Accessibility Statement - Support Health Attestation (SHA)
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:
- the datepicker used to enter date of loading is not fully keyboard accessible and a date cannot be entered independently of the datepicker. Keyboard only users may not be able to progress further in the application.
- green coloured buttons and some text links on shaded backgrounds do not have sufficient contrast
- all pages are similarly titled, so screenreader users may have difficulty identifying which page they are currently on
- some links open in new tabs/windows, but the user is not alerted to this beforehand
- some PDF documents 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 partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Issues with technology
- The datepicker is not keyboard tabbable - the form input it is associated with is a mandatory field, and as a date cannot be added manually, keyboard-only users may not be able to progress further in the application.
- Minimum contrast is failed for green buttons and text links on light coloured backgrounds (light green panels).
- Missing landmarks, and all page components are not included within landmarks.
Issues with text
- All pages are titles DAERA:SHA - this may make it difficult for some users to determine which page they are on within the application. The page title should follow the convention 'Page title | Application | DAERA'
- Links which open in a new tab/window should include (opens in new tab) in the link text, as this is considered a change of context.
Issues with PDFs and other documents
- Missing table headers (Generic notes PDF)
- List items - the structure of some lists is incorrect (Generic notes PDF)
- Missing alt text throughout the SHA System Guidance PDF
- Missing bookmarks (SHA Guidance PDF)
- Tagged form fields and table headers failed (SHA Template PDF)
Issues with images, video and audio
- No known issues
Issues with interactive tools and transactions
- No know issues
How we tested this website
This website was last tested on 4 December 2023. 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). PSD documents were tested using Adobe Accessibility Checker. NVDA was used to check basic screenreading capability. The pages also underwent manual testing to ensure they adhered to the four Accessibility principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust).
We tested:
- Homepage
- Step 1 of 3 (Application details)t
- Step 2 of 3 (Documents)
- Step 3 of 3 (Declaration)
- SHA Templete Generic V3 (May 2022) (PDF)
- System Guidance for Exporters V3 (May 2022) (PDF)
- DAERA Support Health Attestations Generic Notes for Guidance (PDF)
What we're doing to improve accessibility
The Department 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.
This statement was prepared on 07 December 2023. It was last updated on 07 December 2023.