How accessible this website is

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

• some pages and document attachments are not clearly written
• the site design is not optimised for use on a mobile device
• the text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window
• some images do not have good alternative text
• most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
• the Overseas Territories map and NNSIP pages are not accessible
• many documents are in PDF format and are not accessible

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format, contact us at and tell us:

• the web address (URL) of the content
• your name and email address
• the format you need, for example, audio CD, braille, BSL or large print, accessible PDF

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 15 working days.

Reporting 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: .

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).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The GB Non-native Species Secretariat is committed to making its 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 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

• Some images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).
• For some video and sound recordings we do not provide an accompanying transcript, so people do not have an alternative way of accessing this content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) and 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)
• For video recordings we do not provide the option to view with captions, so people who are deaf or hard of hearing do not have an alternative way of accessing this content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded)
• For video recordings we do not provide an audio description, so people who are blind or visually impaired do not have an alternative way of accessing this content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
• Some content does not provide sufficient contrast between text and its background so that it can be read by people with moderately low vision. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast
• Some content, including text, cannot be resized successfully so that it can be read directly by people with mild visual disabilities. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize text and 1.4.12 Text Spacing
• The Overseas Territories map does not describe the purpose of each link, so users of assistive technologies may not easily understanding the meaning of the map. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose.
• Some status messages are not accessible programmatically, so users of assistive technologies with screen reader capabilities may not be able to access such messages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.3 Status Messages

We plan to address these issues by the end of December 2020. When we publish new content we’ll make sure this meets accessibility standards.

• Some of our documents are published in unstructured PDF. Headings, list items and paragraphs may not be recognised by a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

When we publish new documents we aim to make sure they are accessible.

Disproportionate burden

Navigation and accessing information

• The order of content on our home page can be confusing to navigate without stylesheets enabled.
• The GB Non-native Species Information Portal is built and hosted through third party software. The order of content on these pages can be confusing to navigate without stylesheets enabled.

Interactive tools and transactions

• Users do not receive a warning before their session runs out.

Technology

• The website is not optimised for use on mobile devices.
• The current main navigation menu is difficult to navigate using some browsers.

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, interactive tools and transactions, and with technology. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We are planning a significant upgrade to the website and will make another assessment when we do this, likely to be in 2021.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

Many of our older PDFs and Word documents do not meet accessibility standards. For example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. 

Some types of documents are exempt from the regulations, so we do not currently have any plans to make them accessible. If you need to access information in one of these document types, you can contact us and ask for an alternative format.

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We plan to fix issues according to the timescales shown above.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 22/09/2020. It was last reviewed on 22/09/2020

This website was last tested on 20/08/2020. The test was carried out by Fera Science Ltd.

The full accessibility test report is available on request.