Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to content published on the www.independentpanel.truthrecoveryni.co.uk domain. It does not apply to content on any third-party domains linked or signposted within its content.

This website is run by the Truth Recovery Independent Panel. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. You should be able to:

  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • use most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

How accessible this website is

Parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:

  • PDF documents have accessibility limitations. There are a number of PDF documents held under the “Key Documents” tab. If you face difficulties with accessing any of the PDF documents on this website, please request an alternative version from us using the email address below. 

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on the Truth Recovery Independent Panel website in a different format, email secretariat@independentpanel.org.uk 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

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, send your feedback to us by email at secretariat@independentpanel.org.uk and we will investigate the issue.

This email address is for accessibility queries about the Truth Recovery Independent Panel website only – the team cannot respond to any other queries relating to external sites.

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 Commission for Northern Ireland. 

Technical information about this website’s accessibility 

The Truth Recovery Independent Panel 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 (WCAG) 2.2 standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

The content that is not accessible is outlined below with details of:

  • the accessibility problem(s)
  • where it fails the success criteria
  • and when the Truth Recovery Independent Panel plans to fix it

Document issues 

A number of documents on this site are non-accessible for a number of reasons which may result in a loss of meaning for users of screen readers. For example, some documents:  

  • do not have alternative text for images.  This fails WCAG 2.2, Level A, 1.1.1.
  • do not have a bounding box. This fails WCAG 2.2 Level A, 1.3.1. 
  • do not display the title of the document in the document properties. This fails WCAG 2.2, Level A 2.4.2.
  • have multiple lists marked as a single items. This fails WCAG 2.2, Level A 1.3.1.
  • do not have paragraph tags which means that when using a screen reader multiple “blank” messages are read out as there are multiple tags containing no text. This fails WCAG 2.2, Level A, 1.3.1.
  • are smaller than 21 pages and do not have bookmarks that parallel the document's structure. This fails WCAG 2.1, Level A, 2.4.1.
  • do not have a heading structure within in the document. This fails WCAG Guideline: WCAG 2.1, Level A, 1.3.1.

Content issues

  • On the “Contact the Panel” page, the screen reader reads the email address as a link, but it doesn’t instruct the user that this does not open outside of the current web page. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level A, 3.2.2 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice. 
  • Some links on the site lead to PDF documents instead of a web page. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level AAA, 2.4.9 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice.

Developer / designer issues

A number of accessibility issues are related to website hosting platform Drupal and will require developer and web design input.  These include: 

  • There is very low contrast between the paragraph and background colours on the banner at the top of the homepage. Text is present that has a contrast ratio of less than 4.5.1. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level AA, 1.4.3 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice.
  • The aria role is not defined for the menu items Testimony, Record and Archives, News and Contract the Panel. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level A, 4.1.2 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice.
  • Accessible names in some instances don’t match visible labels. On the homepage, while the search button is visible, it is named ‘Apply’ button. When using a screen reader, the user will hear it read as Apply button instead of search button. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level A, 2.4.6 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice. 
  • The cookies sliding pop up does not have an accessible name.  This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level AAA, 4.1.2 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice.
  • Some page content is not contained by landmarks. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level A, 1.3.1 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice.
  • When at 200% or 400% Zoom, the Cookie settings button can obstruct some of the icons and text on the page. This issue technically passes WCAG 2.2, Level AA, 1.410 success criteria, but it does not follow accessibility best practice. 

We plan to continue to work on building www.independentpanel@truthrecoveryni.co.uk in phases, whilst addressing the accessibility issues listed above in the next 6 months, by February 2025. When we publish new content, we will make sure that it meets the necessary accessibility standards. 

Disproportionate Burden

Not applicable. 

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

We are required to comply with the web accessibility regulations, however, some of our content is exempt from the accessibility regulations:

This list will be kept under revision as further phased launches may contain additional content that is exempt.

How we tested this website

This website has been tested for compliance using the WCAG 2.2 level A, level AA and level AAA, and the EU Web Accessibility Directive standards.

This website was last tested in June 2024. The test was carried out externally and independently by Expleo Solutions Limited. Further accessibility audits will be carried with further phased launches.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

Maintaining an accessible site is an ongoing process and the Truth Recovery Independent Panel is continually working to offer an accessible and user-friendly website.

The Truth Recovery Independent Panel plans to identify and fix issues according to the timescale shown above. 

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 16 August 2024. It was last updated on 16 August 2024.