Our Commitment to an Accessible Web
recyclingcentreireland.org/ targets WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance and aligns with the European Accessibility Act 2025, the Web Accessibility Directive (EU) 2016/2102, the National Disability Authority's IT Accessibility Guidelines, and the Disability Act 2005 framework — so anyone researching civic amenity sites, bring banks, kerbside collection, or the Re-turn scheme can use the site fully.
Our Standard
We design and build recyclingcentreireland.org/ to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, published by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard referenced by the European Accessibility Act, the Web Accessibility Directive, the National Disability Authority’s IT Accessibility Guidelines, and (internationally) by the US ADA Title III enforcement framework and Section 508.
The four WCAG principles guide every editorial and design decision:
- Perceivable — information and user-interface components must be presentable in ways the reader can perceive
- Operable — UI components and navigation must be operable, including by keyboard
- Understandable — information and operation of the UI must be understandable
- Robust — content must be robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies
Legal and Regulatory Framework
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| European Accessibility Act 2025 — Directive (EU) 2019/882, transposed in Ireland by the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations | Accessibility requirements for a wide range of products and services placed on the market or provided to consumers in the EU; effective 28 June 2025 |
| Web Accessibility Directive (EU) 2016/2102 | Public-sector website and mobile-app accessibility — referenced as the standard for what “accessible” means in EU practice |
| Disability Act 2005 | Sections 26–29 oblige Irish public bodies to ensure that people with disabilities can access services, including information and communication. We voluntarily apply the same principles even though we are not a public body |
| National Disability Authority (NDA) IT Accessibility Guidelines | The Irish-specific accessibility-engineering reference |
| Equal Status Acts 2000–2018 | Irish equality framework — prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods, services, accommodation, and education |
| WCAG 2.1 Level AA | The technical conformance target referenced by the EAA, the Web Accessibility Directive, and the NDA |
| International standards (referenced) | US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; Section 508 — referenced as international benchmarks alongside the EU/Irish framework |
Accessibility Features We Implement
Keyboard navigation
Every interactive element is reachable and operable using only a keyboard.
Visible focus
Focused links and controls are clearly visible.
17px+ body text
Body text meets minimum-readability standards.
Colour contrast
Text and interactive elements meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast minimums (4.5:1 normal, 3:1 large).
Semantic markup
Headings, lists, tables, and landmarks are marked up with appropriate HTML so assistive technologies parse the structure correctly.
Alternative text
Meaningful images have alt text; decorative images are marked appropriately.
Form labels
All form controls have programmatically associated labels.
Responsive layout
Layout reflows at small viewport widths and at 200% zoom without loss of content or function.
46px touch targets
Tap targets meet minimum-size guidance for touch and motor accessibility.
Page language declared
The page’s language attribute is set so screen readers select the right voice.
Descriptive link text
Links are written so the destination is meaningful out of context (no “click here”).
No motion-induced harm
No content flashes more than three times per second; no auto-playing media.
Assistive Technology Compatibility
We test against current versions of the major assistive technologies on common browsers:
| Assistive technology | Platform | Tested with |
|---|---|---|
| NVDA | Windows | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| JAWS | Windows | Chrome, Edge |
| VoiceOver | macOS, iOS | Safari (primary), Chrome |
| TalkBack | Android | Chrome (primary) |
| Narrator | Windows | Edge |
| Browser zoom & magnifiers | All | 200% browser zoom; Windows Magnifier; macOS Zoom; ZoomText |
| Voice input | All | Dragon NaturallySpeaking; Voice Access; Voice Control |
| Switch control | iOS, macOS, Android | Single-switch and two-switch configurations |
Supported Browsers
We test against the current and immediately previous major versions of:
- Google Chrome (Windows, macOS, Android)
- Mozilla Firefox (Windows, macOS, Android)
- Apple Safari (macOS, iOS, iPadOS)
- Microsoft Edge (Windows)
- Brave (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS)
- Samsung Internet (Android)
Older browsers may not support every modern web feature. Where this is the case, content remains readable but some interactive enhancements may be unavailable.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Move forward through links and controls | Tab |
| Move backward through links and controls | Shift + Tab |
| Activate a link or button | Enter (links and buttons) / Space (buttons) |
| Open menus and dropdowns | Enter or Space |
| Close menus and dropdowns | Esc |
| Find on page | Ctrl + F (Win/Linux) / ⌘ + F (macOS) |
| Increase or decrease zoom | Ctrl + + / − (Win/Linux) / ⌘ + + / − (macOS) |
Known Limitations
recyclingcentreireland.org/ links extensively to Irish local-authority portals, Re-turn (re-turn.ie), Repak (repak.ie), WEEE Ireland (weeeireland.ie), ERP Ireland (erp-recycling.org/ie-en), ELVES (elves.ie), IFFPG (farmplastics.ie), the EPA (epa.ie), DECC, NWCPO (nwcpo.ie), and other authoritative sources. We have no control over the accessibility of those external sites. Their accessibility may not match the standard we apply to our own pages — many older council portals and PDF documents predate WCAG 2.1 AA. If you encounter an accessibility barrier on a council or scheme-operator portal we link to, contact that body directly; for public bodies, the Disability Act 2005 framework applies and you may also escalate to the National Disability Authority.
