Accessibility statement for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) service for installers

Guidance
Publication date
Scheme name
BUS

Related links

Boiler Upgrade Scheme: Guidance for Installers

This accessibility statement applies to the following parts of the BUS service for installers:

  • sign up and sign in - to access the online service
  • the online installer account area, from which installers can manage their BUS applications
  • online voucher applications and voucher redemption applications
  • the various emails that are sent to installers throughout their use of the BUS
  • the various downloadable forms installers need to complete and return to Ofgem, for instance to create an installer account

Any accessibility issues relating to BUS web guidance or downloadable publications are covered separately by the Ofgem website’s accessibility statement.

We want as many people as possible to be able to interact with the BUS 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
  • navigate most of the forms using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the forms using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the forms using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the content as simple as possible to understand.

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

How accessible the digital service is

Our internal team has used SortSite to run accessibility and code standards testing of all pages in the BUS digital service. All identified issues have been fixed.

We have also conducted manual accessibility testing based on the GDS recommended checklist.

In October 2022, we commissioned Test Partners to conduct a full external accessibility audit of the BUS digital service for installers. We have since addressed all issues raised to ensure it meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard - with the exception of the sign up and sign in screens, which will be prioritised and addressed in due course.

How accessible the BUS downloadable forms are

We provide all forms as editable PDFs and accessible Word (DOCX) files.

We know that the editable PDFs are not fully accessible, which is why we provide the DOCX file as an accessible alternative.

Any Iinks to DOCX versions are always published alongside the PDF links and are clearly differentiated as accessible.

Reporting accessibility problems with the BUS service

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

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 the accessibility of the BUS service

Ofgem is committed to making the BUS service content accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

All parts of the digital BUS service for installers - with the exception of the sign up and sign in screens - are fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard. Any issues with the sign up and sign in screens will be addressed in due course.

All BUS downloadable forms are fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.0 AA standard.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We will continue to run accessibility tests on all new features added to the BUS digital service.

We plan to convert more of the BUS downloadable forms into fully accessible html, prioritising the ones that are used the most.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 21 November 2022. It was last reviewed on 21 November 2022