Digital Accessibility Statement

1. Our commitment

The Emirates Research and Development Council (“ERDC”) is committed to providing an inclusive digital experience and making this website accessible to the widest possible audience, including people of determination and users of assistive technologies.

2. Accessibility standard

We aim to design, develop and maintain the website in alignment with applicable UAE government digital-accessibility requirements and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, where reasonably practicable.

3. Accessibility features

The website is intended to support:

• Keyboard navigation without requiring a mouse.
• Clear page structure, headings and descriptive labels.
• Text alternatives for meaningful images and non-text content.
• Sufficient colour contrast and content that does not rely on colour alone.
• Zooming and text resizing without loss of essential content or functionality.
• Descriptive links, form instructions and error messages.
• Compatibility with commonly used screen readers and modern browsers.
• Captions, transcripts or suitable alternatives for multimedia content where available.
• Arabic and English content with appropriate language and reading-direction settings.

4. Ongoing improvement

Accessibility is an ongoing process. We review templates, content and components as the website develops and when material changes are introduced. Third-party documents, archived content, embedded tools or external platforms may not always meet the same accessibility standard, but we will seek reasonable alternatives where possible.

5. Known limitations

Some content may have accessibility limitations, including:

• Older PDF documents or files supplied by third parties.
• Embedded video, maps, charts or third-party widgets.
• External websites and platforms that ERDC does not control.
• Complex documents that require remediation before an accessible version can be provided.

Where a fully accessible version is not immediately available, users may request the information in an alternative format.

6. Browser and assistive-technology compatibility

The website is designed for current versions of commonly used browsers and assistive technologies. Using an outdated browser or unsupported technology may affect performance or accessibility.

7. Feedback and assistance

If you experience an accessibility barrier, need information in an alternative format or require assistance using the website, please contact ERDC through the official Contact Us page and provide:

• The page address or name.
• A description of the issue.
• The browser, device or assistive technology used, where relevant.
• Your preferred contact method.

Accessibility contact email: [accessibility email address]

Telephone: [telephone number]

We will review accessibility feedback and aim to provide a reasonable response or alternative, subject to the nature and complexity of the request.

8. Enforcement and escalation

If you are not satisfied with the initial response, you may request that the matter be escalated through ERDC’s official contact channel.

9. Statement review

This statement will be reviewed periodically and updated to reflect material accessibility improvements, identified limitations and applicable requirements.