Accessibility statement

Our commitment to accessibility

The Business Connect team at the Ministry for Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) is committed to ensuring our platform is accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. We continually strive to meet evolving accessibility standards and make our platform usable for everyone.

You should be able to:

• Change colours, contrast levels, and fonts.
• Zoom in up to 200% without text spilling off the screen.
• Navigate the platform using only a keyboard.
• Use speech recognition software to navigate and interact with the platform.
• Listen to the content using screen readers (latest versions of NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver).
• Easily understand the written content, following the Plain Language Act 2022.

Compliance and accessibility standards

Our goal is to:

• Meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA as per the NZ Government Web Accessibility Standard.
• Ensure compatibility with major browsers, platforms, and assistive technologies.

While we have made progress, we acknowledge that not all parts of the platform are fully accessible yet, and we are working towards full compliance with WCAG 2.2.

Current accessibility barriers

We are committed to addressing the following accessibility issues:

• Screen reader mode switching: Screen readers were found to switch between form and browse modes unexpectedly, impacting navigation.
• Form element clarity: Inconsistent interaction patterns and form navigation were observed, especially for screen reader users. Form labels, headings, and radio buttons need clearer, consistent coding.
• Keyboard navigation: Some elements, like the "Select your account" panel, are not navigable using a keyboard only. Logical tab orders will be improved.
• Filter chips: Filter chips are not announced as filters to screen readers and do not provide feedback when selected.

Barriers in the backlog

• Dynamic IDs in ARIA elements: Dynamic IDs generated by the application engine are not unique, causing issues with assistive technologies.

Fixed in the last 6 months

• Te Reo Māori language tags: Words in Te Reo Māori are now properly tagged, resulting in correct pronunciation by screen readers.
• Mobile and zoomed view: Focused items in mobile view and on zoomed screens (200%) are now visible, including in the hamburger menu.
• Error prevention in forms: Fields now provide sufficient help for error prevention, and error messages are more helpful, not simply relying on colour alone for differentiation.
• Review page is readable: Disabled radio buttons are now readable by all common screen readers.

Planned improvements

We will focus on the following improvements over the next 6 months:

• Addressing screen reader interaction issues, ensuring seamless navigation without forced mode changes.
• Enhancing keyboard navigation and ensuring all interactive elements are accessible.
• Ensure proper handling of screen reader focus and mode changes.
• Improve clarity in form interactions by providing more auto-population and better help text.
• Simplify content across the platform to be more accessible, aiming for a readability level of 12 years.
• Improve the accessibility and visibility of page loading indicators for screen reader users.
• Implement consistent form field interactions, ensuring that date fields, combo boxes, and placeholders are coded to accessible standards.

Testing and browser support

The Business Connect platform undergoes regular accessibility testing, combining automated tools and manual testing with assistive technologies. Independent testing is conducted as needed to identify and resolve issues.

Testing tools used

• Axe Browser Plugin
• Browser Accessibility Reports
• General HTML and visual inspection using developer tools.

Reporting an accessibility problem

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of our platform. If you encounter any problems or believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us at:

hello@businessconnect.govt.nz

We will review your request and respond within 10 working days.

FormBuilder Tool

Our FormBuilder tool, part of Business Connect (Formbuilder.govt.nz), is designed to help government create accessible and user-friendly forms. This tool is designed for desktop device, and we recommend using Chrome as the browser. This section focuses exclusively on the accessibility of the FormBuilder tool.

We aim to:

• Meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, in line with the New Zealand Government Web Accessibility Standard.
• Ensure compatibility across major browsers, platforms, and assistive technologies, so that our tool is usable by everyone within government.

Current progress and ongoing

We acknowledge that not all areas of the FormBuilder tool are fully accessible yet. We are actively working to achieve complete compliance with WCAG 2.2.

One of our primary focus areas is improving the drag-and-drop functionality within the builder. Currently, this feature presents accessibility challenges, especially for users relying on assistive technologies. Our goal is to make this functionality fully accessible.

In addition to drag-and-drop improvements, we are addressing the following accessibility barriers in our backlog:

• Keyboard focus elements: Ensuring roles are programmatically determinable for users navigating via keyboard.
• Keyboard sequencing: Improving the logical flow of keyboard navigation.
• Semantic and interactive element naming: Providing accurate naming for main components to enhance clarity and usability.

Our commitment to accessibility is ongoing, and we continue to prioritise enhancements to make FormBuilder fully accessible. If you encounter any problems or believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us at:

info@businessconnect.govt.nz

We will review your request and respond within 10 working days.

Statement prepared on: 06 November 2024
Last tested: July 2024, completed by the Access Advisors.