Accessibility Statement - Natural Environment Map Viewer
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:
- not all icons and images have appropriate accessible text
- there are some missing form labels on the Zoom to Coordinate and Search panel
- the map uses colour to identify features (sometimes with pattern or crosshatching) and the contrast of these areas with the map background is low - this may make it difficult for some users with low vision or colour blindness
- some users of assistive technologies may have difficulty distinguishing regions or landmarks on the page
- there are instances where alternative text is the same as title text or visual title, and where there are adjacent links going to the same URL. On some screenreaders, this can result in additional navigation and repeating of spoken cues.
- there are some areas where a keyboard-only user may not be able to access input fields (Zoom to Coordinate). Additionally, there are areas where tabbing between elements is not intuitive, such as moving between checkboxes to add/remove map layers
- in light of the complex nature of this application, navigating the map functionality may prove difficult for keyboard-only users
- the video tutorial does not include captions or an audio description, and a non-time-based alternative/transcript is not available
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 AffairsDundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Ballymiscaw
Belfast BT4 3SB
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 2.1 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
- Empty buttons - button elements are present but contain no text content (e.g. attributes table, main header bar) (1.1.1: Non-text Content, 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context))
- There are missing form labels for fields on the ZoomToCoordinate pop-up, and on the map search panel (1.1.1: Non-text Content, 2.4.6: Headings and Labels)
- Although ARIA-labels are included, there are 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 appears to be a keyboard trap on the ZoomToCoordinate pop-up window where the user cannot keyboard tab directly to the input fields (2.1.2: No Keyboard Trap)
- Rate this application - there are missing language of part declarations (3.1.2 Language of Parts)
- Where error or success messages are present, they should be contained within the role="alert", "status" or "log" - so the status can be identified by assistive technologies without receiving focus (4.1.3: Status Messages)
Issues with text
- Empty heading in the header bar (1.3.1: Info and Relationships)
- 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))
- Rate this application - missing H1 header. Also, WAVE does not consider the title of the application to be sufficiently informative (1.3.1 Info and Relationships, 2.4.2 Page Titled)
Issues with PDFs and other documents
- No PDFs associated with this application.
Issues with images, video and audio
- Multiple missing alternative text on images throughout site, e.g. Icons on the left hand nav bar do not have alternative text, missing alt text on legend images, missing alt text on layers icons (1.1.1: Non-text Content)
- People with low vision or colour blindness may find it especially difficult to differentiate features on the map from the layers, as they are largely reliant on colour - although some patternation/cross-hatching is also used. (1.3.3: Sensory Characteristics, 1.4.1 Use of Colour)
- The map itself presents a number of contrast issues, particularly very low contrast (1.31:1) yellow on white. (1.4.11 Non-text Contrast)
- The video tutorial has no captions or audio description, and there is no non-time-based alternative, such as a transcript to describe the contents of the video (1.2 Time-based Media).
Issues with interactive tools and transactions
- 'Rate this application' page - each input option is required to have an individual language but currently does not (3.1.2: Language of Parts)
How we tested this website
This website was last tested on 5 May 2022. 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:
- NIEA Natural Environment Map Viewer
- Video Tutorial (as hosted on YouTube)
- Feedback page
What we're doing to improve accessibility
The Department is actively engaged in improving the accessibility of its applications. As part of our 'Development 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 11 May 2022. It was last updated on 11 May 2022.