Accessibility statement of intent
http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/
In keeping with our ongoing commitment to provide services to all customers, DCMNR will construct this website to conform to accessibility standards that will allow as many users as possible to access our online information. (WAI 2, CSS and HTML 4.01). This work is taking place from November 2005 to 2006
The goal of web accessibility is to ensure that all information or services delivered through our websites is available to and usable by the widest possible audience.
This requirement means that all users should be able to:
- Perceive and understand the information provided
- Perceive, understand and operate the website navigation
- Perceive, understand and operate the controls and inputs
To achieve this, the design must take into account the fact that the ability to see, hear, make inputs, read text or process information varies from user to user, across time and across situations of use.
This Web site will contain a number of access keys (keyboard shortcuts) to enable faster selection of the primary navigation links. To avoid potentially compromising users' browser shortcuts, we will utilise only numerical access keys. There will also be a logical tab order for links throughout the site, so that those links without access keys can be activated easily.
When using Internet Explorer pressing the ALT key combined with a numeric key will highlight the link. By pressing the ENTER or RETURN key the link will be followed. For example Alt + 0 (ENTER) will take you to the Accessibility Information page.
If using Firefox or Netscape, you will simply need to select ALT combined with the relevant numeric key to be immediately taken to that page.
On a Mac, you will be able to press CONTROL + an access key to be taken to the hyperlink for the page. Pressing ENTER or RETURN will then take you to the linked page.
Navigation Aids
All pages on this site will use structured semantic markup. <h1> tags will be used for main titles, with <h2> and <h3> tags used for subtitles. Visually impaired users will be able to skip the navigation links by selecting the 'Skip to the main page content' link in the site header.
Links
All links have will have TITLE attributes, which describe the link and its destination in greater detail, and links will be written to make sense out of context.
Images
All content images used in this site will include descriptive ALT attributes. Purely decorative graphics will include null ALT attributes.
Visual Design
This site will use cascading style sheets (CSS) for visual layout. This means you may customise your Internet browser settings to view the site according to your own preferences.
Relative font sizes will be used, compatible with the user-specified "text size" options in visual browsers. If your browser does not support style sheets the content of each page will still be readable.
Testing
We will endeavour to construct this site according to the National Disability Authority of Ireland's Guidelines for Web Accessibility, complying with WAI 2, CSS and HTML 4.01 requirements. This site will also be approved by the NDA, and will be tested on multiple browsers on a variety of operating systems.
Contact
If you are having problems accessing the content of this site or if you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding this Accessibility Statement, please contact us.
Keyboard Shortcuts Example:
Alt + 0 - Accessibility Information Page
Alt + 1 - DCMNR Home Page
Alt + 2 - Communications
Alt + 3 - Broadcasting
Alt + 4 - Energy
Alt + 5 - Marine
Alt + 6 – Natural Resources
Alt + 7 – Minister’s office
Alt + 8 – Minister of states office
Alt + 9 - Contact us
PDF Version of Accessibility Statement 