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Accessibility Statement

This statement applies to the Social Security website of the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights and was last updated on April 2021.

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Compliance Status

The Department of Social Security (DSS) is committed to making its online services accessible to all. We have a national and global user base and are dedicated to continuously improving accessibility of our services with a focus on the anti-discrimination requirements of the Equal Opportunities Act (Persons with Disability) of 2000 (EOA).​​

Compliance Process

The DSS website is designed to work with Internet Explorer 11 (using the latest version of Silverlight) and the most recent two versions of Firefox and Chrome browsers

As part of this effort, DSS adheres to accessibility standard EN310549 and WCAG2.0 guidelines.  Our online resources and products are evaluated both manually and programmatically for conformance to WCAG 2.0 Level AA guidelines. The DSS website in particular is designed to work well and be accessible when being accessed with suitably updated hardware and software products.

Further recognizing that adherence to standards and guidelines, cannot on its own ensure that a product is accessible, DSS also carries out usability evaluations in collaboration with persons with disability, so as to gather necessary feedback.  We also strive to implement accessibility for information channels that are provided via third party platforms wherever possible, like for example our Facebook pages.

Accessibility Measures

The DSS website does not make use of font, magnification and colour modification widgets.  This is because we believe that this functionality is already integrated in most web browsers or is available via different add-ons and plugins which different users are free to customise to their needs.  As a result these arbitrary user customisations are available for most websites, not only that of the Foundation.  In order to allow for this level of customisation, we seek to maximise compatibility with these user modifications.

As part of and in addition to the above mentioned guidelines, the DSS website implements the following accessibility features:

  • Maintain a consistent HTML Heading hierarchy and information layout across different web pages
  • Information content is organised into HTML lists wherever applicable
  • Deployed a link focus highlighting script in order to provide visual cues for exclusive keyboard users
  • Add image title, alt tag and caption wherever this information is relevant and useful.
  • Maximise colour contrast for text where applicable
  • Actual link text is descriptive enough to inform user where the link points to
  • Implement all external links so that they open into new browser tabs

Inaccessible Content

DSS is not aware of specific inaccessible content or accessibility issues on its website. If you identify such content, kindly let us know via the contact details provided below. Should such an instance arise, DSS’s goal is to create an Accessibility Remediation Roadmap (ARR). The ARR describes the steps needed to help identify an accessibility issue and bring the product into compliance with the EOA, including the anticipated schedule for completion of this goal. If you identify such content, kindly let us know via the contact details provided below.

Feedback and Contact Details

Inevitably, we won’t always get it right, the more services and resources we place online, the more likely it may be to miss some problems, but we remain committed to addressing any access issues promptly. And that is where we would like your help. If you experience any difficulties in accessing our website, or have trouble using any aspect of the website, we would like you to let us know.

You may send us through our website using the contact us form.

Enforcement Procedure

The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) is the entity responsible for implementing Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies.  In case your ICT accessibility related query is not addressed within the time frames established within the ARR or you wish to lodge a formal complaint, you can do so by contacting the MCA on 21336840 or by filling the online complaint form at https://www.mca.org.mt/accessibilitycomplaint​​.

Accessibility by WAH