Guidance

Accessibility for export health certificates online

Updated 9 March 2026

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There’s a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the export health certificate online service, available at exporter.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk and certifier.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk.

1. Using this service

This service is run by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. For example, that means you should be able to:

• change colours, contrast levels and fonts

• zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen

• get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard

• get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software

• listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the text in the service as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

2. How accessible this service is

Some people may find parts of this service difficult to use:

• the text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window

• you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text

• most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software

• some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard

• you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader

3. What to do if you have difficulty using this service

If you have difficulty using this service, contact APHA.

3.1 Exporters in England, Scotland or Wales

One-to-one help is offered only by arrangement. Exporters will need to visit the main APHA office in Carlisle, or another office by arrangement.

APHA provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment. The offices have audio induction loops. APHA can also arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

If you need any information available in this service in a different format, like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact:

• call: 03000 200 301
• email: exports@apha.gov.uk
• write to:

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Centre for International Trade
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX

4. Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:

• call: 03000 200 301
• email: exports@apha.gov.uk
• write to:

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Centre for International Trade
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX

5. Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

6. Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a BSL interpreter.

Contact APHA.

7. Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and APHA are committed to making their websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This service is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard. The non-accessible parts are listed below.

8. Non-accessible content

This section explains why certain content is non-accessible.

8.1 Issues affecting PDF and Word documents

Some PDF and Word documents do not have the Title filled in in the Document Properties. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F25 Section 508 (2017) A F25.

Some PDF documents have figures and images with blank ALT text. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F65 Section 508 (2017) A F65.

Some PDFs have not been tagged to be accessible by screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 A 1.3.1 Section 508 (2017) A 1.3.1.

The LANG attribute has not been used to identify the language of some pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 A 3.1.1 Section 508 (2017) A 3.1.1.

9. Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

This section sets out accessibility problems that fall outside the scope of the accessibility regulations.

9.1 PDFs and other documents

We have attempted to make sure all our PDFs are new and meet accessibility standards. Older PDFs and Word documents may exist on this service and these may not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value).

All of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. Our aim is to never use PDF or Word documents where HTML can be used.

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018, if they’re not essential to providing our services.

10. How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 4 March 2020. The test was carried out by Connect Internet Solutions Ltd.

We tested our main website platform, available at exporter.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk and certifier.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk - based on a different technical platform but ‘skinned’ to look like our website.

11. What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are fixing the problems that are stopping us from being compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 A standard. We will then move on to fixing the problems that are stopping us being compliant with the the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

This statement was prepared on 30 April 2020.