We are committed to making the information on this website accessible to all, regardless of ability.
This statement outlines the provisions we have made to ensure a high standard of accessibility support throughout this website. It has been designed in accordance with the WC3 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It confirms to most of the priority 1, 2 and 3 checkpoints, subject to some clarifications as outlined below:
Standards compliance
- The majority of the pages on this site are WCAG 2.0 AA approved, complying with the priority 2 guidelines of the WC3 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
- All pages on this site comply with the Irish National Disability Authority IT Accessibility Guidelines.
- All pages on this site use structured semantic markup. H1 tags are used for main titles, H2 tags are used for subtitles.
Images
All meaningful images used on this site include a descriptive ALT or LONGDESC tag. Purely decorative graphics include null ALT attributes.
Visual design
This site uses cascading style sheets for visual layout.
Accessibility references
- W3 accessibility guidelines, which explains the reasons behind each guideline.
- W3 accessibility techniques, which explains how to implement each guideline.
- W3 accessibility checklist, a busy developer’s guide to accessibility.
- Irish National Disability Authority IT accessibility guidelines.
Accessibility features
A large number of techniques are used to enable the site to become accessible for all. Some of the accessible features on this site include (but not limited to) the following:
- Alt Text: All Images where appropriate have suitable Alt text to provide a descriptive element to the image portrayed
- Heading Outline Hierarchy: Logical sense applied to headings where possible H1, H2, H3
- Descriptive Links: Links and Buttons have descriptive elements or Aria labels where those elements are cannot be provided
- Contrast: Reasonable minimums in difference with relation to contrast between foreground elements and background elements
- Navigability: Logical structure applied to the website to ensure the site can be used without a mouse
This list is not exhaustive.
Understandable content
We have made significant efforts to ensure that all content is accessible and easy to understand.
However, some legal documents under Codes and Legislation could not be simplified due to their inherent complexity. To address this, content has been segmented into two categories: one for the general public, where content is written in more accessible language, and another for professionals, where the content maintains its formal legal structure.
Wherever possible, we have eliminated jargon, defined acronyms, and adhered to clear grammatical syntax to ensure the content is as understandable as possible.
Robust design
The website is designed to be robust and reliably interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. To ensure this, we have implemented the following practices:
- Clean HTML/CSS: By using standard-compliant HTML and CSS, we ensure that content is compatible with different browsers and assistive tools, facilitating easy interpretation.
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications): The use of ARIA roles and properties enhances the compatibility of dynamic content and complex user interfaces with assistive technologies, improving accessibility for all users.
- Standard Document Formats: All documents are available in formats that are easily accessible: PDF documents are optimised for Adobe Reader, and Word documents are compatible with Microsoft Word and other compatible software.
- Extensive Testing: The site and all documents undergo rigorous testing across different devices and browsers to ensure cross-platform compatibility and accessibility.
Maintaining accessibility
We are committed to maintaining and monitoring the accessibility of this website. As part of this process, we welcome any comment, suggestions or details of problems encountered from users.
Email: [email protected]