This accessibility statement applies to:
This website is run by the University of Edinburgh. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this application. For example, that means you should be able to:
- Navigate most of the system using just a keyboard;
- Listen to most of the application using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver);
- Encounter no significant time limits;
- Use the system without encountering any moving text or content;
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
Customising the website
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. This is an external site with suggestions to make your computer more accessible:
AbilityNet - My Computer My Way
With a few simple steps you can customise the appearance of our website using your browser settings to make it easier to read and navigate:
Additional information on how to customise our website appearance
If you are a member of University staff or a student, you can use the free SensusAccess accessible document conversion service:
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- Not all content can be reached when navigating by keyboard;
- When navigating using a keyboard there are inconsistent selection displays, and it can be difficult for user to see where they have reached on the page;
- Browser customisation is limited, especially in Chrome;
- The system is not fully compatible with screen readers and voice recognition software;
- Screen reading software JAWS reads out some content multiple times;
- There is no ‘skip to main content’ option;
- Some non-text content does not have meaningful alternative text;
- Pop-ups and new browser tabs appear without warning;
- Some pop-ups disappear without the user interacting with them;
- Some links do not have distinctly meaningful hypertext;
- The PDF reader becomes inaccessible to users above a zoom level of 200%;
- Tooltips are not accessible when using keyboard navigation.
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format, including accessible PDF, large print, audio recording or braille:
- Email: InformationSecurity@ed.ac.uk
- Postal address: Information Security Directorate, Information Services Group, University of Edinburgh, Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9DR
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:
- Email: InformationSecurity@ed.ac.uk
- Postal address: Information Security Directorate, Information Services Group, University of Edinburgh, Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9DR
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
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 please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) directly:
Contact details for the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)
The government has produced information on how to report accessibility issues:
Reporting an accessibility problem on a public sector website
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The University of Edinburgh is committed to making its websites and applications accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance Status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
The full guidelines are available at:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard
Non accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Noncompliance with the accessibility regulations
The following items to not comply with the WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria:
- Not all non-text items have alternative text
- Not all videos have audio description
- On mobile, the pdf reader becomes inaccessible if the site is accessed in landscape mode
- Resizing text operates successfully up to 175 percent, however above this magnification level the PDF reader is inaccessible
- Tooltips cannot be reached using keyboard navigation
- Not all content can be reached by keyboard navigation
- There is no ‘skip to main content’ option
- The purpose of each link cannot be determined from the text alone as there are repeated links
- Selection displays vary and are at times faint or have colour contrast issues, meaning users may struggle to know where they have navigated to on the page in the PDF
- Some links open pop-ups or new browser tabs without alerting the individual
- The application is not fully accessible with screen readers or voice recognition software (e.g. some text is read twice by screen readers) e.g. PDF's
- We will continue to address and make significant improvements to the accessibility issues highlighted. Unless specified otherwise, a complete solution or significant improvement will be in place by February 2025 for the issues within our control. Much of the system is outwith our control and we have been working closely with the supplier Metacompliance to rectify these issues. The timescales they have provided us with are given below under the section “What we’re doing to improve accessibility”.
While we are in the process of resolving these accessibility issues we will ensure reasonable adjustments are in place to make sure no user is disadvantaged. As changes are made, we will continue to review accessibility and retest the accessibility of this website.
Disproportionate burden
We are not currently claiming that any accessibility problems would be a disproportionate burden to fix.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
At this time we believe no content is outwith the scope of the accessibility regulations.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We will continue to address and make improvements to the accessibility issues highlighted. Unless specified otherwise, a complete solution or significant improvement will be in place by January 2025.
Much of the system is outwith our control and we have been working closely with the supplier Metacompliance to rectify these issues. The timescales they have provided us with are:
- Ensuring no information is conveyed by colour alone – 15.07.24
- Tooltips are accessible by all methods of navigation – 03.06.24
- The exit course message will be accessible to keyboard users – 15.07.24
- Ensuring all content is accessible by keyboard – 22.08.24
- Links will be labelled with meaningful hypertext – 22.08.24
- Ensuring where the user has tabbed to has a clear focus – 22.08.24
- All links will be meaningful hypertext – 22.08.24
- Where a pop up will open a user will alerted to this in advance and these pop ups will not close without user interaction – 22.08.24
- Rectifying items being read in duplicate by screen readers – 15.07.24
While we are in the process of resolving these accessibility issues we will ensure reasonable adjustments are in place to make sure no user is disadvantaged. As changes are made, we will continue to review accessibility and retest the accessibility of this website.
Preparation of this Accessibility Statement
This statement was prepared on 6th March 2024. It was last reviewed on 14th August 2024.
The website was last tested in March 2024. The testing was carried out by the Disability Information Team, Information Services Group at the University of Edinburgh using both automated and manual methods. The site was tested on a PC, primarily using Microsoft Edge alongside Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
Recent world-wide usage levels survey for different screen readers and browsers shows that Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge are increasing in popularity and Google Chrome is now the favoured browser for screen readers:
WebAIM: Screen Reader User Survey
The aforementioned three browsers have been used in certain questions for reasons of breadth and variety.
We ran automated testing using WAVE WebAIM and then manual testing that included:
- Spell check functionality;
- Scaling using different resolutions and reflow;
- Options to customise the interface (magnification, font, background colour, etc);
- Keyboard navigation and keyboard traps;
- Data validation;
- Warning of links opening in new tab or window;
- Information conveyed in the colour or sound only;
- Flashing, moving or scrolling text;
- Use with screen reading software (for example JAWS);
- Assistive software (TextHelp Read and Write, Windows Magnifier, ZoomText, Dragon Naturally Speaking, TalkBack and VoiceOver);
- Tooltips and text alternatives for any non-text content;
- Time limits;
- Compatibility with mobile accessibility functionality (Android and iOS);
- Any drag functionality and alternatives;
- Consistent help function;
- Submission and re-entering data;
- Any cognitive tests.
Change Log
March 2024
- Colour contrasts were amended by Metacompliance to meet the WCAG standard
July 2024
- It is possible to reach all the options in the quiz without having to tab twice
- Information conveyed only by colour only has been resolved
- 1.4.1 - Use of Color (we believe this issue to be fully resolved)
- Some pop ups do now not disappear without the user interacting with them, and they can be reached by keyboard navigation to close the pop ups
- 2.2.1 - Timing Adjustable (this issue is only partially resolved)
- Selection displays have been improved (apart from on the PDF)
- 2.4.7 - Focus Visible (this issue is only partially resolved)