Accessibility Statement - NI Marine 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
- 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
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, 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 not fully 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 is provided in an accessible format.
Issues with technology
- 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)
Issues with text
- 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))
Issues with PDFs and other documents
- Some PDFs associated with this service (User Guide, Metadata Catalogue) do not pass accessibility criteria
Issues with images, video and audio
- 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)
Issues with interactive tools and transactions
- 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)
How we tested this website
This website was last tested on 17 January 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 Accessiblity 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:
- Marine Map Viewer (landing page)
- NI Marine Map Viewer (application)
- User Guide - PDF
- Metadata catalogue - PDF
- Rate this application
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 20 January 2022. It was last updated on 20 January 2022.