Guidance

Extended producer responsibility for packaging: accessibility statement

This is an accessibility statement for the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging service.

This is an accessibility statement for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. At the moment, it covers the ‘report packaging data’ service - where ‘service’ is used below, it refers to this. It will be extended as more parts of the EPR service are released.

The service is run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

We want as many people as possible to be able to use the service. For example, that means that you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the service using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the service using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

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

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this service is

We know some parts are not fully accessible:

  • there are issues with keyboard navigation, heading structure and error messages when creating an account or signing in
  • you’re automatically signed out after a period of inactivity without warning or explanation
  • some page title meta tags do not consistently describe the page content or match the page heading

Feedback and contact information

If you need information from the service in a different format like an accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

Reporting accessibility problems

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of ‘report packaging data’. 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).

 Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

Find out how to contact us.

Technical information about the service accessibility

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

Compliance status

The service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA 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

When creating an account or signing in:

  • there are some unnecessary steps in the keyboard navigation order - this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (focus order)
  • each time a page loads, the focus is not at the top of the page - this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (focus order)
  • page title meta tags do not consistently describe the page content or match the page heading - this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.2 (page titled)
  • some text is styled as a heading but not marked up as a heading, so the sections may be difficult to understand or navigate using a screen reader - this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships)
  • error messages do not accurately explain the error that occurred - this fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.3 (error suggestion)

When you’re signed out automatically after a period of inactivity, there is no warning. There is no option to extend or adjust the time period. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.2.1 (timing adjustable). Also, the page shown after being signed out automatically does not explain what happened.

Some page title meta tags throughout the service do not consistently describe the page content or match the page heading. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.2 (page titled).

We’re working through these issues and intend to fix them by September 2024.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 23 May 2023.

It was last reviewed on 3 November 2023.

The test was carried out by the Digital Accessibility Centre to the WCAG 2.1 standard.

Updates to this page

Published 7 August 2024

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