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Accessibility statement for Digital Forms Service service

This accessibility statement explains how accessible this service is, what to do if you have difficulty using it, and how to report accessibility problems with the service.

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There is a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the Digital Forms Service service, available at https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/digital-forms.

Using this service

The Digital Forms Service (DFS) is used by other HMRC services to collect information from customers digitally.

This service is run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. This means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard
  • get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software
  • listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have also made the text in the service 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

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

Some people may find parts of this service difficult to use:

  • multiple main landmarks are present.
  • page contained multiple level 1 headings.
  • PDF document had not been tagged.
  • the 'Start now' button does not appear to have a visible focus highlight.
  • content should be marked up as part of a heading structure.
  • duplicate IDs present.
  • incorrect aria attributes had been used.
  • radio buttons were not accessible to all users.
  • in places focus order was illogical.
  • information, structure and relationships on check your answers page is incorrect.
  • page titles were not unique in some parts of the service.
  • the menu link is hidden from users when activated.
  • the menu was confusing for screen reader users on mobile devices.
  • there is content which is visually hidden but not hidden from assistive technology.
  • labels that remove the filter options are non descriptive.
  • form fields have multiple label elements.
  • tabpanel markup detectable for screen reader users navigating on desktop with JAWS and NVDA.
  • change of context was not announced to screen reader users.
  • users were not presented with any error handling when submitting incorrect data.
  • labels were not descriptive.
  • colour contrast of text failed to meet the expected ratio to pass WCAG 2.1 AA.
  • colour used for styling focus indication of some elements did not pass the expected ratio.

What to do if you have difficulty using this service

You can contact HMRC for extra support if you need help with filling in forms or getting a different format, like large print, audio recording or Braille.

Reporting accessibility problems with this service

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this service. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, report the accessibility problem.

If you are not happy with our response

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 are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) or the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) if you live in Northern Ireland.

Contacting us by phone or getting a visit from us in person

We provide a text relay service if you are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

We can provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, or you can arrange a visit from an HMRC advisor to help you complete the service.

Find out how to get extra support from HMRC.

Technical information about this service’s accessibility

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

This 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

Multiple main landmarks are present that are not implemented according to specification. Screen readers can use landmarks to determine the structure of the page and to navigate between different sections quickly. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.1 (parsing), 1.3.1 (info and relationships) and 1.3.6 (identify purpose). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

A page contained multiple level 1 headings. Screen reader users rely on a sole descriptive level 1 heading, providing the user with a clear purpose of the page and the content contained within. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

The PDF document has not been tagged and therefore is not accessible for screen reader users as the content has not been provided using the correct tags allowing for users to discern the structure and relations of content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships) and 3.1.1 (language of page). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

When the ‘Start now’ button receives focus, the only change for users to distinguish the focus state, is the colour of the button changes from one shade of green, to a darker shade of green. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.1 (use of colour). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

'Previous claims' and 'Tax year' introduces content but is not marked up as part of as heading structure. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships) and 4.1.2 (name, role, value). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

Every ID attribute has to be unique for the Assistive Technology to interact properly. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.1 (parsing). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

The ARIA attribute aria-selected indicates the current 'selected' state of various widgets; in this instance an aria-selected=false value has been associated with the input, which is not permitted for the elements role. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.2 (name, role, value). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

Each of the inputs contained within the fieldset have multiple labelling techniques applied; an aria-labelledby attribute has been used on the radio buttons that refers to the label used in the <legend>. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships), 3.3.2 (labels or instructions) and 4.1.2 (name, role, value). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

In places focus order was illogical, with content being bypassed, content which should not be focusable being included in the tab order, and in places, on page load focus was placed in the body of the page, rather than at the top which was confusing for screen readers. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.3 (focus order). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

The content has been presented using spans, divs and list items, rather than a definition list as would typically be expected to ensure that relationships between content is portrayed in the same way as it is visually. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

Page titles remained the same across different pages in parts of the service, for example the Tax Year page has the same page title as the Previous Claims page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.2 (page titled). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

After the user activates the menu link in the header, the menu option itself disappears and is hidden using CSS and JavaScript. This means that users are unable to access the menu link again and close the menu once activated. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.2 (name, role, value). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

In reduced displays, a menu becomes available. The menu is not descriptively labelled, nor is it present when accessed on desktop unless the user navigates the page using mobile. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.1.1 (keyboard), 2.1.3 (keyboard no exception), 4.1.2 (name, role, value), 3.3.2 (labels or instructions), 1.4.1 (use of color), 1.4.13 (content on hover or focus), 1.4.3 (contrast minimum), 1.4.6 (contrast enhanced) and 1.4.11 (non-text contrast). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

Content in the menu has been visually hidden from the page by positioning it offscreen within the CSS, but it has not been hidden from assistive technology. Screen reader users encounter the content within the menu as if the menu was open on the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.3 (focus order) and 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

A multiplication sign ‘✕’ has been used to act as a label but does not have an appropriate text alternative, which means this means that this component does not have a recognisable accessible name. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.1.1 (non-text content), 1.3.1 (info and relationships), 2.4.6 (headings and labels) and 4.1.2 (name, role, value). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

Screen reader users encountered the text 'National Insurance Number' repeatedly as it is duplicated on two separate lines. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1 (info and relationships), 3.3.2 (labels or instructions) and 4.1.2 (name, role, value). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

There is tabpanel markup, which appears to be concealed from users, but is at times detectable for screen reader users navigating on desktop with JAWS and NVDA. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.2 (name, role, value) and 1.3.1 (info and relationships). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

When users encounter errors, screen reader users are not provided with any announcement to make the user aware of the errors encountered on the page. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.3 (status messages). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

After a user enters a date of birth from the future, no error handling is presented for users when activating the ‘save and continue’ button. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 3.3.4 (error prevention) and 3.3.6 (error prevention). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

The ‘hide this message’ button provided for users after actioning the cookie banner, does not provide enough description for screen reader users. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.6 (headings and labels). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

When the ‘GOV.UK’ logo and the ‘sign out’ link receive focus, the text is displayed in white colour against the yellow focus indicator. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.3 (contrast minimum) and 1.4.6 (contrast enhanced). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

The focus indicator throughout the service does not match that of the requirements set by the GOV.UK Design System. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.11 (non-text contrast). This will be fixed by 6 October 2022.

How we tested this service

The service was last tested on 6 October 2021 and was checked for compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.

The service was built using parts that were tested by the Digital Accessibility Centre. The full service was tested by HMRC and included disabled users.

This page was prepared on 22 September 2020. It was last updated on 22 September 2020.

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