Accessibility
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Accessibility

Accessibility statement

The French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV) is committed to making its website accessible in accordance with article 47 of French law no. 2005-102 of 11 February 2005.

This accessibility statement applies to the website institut-polaire.fr.

State of compliance

The website institut-polaire.fr is non-compliant with RGAA 4.1.2, the French general accessibility improvement framework. Non-conformities were found across all page templates.

Test results

An automated check was carried out on 8 July 2026 on a sample of nine representative pages. It found 597 issues, broken down as follows:

  • insufficient contrast between text and background: 458 issues, across all nine pages tested;
  • links without a meaningful name: 64 issues;
  • links within text distinguished by colour alone: 41 issues;
  • incorrectly structured definition lists: 12 issues;
  • form fields and drop-down lists without a label: 14 issues;
  • untitled frames, a scrollable region not reachable by keyboard, an image without a text alternative: 8 issues.

Some of these issues were fixed on 8 July 2026: the contact form fields and the calendar drop-down lists now have labels, icon links and the logo have accessible names, and frames are titled.

An automated check covers only part of the 106 RGAA criteria. The full compliance audit, which alone establishes an official compliance rate, has not been carried out to date.

Non-accessible content

The non-conformities identified to date are as follows:

  • The contrast between some text or graphic elements and their background does not meet the required thresholds. This concerns the brand colours, secondary text and search filter labels.
  • Some links within blocks of text are indicated by colour alone and are not otherwise distinguishable.
  • Some definition lists do not follow the expected structure.
  • Content from third-party services (calendar, social media feeds, mapping, video) has accessibility limitations that the Institute does not directly control.
  • Criteria not covered by the automated check have not been assessed. These include keyboard navigation, the relevance of text alternatives, reading order and screen reader output.

Preparation of this statement

This statement was prepared on 13 August 2026. It will be updated once the full compliance audit has been completed.

  • Technologies used: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, WordPress.
  • Test tools: axe-core 4.11 engine running under Chrome, via pa11y.
  • Pages in the tested sample: home, legal notice, privacy policy, directory, list of supported projects, project page, editorial page (Concordia station), photo library, search.

Feedback and contact

If you are unable to access any content or service on the website, you can contact IPEV to be directed to an accessible alternative or to obtain the content in another form: communication(at)ipev.fr, or through the contact form on the website.

Remedies

This procedure applies in the following case: you have reported an accessibility defect to the website manager that prevents you from accessing content or a service, and you have not received a satisfactory response.

  • Write to the Défenseur des droits, the French rights defender (defenseurdesdroits.fr).
  • Contact the local representative of the Défenseur des droits for your region (map of representatives).
  • Send a letter by post, free of charge and with no stamp required: Défenseur des droits, Libre réponse 71120, 75342 Paris CEDEX 07, France.

Multi-year plan and annual action plan

The French Polar Institute sets out the accessibility of its website in a multi-year plan covering the period 2026-2028. This plan applies to the website institut-polaire.fr.

Governance

Accessibility of the website is monitored by the Institute’s communication department, with the support of the technical provider responsible for maintenance.

Current situation

The check carried out on 8 July 2026 established the non-compliance of the website. The defects preventing use of the site with a screen reader, namely missing labels on form fields and drop-down lists, missing accessible names on icon links, and untitled frames, were fixed on that date.

Action plan 2026

  • Publication of this accessibility statement and provision of a dedicated means of contact.
  • Taking accessibility into account in newly published content: text alternatives for images, meaningful link names, proper heading structure.

Outlook 2027-2028

  • Assessment of the case for a full compliance audit, which alone can establish an official compliance rate.
  • Revision of the brand colour contrasts, the main source of non-compliance, as part of a future evolution of the website.
  • Awareness-raising among contributors on writing accessible content.
  • Update of this statement after any significant change to the website.