Accessibility Statement - Entitlements

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:

• change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
• zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
• navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software
• listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know parts of this website are not fully accessible.

• Transfer entitlements - two form labels are not properly associated with form fields.
• The loading indicator is not announced to screenreading software, so a user many not be aware that a page is still loading.
• The focus does not return to the top of the page when a continue button is clicked.
• A timeout is applied to the portal, after a period of inactivity, which users are unable to adjust
• Links which open in a new tab or window are not explicitly stated
• Empty buttons and empty links have been identified these components will not be presented to a screenreader.

Feedback and contact information

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact the DAERA Helpline who will direct you towards the correct branch or division.

• email daera.helpline@daera-ni.gov.uk
• call 0300 200 7852

You can also contact the DAERA Helpline if you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille.

If you have a hearing difficulty you can contact DAERA 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

If you cannot view the map on our contact us page, call or email us for directions.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact contact the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI).

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.

Compliance status

The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard. The non-compliances are listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

• The spinner is not announced to screenreaing software - an aria role should be added, and some text (e.g. Loading) which can be read by a screenreader only (1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
• Transfer Entitlements - there are form labels but they are not associated with the Business ID and Transfer ID inputs (1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
• Empty buttons on register page - When navigating to a button, descriptive text must be presented to screen reader users to indicate the function of the button.(1.1.1 Non-text content)
• Empty link from tooltips provided when orientation is changed on the register page - If a link contains no text, the function or purpose of the link will not be presented to the user. This can introduce confusion for keyboard and screen reader users.(2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context))
• Skipped heading level on the home page - Headings provide document structure and facilitate keyboard navigation by users of assistive technology.(1.3.1 Info and Relationships)
• Contrast issue with hyperlink text within table against grey background on table - Ensure the contrast between foreground and background colours meets WCAG 2 AA minimum contrast ratio thresholds.(1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum))
• A timeout, following a period of inactivity, is applied across the portal session, which cannot be amended individually for applications within the portal (2.2.1 Timing adjustable)
• When a link is clicked to progress to another page (e.g. Transfer Service > Proceed to Transfer Entitlements), the user is not returned to the top of the next page. The tab remains inside the body of the page. And may cause confusion for users (2.4.3 Focus Order)
• Welcome - broken Aria reference. The main navigation includes aria-labelledby="navbarDropdown" but there is no element with this ID. Remove if not required (4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)
• Ensure landmarks are unique. Where two nav landmarks are used, identify them using an aria-label (4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)
• All page content should be contained by landmarks – Ensure all page content is contained by landmarks.(4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)
• Banner landmark should not be contained in another landmark - Ensure the banner landmark is at top level.(4.1.2 Name, Role, Value)
• Links in Welcome footer open in new window. This is a change in context which needs to be alerted to the user. Add (opens in new tab or window). (3.3.2 On Input)
• YouTube link - For video content with audio, ensure that synchronized captioning is available. Review links within homepage as this video is no longer available and other links page cannot be found when accessed.(1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded))
• some PDFs associated with this application, such as the Guide to Transfer of BPS Entitlements, are not fully accessible. There are issues with bookmarks, figures alternate text and table headers.

Disproportionate burden

• Not applicable

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services. For example, we do not plan to fix [example of non-essential document].

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

DAERA 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.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 24 February 2022. It was last reviewed on 29 November 2024.

This website was last tested on 28 November 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

The test was carried out by DAERA Digital Services Division.

The following pages were tested:

• Welcome
• Register
• Transfer Service
• Completed Transfers
• Confiscated Entitlements
• Guide to Transfer of BPS Entitlements (PDF)
• TE1 Actual Inheritance (DOCX)

We chose to test those pages which were most commonly used, and most representative of the general functionality and layout of the web application. Sample pages were tested for code compliance using the Axe and WAVE testing tools. The pages also underwent manual testing to ensure they adhered to the four Accessibility principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust). We also test using NVDA screenreader, and Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker (where applicable).

The full accessibility test report can be made available on request.