Using the new service

This statement applies to content published on the designsystem.admiralty.co.uk domain. It does not apply to content on other admiralty.co.uk subdomains.

This website is run by the UK Hydrographic Office. 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 300% 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
listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
see descriptive ALT attributes for images, which describe the image for non-visual readers
see title attributes for links, which describe the link in greater detail.

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 is this website?

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

Audio feedback to screen readers isn’t reliable.
Keyboard users may find navigating the website difficult due to the missing skip link through the service.
Voice activation for customised components is missing some functionalities.
Colour contrast make some parts of the website difficult to understand for users with low vision.

Contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format, like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact us on:

Email: customerservices@ukho.gov.uk

Phone: +44 (0)1823 484444

We will reply to you within 5 working days.

Report accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website.

If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact us by emailing: customerservices@ukho.gov.uk to let us know.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) 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 the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS): equalityadvisoryservice.com.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The UK Hydrographic Office is committed to making this website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations:

Some audio feedback being relayed to screen reader users does not meet the accessibility standards. For example, information was either left out, vague, or did not serve its intended purpose. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.
Some of the colours and contrasts used on the website do not meet the accessibility standards. For example, low vision issues were found when attempting to understand content on the page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast.
Content functionality for keyboard only users does not meet the accessibility standards. For example, issues navigating the webpage due to the missing skip link through the service. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard.

During Beta phase we will be working with our support team to update the service to solve these issues.

How we tested this website

Accessibility Testing Approach at UKHO documents show how we plan to improve accessibility on this website and all our products and services: https://github.com/UKHO/docs/blob/main/quality-assurance/web-accessibility-testing.md.

We use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.2 level A and level AA to test how accessible designsystem.admiralty.co.uk is.

In March 2024, the Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC) conducted an audit of the Design System service on designsystem.admiralty.co.uk, from which common accessibility issues across the website were identified.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

Following the audit conducted by the DAC in March 2024, we are urgently fixing content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

Maintaining an accessible site is an ongoing process and we are continually working to offer a user-friendly experience. However, if you have any problems using this website, contact us by emailing: customerservices@ukho.gov.uk.

This statement was prepared on 17th May 2024. It was last reviewed on 17th May 2024. This website was last tested on 13th March 2024. The test was carried out by Digital Accessibility Centre.

Accessibility testing was undertaken on the full Design System service.