Accessibility statement for the Met Office iOS mobile application

This accessibility statement applies to the Met Office mobile application available on iOS devices.

This mobile application is run by the Met Office. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this mobile application. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • Navigate most of the app using a screen reader (including the most recent version of VoiceOver)
  • View our presented video forecast with subtitles

We’ve also made the mobile application text as simple as possible to understand.

The Met Office App is a native app built for Apple iOS and Android devices. This means you can use the built-in accessibility settings on your phone:

How accessible this mobile application is

We know some parts of this mobile application are not fully accessible:

  • Our rainfall, surface pressure and UK warnings maps do not have a text alternative. They also cannot be used in landscape orientation on smaller devices such as phones. Functionality is lost when the viewing area of the map is reduced in landscape mode on these devices. We recommend using the location search to find a place where you can get the forecast for that location. Alternatively, you can call our 24 hour helpline for the latest forecast information.
  • Advertising in the app may at times fail some of the accessibility guidelines. This content is provided by a third party supplier and is not always within our control. You may be able to reduce the effects of this within your device, by going to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion.
  • The widgets are not fully accessible. However, all of the information contained in the widget has an accessible version within the app itself until we can resolve the issues detailed below.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information in this mobile application in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille please contact [email protected]

We aim to respond to all reasonable requests for accessible information.

If you require any forecast information in this mobile application described over the phone, or have any other queries please contact our 24 hour helpline:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: 0370 900 0100 (from the UK)
  • Phone: +44 330 135 0000 (outside the UK)

Reporting accessibility problems with this mobile application

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

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).

Technical information about this mobile application’s accessibility

The Met Office is committed to making its mobile application accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This mobile application is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • When using the acknowledgements page, the link text is not read out correctly by VoiceOver. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.4 ‘Link text in context’. We aim to address this by August 2021.
  • Whilst it is possible to tap to the day of the forecast you require, some of the forecast information is not available without using a path-base gesture (i.e. you must swipe to see the rest of the information). This fails WCAG success criterion 2.5.1 ‘Pointer Gestures’. We aim to address this issue by August 2021.
  • The warnings tab is not usable in landscape mode. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.4 Orientation. We aim to address this by September 2021
  • There are some instances where the colour contrast does not have a ratio of at least 4.5:1, for example on the wind gusts, and night temperatures. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.3 ‘Contrast (Minimum)’. We aim to address this by September 2021.
  • In some instances, the font size cannot be increased up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 ‘Resize Text’. We are currently working to address this across all parts of the app and each screen will be updated as and when improvements are made. We aim to address this across most screens by November 2021.
  • The app cannot always be navigated sequentially. For example voiceover does not highlight the correct element when closing some of the screens e.g. the detailed forecast page. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.3 ‘Focus Order’. We aim to address this by November 2021.
  • Some user interface components do not contain the text that is presented visually. For example, VoiceOver does not correctly read out the widget information, the warning days on the warning maps thumbwheel, the label for the ‘feels like’ button, or the play button on the map timeline. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.5.3 ‘Label in Name’. We aim to address this by November 2021.
  • In some instances, status messages are not presented to the user by assistive technologies. For example, when using the search bar to find a forecast location, VoiceOver does not announce that the available search options are presented below. This fails WCAG success criterion 4.1.3. We aim to address this by the end of 2021.
  • There are some instances where non-text content doesn’t have alternative text. For example, the coloured warning labels on some screens do not read out the colour of the warning. Some of the buttons with icons (e.g. share button, filter button, map layer switcher button) are read out as ‘button’. They do not describe what the button is for. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.1.1 ‘Non-text Content’. We will roll out fixes for these issues on an ongoing basis. Some of these issues are reliant on software provided by third parties. The third parties involved are aware of the issues and are also working to address them. We aim to address this by the end of 2021.
  • There are some instances where the focus order may be unexpected. For example, when reaching the ‘Why do we show adverts’ link, the link is focusable twice. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.3 ‘Focus Order’. We aim to address this by the end of 2021.

Disproportionate burden

Audio description for prerecorded national weather videos

We do not provide audio description for our daily national weather videos since all the information in the video track is already provided in the audio track, so no audio description should be necessary. Our presenters are provided with guidance to make our videos as accessible as possible.

Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Online maps and mapping services

Our weather maps (rainfall, surface pressure and warnings) do not have text equivalents. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We do not plan to make the rainfall and surface pressure maps accessible, as online maps and mapping services are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations. We do plan to create an accessible list view of the UK warnings map.

Advertising

Our advertising may at times fail WCAG success criteria such as 1.1.1 ‘Non-text Content’, 2.2.2 ‘Pause, Stop, Hide’, or 2.3.1 ‘Three flashes or Below Threshold’. This content is provided by a third party and is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations. There are some steps you may be able to take in order to limit the effects of this. In IOS this is done via Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 10 June 2021. It was last reviewed on 10 June 2021.

This mobile application was last tested on 10 June 2021. The initial test was carried out by Nomensa. Changes were made and tested on a selection of devices and operating systems which are fully supported by the Met Office.

We used the following approach:

  • Ten screens were chosen based on those most used within the app
  • The issues were identified on a screen by screen basis, showing where they were found, and referencing the relevant success criteria from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1.
  • Any non-accessible content discovered has been fixed, or added to the accessibility statement with timelines for when the issue will be resolved.
  • The screens chosen to test include the following:

Weather tab (home, full forecast details, ‘edit my places’, settings, privacy preferences screen, information buttons), maps tab, warnings tab, warning details page.