Accessibility statement for MARS Help and Support
This accessibility statement applies to the MARS Help and Support website at https://marshelp.heiw.wales/, including its English and Welsh pages and published documents. It does not cover the separate MARS appraisal application or other websites linked from this site.
This website is run by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). We want as many people as possible to be able to use it. We aim to provide clear information and support people using keyboards, assistive technology and browser accessibility settings.
AbilityNet provides advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
We know that parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- The cookie notice can cover links while they have keyboard focus.
- Some footer links have poor colour contrast.
- Social media links do not clearly identify their destinations to screen-reader users.
- Some tables do not identify their headers in a way that assistive technology can understand.
- Embedded videos on the Welsh video page do not have descriptive frame labels.
- The contact form does not identify the purpose of the name and email fields for automatic completion.
- Some English interface text on Welsh pages is not marked with its language.
- Some PDFs lack descriptive titles or correct language information. Automated testing has also identified PDF images whose text alternatives need reviewing.
Feedback and contact information
If you need information from this website in a different format, such as an accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact:
- Email: heiw.people@wales.nhs.uk
- Telephone: 03300 585 005
Please tell us which page or document you need, the format you require and how you would like us to contact you.
We will consider your request and get back to you within a maximum of 30 working days.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find a problem not listed here, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, email heiw.people@wales.nhs.uk.
Please include the page address, a description of the problem and, if relevant, the browser or assistive technology you were using.
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 are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
The website has been reviewed against WCAG 2.2 Level AA using the methods described below. The review identified accessibility failures; further testing is required to complete the conformance assessment.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Keyboard focus and the cookie notice
Some links receive keyboard focus while completely hidden behind the cookie notice. This fails WCAG 2.4.11, Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), and 2.4.7, Focus Visible.
Footer links
Some text links have insufficient contrast against the footer background. This fails WCAG 1.4.3, Contrast (Minimum).
Social media icons do not expose their destination names to assistive technology. This fails WCAG 1.1.1, Non-text Content, and 2.4.4, Link Purpose (In Context).
Tables
Some data tables, including designated-body contact details and service opening hours, do not have correctly identified headers. This fails WCAG 1.3.1, Info and Relationships.
Video frames
Embedded videos on the Welsh video page lack descriptive frame names. This fails WCAG 4.1.2, Name, Role, Value.
Contact form
The name and email fields do not identify their input purposes for automatic completion. This fails WCAG 1.3.5, Identify Input Purpose.
Language changes
Some English interface text on Welsh pages does not identify the change of language. This fails WCAG 3.1.2, Language of Parts.
PDF documents
Testing identified documents without descriptive titles and documents with missing or incorrect language information. These affect WCAG 2.4.2, Page Titled, and 3.1.1, Language of Page.
The automated report also identified images requiring review against WCAG 1.1.1, Non-text Content.
You can request information in an alternative format using the contact details above.
Disproportionate burden
No disproportionate-burden exemption has been established by this review.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
No specific out-of-scope content has been established by this review. Documents are not being treated as exempt simply because they are described as old, and embedded video is not being treated as exempt simply because a third party hosts it.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
The review identified improvements needed to keyboard focus, footer links, tables, video labels, contact fields, language information and documents.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
The original statement was prepared on 21 September 2020. This draft was reviewed on 16 October 2026.
Accessibility checks were carried out on 16 October 2026 using:
- A supplied SortSite report covering 174 URLs.
- A supplied WAVE homepage screenshot.
- Review of the supplied website code and PDFs.
- Selected live-browser keyboard, accessibility-tree, structure and contrast checks.
The live checks covered representative English and Welsh pages, including the homepage, FAQs, search, contact forms, videos, tables and the existing accessibility statement.