Accessibility Statement

Coimisiún na Meán is committed to making the information on this website accessible to all, regardless of ability.

Statement of Commitment

We are committed to making this website accessible in accordance with European Union (Accessibility of Website and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020 and the European Accessibility Act.

We are committed to achieving AA standard under WCAG 2.1 guidelines.

This accessibility statement applies to content published on www.cnam.ie.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 level AA, due to the non-accessible content listed below.

It has been designed in accordance with the WC3 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It confirms to most of the priority 1, 2 and 3 checkpoints, subject to some clarifications as outlined below:

Non-accessible content

Some content on our website does not fully conform to accessibility guidelines, for example:

PDFs

A number of PDF documents may not be fully accessible; we are reviewing and updating these where possible. Some of the issues are:

  • Untagged elements
  • Images / figures are missing alternative text
  • Tables are not defined
  • Links do not have appropriate link tags

Webforms

We have one webform which is not fully accessible. This form is on the Submit a complaint to us page. Some of the issues include:

  • Colour contrast issues
  • Missing attributes to identify purpose of form elements
  • Step form process

This form will be remediated in due course.

This content is not an exhaustive list of non-accessible content.

Accessibility references

  • W3 accessibility guidelines, which explains the reasons behind each guideline.
  • W3 accessibility techniques, which explains how to implement each guideline.
  • W3 accessibility checklist, a busy developer’s guide to accessibility.
  • Irish National Disability Authority IT accessibility guidelines. 
  • U.S. Federal Government Section 508 accessibility guidelines.

Accessibility features

A large number of techniques are used to enable the site to become accessible for all. Some of the accessible features on this site include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Alt Text: All images where appropriate and meaningful have suitable Alt text to provide a descriptive element to the image portrayed.
  • Heading Outline Hierarchy: Logical sense applied to headings where possible H1, H2, H3.
  • Descriptive Links: Links and buttons have descriptive elements or Aria labels where those elements cannot be provided.
  • Contrast: Reasonable minimums in difference with relation to contrast between foreground elements and background elements. Foreground and background elements are designed with sufficient contrast, meeting the WCAG 2.0 AA minimum ratios of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
  • Navigability: Logical structure applied to the website to ensure the site can be used without a mouse.
  • Visual design: This site uses cascading style sheets for visual layout.

This list is not exhaustive.

Understandable content

We have made significant efforts to ensure that all content is accessible and easy to understand.

However, some legal documents under Codes and Legislation could not be simplified due to their inherent complexity. To address this, content has been segmented into two categories: one for the general public, where content is written in more accessible language, and another for professionals, where the content maintains its formal legal structure.

Wherever possible, we have eliminated jargon, defined acronyms, and adhered to clear grammatical syntax to ensure the content is as understandable as possible.

We have avoided abbreviations and acronyms where possible. When they are used, the full term is explained the first time it appears.

Robust design

The website is designed to be robust and reliably interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. To ensure this, we have implemented the following practices:

  • Clean HTML/CSS: By using standard-compliant HTML and CSS, we ensure that content is compatible with different browsers and assistive tools, facilitating easy interpretation.
  • ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications): The use of ARIA roles and properties enhances the compatibility of dynamic content and complex user interfaces with assistive technologies, improving accessibility for all users.
  • Standard Document Formats: All documents are available in formats that are easily accessible: PDF documents are optimised for Adobe Reader, and Word documents are compatible with Microsoft Word and other compatible software.
  • Extensive Testing: The site and all documents undergo rigorous testing across different devices and browsers to ensure cross-platform compatibility and accessibility.

Preparation of this Accessibility Statement

This statement was prepared on 27 January 2025 and was last reviewed on 9 March 2026.

The accessibility of cnam.ie has been evaluated against WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines using a combination of automated and manual testing, including AXE Monitor. We will continue to carry out regular accessibility audits and update this statement to reflect any changes.

We regularly engage with the National Disability Authority (NDA), which is the monitoring body for accessibility of public sector websites in Ireland. The website is subject to regular reviews by the NDA.

Feedback and contact information

Coimisiún na Meán is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for persons with disabilities. We welcome feedback on the accessibility of this website.

If you have a comment or complaint about the accessibility of this website, please contact Andrew Robinson, our Access Officer at [email protected] or +353 1 644 1200.

The role of the Access Officer is to provide, arrange for and/or coordinate assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities accessing the services we provide.

If you wish to request particular content in an accessible format, please include the following details:

  • Your required format.
  • The content you wish to receive (please include the URL of the content).
  • Your name and email address.

We will make all reasonable efforts to fulfil your request.

Escalation of complaint

If you wish to make a complaint about access to our services and Coimisiún na Meán’s compliance with the terms of the Disability Act 2005, you should send the complaint to:

Head of Governance
Coimisiún na Meán
1 Shelbourne Buildings,
Shelbourne Road,
Dublin 4,
D04 NP20,
Ireland

If you are not happy with our response then you can make a complaint to the Ombudsman under the Disability Act.

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