Accessibility Statement - Certifying Officer Authorisation

This statement relates to the Certifying Officer Authorisation application.

This application 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 is no means to adjust or extend the session after a period of inactivity
• the application summary PDF is not fully accessible

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 a DAERA Direct Regional Office.

• email DAERA Direct Regional Offices
• call 0300 200 7840

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, please contact DAERA Digital Services Division (DSD).

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 Affairs
Clare 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.

Issues with technology

• The user's session ends without warning the user or giving them a method for extending the session (2.2.1: Timing Adjustable)

Issues with text

• No known issues.

Issues with PDFs and other documents

• The application summary PDF is not fully accessible.

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 26 September 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 Accessiblity Evaluation Tool). The pages also underwent manual testing to ensure they adhered to the four Accessibility principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust). We also tested using NVDA screenreader, and Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker (where applicable).

We tested:

• Start page
• Applicant details
• Officer type - aPVP
• Search organisation (existing)
• New application
• Review application
• Declaration
• Application submitted
• Dashboard
• ApplicationSummary.pdf

What we're doing to improve accessibility

The Department is actively engaged in improving the accessibility of its applications. As part of our 'UX 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 endeavour to carry out user research to ascertain user requirements and conduct usability workshopping before launching new applications.

This statement was prepared on 26 September 2024. It was last updated on 27 September 2024.