This statement applies to content published on the www.liofa.eu domain. It does not apply to content on any third party domains hosting Líofa services.
This website is run by the Department for Communities. It is designed to be used by as many people as possible. The text should be clear and simple to understand. You should be able to:
- zoom in up to 300% without problems
- 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)
How accessible this website is
Parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:
- some pages may not be clearly written
- some tables may not have row or column headers
- some heading elements may not be consistent
- some images and icons may not have good alternative text
How to request content in an accessible format
If you need information in a different format contact us by using the contact form 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, contact us by using the contact form and our Líofa Officers will investigate the issue.
Enforcement procedure
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’) in Northern Ireland. If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) 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 2.2(external link opens in a new window / tab) 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
The content that is not accessible is outlined below with details of:
- the accessibility problem(s)
- where it fails the success criteria, and
- when we plan to fix it
Developer issues
There are a number of pages where the page language is not fully identified and a small number of pages which have content in different languages where the language is not identified. This prevents users of assistive technologies and conventional user agents from reading and accurately understanding this text. This fails success criterion WCAG 3.1.1 (language of page). We plan to repair this within the next 12 months, by September 2027.
When we make any platform developments, we’ll make sure they are tested to meet the required accessibility standards.
Images and Video
Most images on the site are in news releases which should contain alternative text. Videos that we produce and that are embedded on the site should have subtitles enabled.
Content published since 23 September 2020 meets the required accessibility standards.
Disproportionate burden
Not applicable.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
As a website published before 23 September 2018, we are required to comply with the web accessibility regulations from 23 September 2020.
If you have any problems using this website, contact us by using the contact form and our Líofa Officers will investigate the issue and/or provide you with the information you need in an alternative format.
How we tested this website
This website is tested for compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 level A and level AA, and tests have been carried out externally and independently.
We used the Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) approach to deciding on a sample of pages to test.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We plan to identify and fix issues according to the timescales shown for each area above.
This statement was prepared on 22 September 2020. It was last updated on 22 September 2026.