Accessibility Statement

Valuation Tribunal Website.

The Tribunal is an independent body set up under the Valuation Act 1988, and continued by the Valuation Acts 2001 – 2015, to determine appeals against decisions of the Commissioner of Valuation on the valuation of commercial properties for rating purposes. The Valuation Tribunal and the Commissioner of Valuation/Valuation Office are separate bodies, independent of each other.

The Valuation Tribunal is committed to ensuring access for all. This accessibility statement explains how the Tribunal, as the Service Provider, will endeavour to meet the requirements as set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1 at AA Level as defined by the Web Accessibility Initiative.

Our commitment and approach to maintaining an accessible website

The Department is committed to:

  • maintaining an accessible website in accordance with the European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations.
  • ensuring that this website achieves “Level AA” conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, to comply with the National Disability Authority’s Code of Practice on Accessibility of Public Services and Information Provided by Public Bodies. (The National Disability Authority’s Centre for Excellence in Universal Design has an introduction to policy and legislation relevant to Universal Design in Ireland.)
  • ensuring that all new information on the website will achieve “Level AA” conformance to the Web Content
    Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
  • including accessibility when we procure 3rd-party systems or upgrades to existing systems.

How we test for conformance with official accessibility guidelines

The Tribunal uses a range of techniques to help providing access for all. They include:

ApproachReasoning
Automated ScanningAutomated scanning provides a quick (but not complete) overview of issues that persons may encounter
GuidanceProvision of guidance to content editors such as using Alternate Text
Manual ReviewRegularly performing manual review of each site and adjusting the site to help improve accessibility
Testing Approaches

This website’s conformance with official accessibility guidelines

The website currently has a partial conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
2.1. Our most recent web accessibility audit for this website was on 24/10/2022.

Areas for improvement and time-lines

We are aware of some areas on the website where we could improve accessibility. We are currently working to achieve this.

Section of websiteNeed for improvementTime-line for improvementAlternative access
Signature FieldsSignature Field cannot be completed without a mouse or touchThe inclusion of a signature is a legal requirement. The Tribunal shall look for alternatives to accommodate those who are experiencing difficulty.If you have problems using certain sections of this site, call us on +353 1 6760130
ThroughoutSome links aren’t descriptive as to purpose i.e. the use of “Click Here”.We are currently reviewing content and how it can be made more explanatory to users with a screen reader.If you have problems using certain sections of this site, call us on +353 1 6760130
Timelines for Improvement

How to send feedback on this website’s accessibility

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of this website.

An Binse Luachála,
An Tríú hUrlár, Teach Holbrook,
Sráid Holles,
Baile Átha Cliath 2,
D02 EY84

Accessibility features of this website

A large number of techniques are used to enable the site become accessible for all. The process is ongoing as content changes and the structure of the site changes. Some of the accessible features on this site include (but not limited to) the following:

FeaturePurpose
Alt TextAll Images where appropriate have suitable Alt text to provide a descriptive element to the image portrayed
Heading Outline HierarchyLogical sense applied to headings where possible H1, H2, H3
Descriptive LinksLinks and Buttons have descriptive elements or Aria labels where those elements are cannot be provided
ContrastReasonable minimums in difference with relation to contrast between foreground elements and background elements
NavigabilityLogical structure applied to the website to ensure the site can be used without a mouse
ARIA LandmarksA large variety of aria- landmarks applied to aid in accessibility
Some Accessible Features

This list is not exhaustive.