Open Data Hub Accessibility Statement

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

• keyboard navigation of this site may not be possible, especially when interacting with maps
• the site may be hard to read for users with a visual impairment
• the site will not work properly on smaller screen sizes such as on a mobile device

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

• email [email protected]
• call 0370 333 0607
• Between: 09:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in five working days.

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 customer services on [email protected], who will pass your request on to the appropriate 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).

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 this website’s accessibility

Historic England 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 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliance and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

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

The website fails the following Level A criteria:

• 1.1.1 - Non-Text Content
  • Broken Aria references make it harder for screen readers to understand and read out the page properly
• 1.3.1 – Info and Relationships: Logical structures
  • 'Sort' drop-down purports to be a list with 11 items, when it only contains 4.
  • Filter options are all read out as 'blank' by the screen reader when receiving keyboard focus
• 1.3.4 - Orientation
  • When viewing tables on a mobile device, for example under Summary headings such as Building Preservation Notice, the content is misaligned and wraps incorrectly, making it very difficult to read.
  • When in landscape mode on a mobile device, zooming to above 150% cuts off the 'Back to Map' button if the sidebar is open
• 1.4.3 - Contrast
  • There is insufficient contrast for some textual content within the 'More Info' sidebar
• 1.4.4 - Resize text
  • On android mobile devices, content does not reflow into a single column when the phone is oriented to landscape. The right-hand side of the page is cut off and text is only partially readable. HE logo and 'Share' button also obscure page content whenever the user scrolls
  • Resizing text to anything about 150% cuts off the text at both edges of the screen.
  • At 200% the More Info/Filters/etc. sidebar moves to the bottom, but the white space at the left hand side of the page remains, making the map more difficult to read.
• 1.4.10 - Reflow
  • On mobile, links at the bottom of the page (Corporate home page and Contact Info) are cut off when the content reflows into a single column.
  • On mobile at 400% the page is unreadable.
• 1.4.11 - Non-text contrast
  • 1 contrast issue present on highlighted filter button.
• 1.4.12 - Text spacing
  • Text spacing cannot be overridden in browser settings.
• 2.1.1 - Keyboard
  • Close Table' button does not work with the keyboard.
• 2.4.1 - Bypass Blocks
  • Skip Navigation' button jumps to below the point to which the keyboard focus is moved. Therefore, when the user continues to navigate through the main landmark with the keyboard, their progress through the page content is not visible.
• 2.4.2 - Page Titled
  • Database search page has no title - there should be a title present to help the user identify the content of the page
• 2.4.4 - Link Purpose (in context)
  • Mouse pointer changes to the pointing finger to indicate a link when hovering over the HE logo, but no link is present.
• 2.4.5 - Mulitple Ways
  • A user has no way to get to the database search pages from map page, without going though the home page
• 2.4.6 - Headings and labels
  • There are multiple instances of empty and skipped heading levels.
• 2.4.7 - Focus Visible 
  • Focus is not visible when the user navigates onto the home page link using the keyboard
• 2.5.3 - Label in name
  
  •  1 orphaned form label is present on the 'Sort Results' label
• 3.3.1 - Error Identification
  • Error messages when the user attempts to sign in are not communicated by the screen reader
• 3.3.2 - Labels or Instructions
  • 1 orphaned form label is present on the 'Sort Results' label
• 4.1.1 - Parsing
  • There are parsing errors present
• 4.1.2 - Name, Role, Value
  • Sort' drop-down menu is not interpreted as expanded or collapsed on user input.
  • When the side menu is expanded and the user navigates back on the menu button without closing the side menu, the screen reader interprets the side menu as collapsed.
• 4.1.3 - Status Message
  • Screen reader does not interpret number of results/if no results have been returned
  • Users not made aware when a new card is successfully added/saved

Disproportionate burden

While the open data hub is ‘skinned’ to look like part of our website it is built and hosted through third party software supplied by ESRI.

ESRI’s services support accessibility by following the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). It has been evaluated for conformance according to WCAG 2.0 AA, WCAG 2.1 AA, and the Revised Section 508 standards. This evaluation is also known as a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and it explains the extent to which their products adhere to such important accessibility guidelines.

Additionally, there is no ability to link to this statement from a map page on the service. This is a limitation of the service and has been raised with ESRI as a requested future feature.

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing issues provided by the 3rd party system at this stage and believe that doing so would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will keep this under review and will investigate what changes can be made utilising inhouse resources. We will also conduct a review of the suppliers compliance when the supplier contract is up for renewal.

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

Online maps and mapping services

The map used has a number of issues within the accessibility standards, including 1.4.1 Use of Colour, 1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast, 2.1.1 Keyboard, 1.3.1 Info and Relationships and 1.4.3 Contrast (minimum).

Online maps and mapping services are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations as long as essential information is provided in an accessible digital manner for maps intended for navigational use. 

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

It is Historic England’s intention for https://opendata-historicengland.hub.arcgis.com/ to become compliant and we are committed to continually reviewing our offer. We aim to have an external agency review the website against the standards at regular intervals. Internal teams review and act on these reports within our regular development processes as they raise issues. 

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 1 November 2022. It was last updated on 16 January 2023.

This website was last tested on 25 October 2022. The test was carried out by Ten10 on behalf of Historic England. Four representative pages have been tested, covering all pages on the site: the HE Open Data Hub home page, database search, NHLE page and maps pages.