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Accessibility Statement

Forest Research is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This accessibility statement applies to the treealert.forestresearch.gov.uk domain.

TreeAlert is run by Forest Research. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. To ensure this happens, the website has been built using government guidelines and specific standards. That means that all core information is easily accessible by:

  • people with older systems or browsers
  • people with a slow internet connection
  • people with various abilities

The standards used mean that:

  • most of all core information is text based (except for maps, and images showing leaves, insects etc.)
  • the information is in web standard formats (e.g. html and pdf)
  • all file sizes are as small as possible
  • pages are structured
  • all text should be easily read
  • the navigation is clear and easy to use
  • any plug-ins required are available for free
  • the site will still be useable with images turned off
  • the site should look the same on different systems and browsers

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.

Barriers to accessibility

Accessibility of TreeAlert is part of an ongoing programme of development which we are improving all the time. The nature of TreeAlert means that users are occasionally asked to compare what they can see, such as visible signs of leaf disease or a type of insect inhabiting the tree, with photos of typical occurrences to assist in the identification of a disease. The nature of this functionality is difficult to achieve effectively under accessibility guidelines, and the likely users which this may affect (such as those with colour blindness).

Preparation of this accessibility statement

We use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines v2.1 level A and level AA to test how accessible the Tree Alert website is. We selected the sample of pages to test based on the popularity of the page, the importance of the information on the page and the visibility of the page.

This website is under active development and is being tested on an ongoing basis using the following:

  • Google Lighthouse
  • WAVE
  • SiteImprove
  • Manual inspection

This statement was prepared on 9th March 2023.

It was last reviewed on 9th March 2023.

Compliance status

All testing performed on this website indicates that it is compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard with the exception of two minor areas and subject to the exemptions below and the restrictions already described under 'Barriers to accessibility'.

Non-accessible content

Two aspects of our file upload feature – which uses a third party component – have minor accessibility related issues:

  • Incorrect use of ‘role’ in the image upload box, currently role=”list”. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2.
  • ‘Hidden element has focusable content’, in the image upload box the text has an aria-hidden=”true” attribute when it is focusable. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2.

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

Where online maps are used for selecting a location an alternative text entry mechanism has been provided. This relates to WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

Where online maps are used for displaying a location then where possible alternative descriptive location text is included. This relates to WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

Feedback and contact information

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility our websites. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us, or get in touch with our Communications team.

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)..