 'scalable=no' value in the metadata is restricting the ability to zoom/increase size on mobile devices (1.4.4 Resize Text)
Issues with PDFs and other documents
- No PDFs associated with this application.
Issues with images, video and audio
- No known issues
Issues with interactive tools and transactions
- No known issues
How we tested this website
This website was last tested on 19 July 2024. The test was carried out by DAERA Digital Services Division.
We chose to sample those pages which were most commonly used, and most representative of the general functionality and layout of the web application. The sample pages were tested for code compliance using the Axe testing tool and WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool). The pages also underwent manual testing to ensure they adhered to the four Accessibility principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust). NVDA screenreading software was also used for testing.
We tested:
- AgRegs Map Viewer
What we're doing to improve accessibility
The Department is actively engaged in improving the accessibility of its applications. As part of our 'User Experience Checklist', we require developers to design software with accessibility compliance built in. In those circumstances where compliance cannot be met, reasons for this should be documented, along with steps for addressing issues. We also carry out user research to ascertain user requirements and conduct usability workshopping before launching new applications.
This statement was prepared on 30 July 2024. It was last updated on 30 July 2024.