Accessibility statement - Soil Nutrient Health Scheme

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 some parts of this website aren't fully accessible:

• When using the continue and back buttons to move through screens, tabbing does not return to the top of the page
• The button preceding the instruction 'click button to add a new field' relies on sensory characteristics, and is also not keyboard tabbable
• The Privacy Statement PDF document opens in a new window without alerting the user
• The focus indicator is hard to see on coloured buttons
• Adding a new field using the map adds a new row to bottom the table.  Users may not realise this as it is not announced to them nor does it receive focus
• Summary page - checkboxes are difficult to select, as their associated labels do not receive focus

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

• When using the back or continue buttons, the focus does not return to the top of the previous or next page - it continues from the same point in the page. This is disorienting for a keyboard user, who must then tab upwards to get to the top of the page (1.3.2: Meaningful Sequence)
• 'Click button' above to add a new field to the registration could be considered to rely on visual location to identify the element. Better to have a button called 'Add new field' (1.3.3: Sensory Characteristics)
• The 'Add field' button does not appear to be accessible by keyboard tabbing alone, nor is it identified by NVDA screenreader, there are also no 'aria-labelledby' or 'aria-describedby' to associate the description with the button element itself. (The button itself appears to be contained by DIV which does not have a role="button" - so it is not identified as a focusable element on the page.) (2.1.1: Keyboard)
• Opening of links in new tab can be considered a change of context. Privacy statement should include (opens in new tab) in link (3.2.2: On Input)
• Adding a new field using the map adds a new row to bottom the table. Arguably, the user is pre-notified of this. But from a usability point of view, the addition of a new field isn't immediately evident. Including an alert notification to tell the user that a field has been successfully added may be beneficial (3.2.2: On Input)
• Summary page - Checkboxes are fiddly as the checkbox label does not receive focus, only the checkbox itself (2.5.8: Target Size (Minimum))
• There are no status messages to alert a user when a new field has been added via the map button. And as the row is added near the bottom of the page, it may not be immediately obvious to the user (4.1.3 Status Messages).

Disproportionate burden

• Not applicable

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

PDFs and other documents

PDF Privacy Statement - missing title (2.4.2: Page Titled)

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 2020. It was last reviewed on 23 April 2025.

This website was last tested on 23 April 2025 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.

The test was carried out by DAERA Digital Services Division.

We tested the following pages:

• Menu/Welcome
• Registration
• Summary
• Confirmation
• DAERA Privacy Notice (PDF)

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.