- Some Irish council PDFs that we link to (waste-management plans, council strategy documents) are scanned images rather than text-tagged accessible PDFs. Where we have a tagged or HTML version, we link to that instead.
- Where we embed third-party tools (mapping, embedded form controls, Re-turn locators), the accessibility of those embeds depends on the upstream provider.
- Older content created before our current accessibility standard was adopted may not yet match every Level AA criterion. We are remediating older pages on a rolling basis.
Alternative Formats
If you need information from a page in an alternative format — large print, structured plain text, accessible PDF, or another format — email info@recyclingcentreireland.org with subject “Alternative format request.” Include the page URL and the format you need. We respond within 5 business days.
How We Test
Our process combines automated and manual checks:
- Automated tools — axe by Deque, WAVE, Lighthouse, Pa11y on every published page
- Manual keyboard-only navigation — every interactive element verified for focus order, focus visibility, and operability
- Manual screen-reader testing — page-level walkthrough with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS/iOS
- Colour contrast verification — every text/background pair tested against WCAG 2.1 AA minimums
- Mobile and zoom testing — page reflow at 320px viewport and at 200% zoom
- Reader feedback — accessibility-issue reports are our highest-priority queue and are typically resolved within 1–3 business days
Reporting an Accessibility Issue
If you find something on the site that doesn’t work for you with a screen reader, keyboard, magnification, voice control, or any other assistive technology, please tell us. Email info@recyclingcentreireland.org with subject “Accessibility issue” and include:
- The page URL on recyclingcentreireland.org/ where you encountered the issue
- What you were trying to do
- What happened (or didn’t happen) — what you saw or heard
- Your browser, operating system, and any assistive technology you were using
- An email address so we can follow up
We acknowledge accessibility-issue reports within 1–3 business days. Substantive remediation timelines depend on the issue but are tracked actively.
External Escalation
If you are not satisfied with our response to an accessibility issue, you have several external options under Irish and EU law:
| Body | Role | URL |
|---|---|---|
| National Disability Authority (NDA) | Independent statutory body providing IT accessibility guidance and oversight under the Disability Act 2005 | nda.ie |
| Office of the Ombudsman | Investigates complaints about public-service providers and (in defined circumstances) private bodies providing services on behalf of public bodies | ombudsman.ie |
| Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) | Investigates complaints under the Equal Status Acts 2000–2018 — discrimination in the provision of goods and services, including digital services | workplacerelations.ie |
| Data Protection Commission (DPC) | Where the issue involves accessibility of privacy notices or data-protection mechanisms | dataprotection.ie |
| European Commission | For cross-border issues under the European Accessibility Act 2025 framework | ec.europa.eu/social |
Continuous Improvement
Web accessibility is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time exercise. Standards evolve, browsers and assistive technologies change, and reader feedback constantly highlights areas to improve. This statement reflects our current standard and process; we update it as our practices change. The “Last reviewed” date at the top is current.
Tell Us When Something Doesn’t Work for You
Accessibility-issue reports are our highest-priority queue. We acknowledge within 1–3 business days and prioritise remediation.
📧 Report an accessibility issue