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Accessibility Statement

Our Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to the "Intelligence Community Design System" hosted at design.sis.gov.uk.

This app is managed by the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) , which is also known as MI6.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this app. That means we’ve built the app so that you can:

  • Zoom in up to 500% without the text spilling off the screen.

  • Navigate all of the app using just a keyboard.

  • Navigate all of the app using speech recognition software.

  • Use all of the app with a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS and VoiceOver).

  • Change most colours, contrast levels and fonts (using your browser).

We've also made the text in the app as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have different needs. Search your intranet or contact your IT Service Desk if you're using an offline system.

How accessible this app is

We are confident that this app is accessible.

Images and diagrams

The Design System relies on images and diagrams to describe how designs and UI components should look. Some users may find limited value in the 'alt' (or alternative) text that we've been able to provide for these images.

This is especially true if the alternative text is describing colour or layout.

Some images and diagrams in the Design System purposefully show 'bad' or 'non-accessible' examples of designs or UI components.

Reporting accessibility problems with this app

We're always looking to improve the accessibility of the Design System. If you find any problems not listed in this Statement or think we're not meeting your needs or the needs of others, consider contacting us using the details below.

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').

The responsible organisation for the Design System is SIS.

If you aren't satisfied with the accessibility of this app, consider contacting us using the details below.

If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) .

Contacting us

Unfortunately, it can be hard to contact any one of the Intelligence Community organisations (SIS, GCHQ and MI5).

There are a few ways you can contact us, and we're trying to make it easier. You can contact us using:

  • Raise an issue on GitHub .

  • Internal teams can use the service desk if they prefer and we'll add the issue to GitHub.

  • Write to P.O. Box 1300, London SE1 1BD, marking your envelope ‘ICDS Website Accessibility’.

It isn't possible to visit us in person.

Technical information about this app's accessibility

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

Compliance status

This app is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

How we tested this app

This app was last tested on 17 January 2024. The testing was carried out by Accessibility Specialists from SIS and GCHQ .

We tested all types of pages within the app, including documentation and component pages.

We tested:

You can read the full accessibility test report . This report is called an 'Accessibility Conformance Report'. It's created by filling in a 'Voluntary Product Accessibility Template ®' (VPAT). The VPAT tests if the app complies with WCAG 2.2 criteria.

Non-accessible content

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

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

Some images and diagrams in the Design System purposefully show 'bad' or 'non-accessible' examples of designs or UI components. Because they are core to the service that the Design System is providing, they are exempt from the accessibility regulations.

Disproportionate burden

We aren't claiming a disproportionate burden to making any part of the Design System compliant to the accessibility regulations.

What we're doing to improve accessibility

We make sure any new features and content added to the Design System are compliant with the accessibility regulations. All new features are tested against WCAG 2.2 Level AA criteria.

We do this through a combination of manual browser tests, screen reader tests and automated build-time testing.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 26 March 2021. It was last updated on 18 January 2024.

This app was last tested on 17 January 2024. The testing was carried out by Accessibility Specialists from SIS and GCHQ.

You can read the full accessibility test report .


Last reviewed 15 April 2024 .
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