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Accessibility Statement for Secure Mail

This is an accessibility statement from SSH Communications Security.

Measures to support accessibility

SSH Communications Security takes the following measures to ensure accessibility of Secure Mail:

  • Include accessibility as part of our mission statement.
  • Include accessibility throughout our internal policies.
  • Integrate accessibility into our procurement practices.
  • Assign clear accessibility goals and responsibilities.
  • Employ formal accessibility quality assurance methods.

Conformance status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. They define three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Secure Mail is partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard. Below you can find a description of these issues.

Compatibility with browsers and assistive technology

Secure Mail is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

  • Screen readers (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, Orca)
  • Keyboard navigation tools

Secure Mail is not compatible with:

  • Outdated browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer)
  • Assistive technologies that do not support ARIA or HTML5 form elements

Technical specifications

Accessibility of Secure Mail relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

  • HTML
  • WAI-ARIA
  • CSS
  • JavaScript

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

Limitations and alternatives

Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility of Secure Mail, there may be some limitations. Below is a description of known limitations and potential solutions. We are actively working to address these issues and improve accessibility.

Known limitations for Secure Mail:

  • Language identifiers for certain Sámi languages (e.g., Skolt Sámi): Some content may not be correctly identified or labeled with the appropriate language code, which could affect text-to-speech, screen readers, or other language-sensitive assistive technologies. Users may need to manually select the language in assistive technologies if available.
  • Inaccurate language code usage on some pages: Some pages may use incorrect or missing language attributes, which can affect how screen readers and other assistive technologies interpret and pronounce the content.
  • Non-descriptive page titles on some pages: Some pages use generic or unclear page titles that do not reflect the current user task or include the service name. This can make it harder for users of assistive technologies and browser navigation tools to understand their context.
  • Unclear button purpose from accessible name alone: Some buttons use generic names such as “Download” or “Remove row,” which can be difficult to distinguish when multiple similar buttons appear on the same form. This can make screen reader navigation harder because the purpose of each button is not clearly conveyed.
  • Form field labels are inconsistent on some forms: On certain forms, labels are not properly associated with their corresponding input fields, which can make it unclear for screen reader users what information is expected.
  • Form groups and group headings not clearly defined on some forms: Some related form controls are not presented as clear groups, and their group headings are not conveyed to assistive technologies. This can make it difficult for screen reader users to understand the relationship between options, especially when navigating fields sequentially.
  • Password requirements are shown only after form submission: Password fields have specific requirements, but these are presented only after the user attempts to proceed and validation fails. This can make it difficult for users to understand what is expected before completing the field, especially for users of assistive technologies.
  • Limited error feedback and unclear error indication in some forms: In some cases, only one validation error is presented at a time. Additionally, error indicators and the overall troubleshooting flow may be unclear in certain parts of the form, making it harder for users to identify and resolve issues efficiently.
  • Saved message format may not preserve accessible structure: Messages saved in certain formats (especially HTML representation) may not retain a meaningful structure for assistive technologies. Structural elements such as lists and headings may not be conveyed programmatically, reducing readability for screen reader users.

Assessment approach

SSH Communications Security assessed the accessibility of Secure Mail by the following approaches:

  • Self-evaluation
  • External evaluation
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