Accessibility Statement - NI Marine Map Viewer
This accessibility statement applies to Marine Map Viewer, which was created by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Northern Ireland.
- View Marine Map Viewer
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 some parts of this website aren't fully accessible:
- not all icons and images have appropriate accessible text
- not all checkboxes and inputs have labels which can be read by screenreaders
- the map functionality contains areas of colour which may be difficult for some users to differentiate
- some text and links do not pass minimum contrast requirements
- the search results functionality on the map cannot be accessed by keyboard alone
- the focus indicator, showing where the user has tabbed to on the page, is not very easily distinguishable
- the user is not always warned when links open in a new tab or window
- ambiguous phrases, such as 'click here' are used for links
- overall, navigating the map functionality may prove difficult for keyboard-only users
- some PDFs associated with the service are not fully accessible
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, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- No page regions or ARIA landmarks were found - these are important to identify main areas of the page (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
- Tables are being used for layout. Where possible tables should be avoided for layout as these introduce reading and navigation order issues for screenreader users (1.3.2: Meaningful Sequence)
- There appear to be two different types of treatments of tooltips for the main functionality: Keyboard focus triggers tooltips which are dismissable and persistent. Mouseover tooltips are present which are not dismissable without moving the pointer. The additional content is not hoverable, but is persistent (1.4.13: Content on Hover or Focus)
- Not all functionality is operable with a keyboard interface alone (2.1.1: Keyboard)
- Layer List - ARIA toggle fields must have accessible name. They aria-labels on these checkboxes are currently empty.(2.5.3: Label in Name)
- Missing form labels on 'Add data' tab and 'Rate this application' (3.3.2: Labels or Instructions)
- Incorrect use of aria-label attribute (4.1.1: Parsing)
- Empty H2 heading (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
- Text contrast minimum is not met in a number of places (1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum))
- Some links do not warn the users when opening a new tab or window. Also, ambiguous link terms such as 'click here' are used instead of descriptive titles or phrases (2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context), 3.2.2: On Input)
- There are instances of redundant adjacent links which results in additional navigation and repetition for keyboard and screenreader users (2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context))
- Some PDFs associated with this service (User Guide, Metadata Catalogue) do not pass accessibility criteria
- There is incorrect or missing alt text on some icons. The alt text should also be descriptive and relevant (1.1.1 Non-text Content)
- Areas and outlines on the map denoting zones fall below minimum contrast. It may be possible to improve the differentiation of zones to use patterned outlines as well as colour (1.4.1 Use of Colour, 1.4.11 Non-text contrast)
- When a location is searched and the user is presented with a pop-up window 'Search Result', it's not clear how that panel can be interacted with. Generally, there would be difficulty using a keyboard alone to navigate the map (2.1.1 Keyboard)
- Positive tab indexes are set for many items which overrides the expected DOM order in some instances (1.3.2: Meaningful Sequence, 2.4.3 Focus Order)
- Items receiving focus have a visible cyan coloured border - but this has low contrast against particular areas on the map (2.4.7 Focus Visible)
- 'Rate this application' page - each input option is required to have an individual language but currently does not (3.1.2: Language of Parts)
Disproportionate burden
- Not applicable
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
This application uses mapping functionality and imagery extensively. Maps are one of the items which are excepted from the accessibility legislation, provided essential information is provided in other ways. However, we will attempt to make the functionality of map viewers as accessible as possible within these limitations.
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.
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 20 January 2022. It was last reviewed on 16 January 2025.
This website was last tested on 17 January 2022 against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard.
The test was carried out by DAERA Digital Services Division.
We tested the following pages:
- Marine Map Viewer (landing page)
- NI Marine Map Viewer (application)
- User Guide - PDF
- Metadata catalogue - PDF
- Rate this application
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.