Accessibility

Note: this content is currently being reviewed given recent changes to the version of the Portal product we are using to service users, that came into effect on 29 February 2024. We thank you for your patience and an updated statement will be produced once testing has concluded. 

 

Mission

This website is run by the University of London. Our mission is to ensure that our services are accessible to all. We also respect individual choice and strive to create an inclusive, flexible and supportive environment which recognises the diversity of every individual. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website and understand our content.

  • For example, that means you should be able to:
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard;
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen;
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software;
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver);
  • use a variety of plugins and browsers features (see below);
  • navigate through consistent and responsive page layouts.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. AbilityNet is a UK charity that exists to change the lives of disabled people by helping them to use digital technology at work, at home or in education.

For programmes provided by University of London, reasonable steps are taken to ensure that learning content, including content delivered via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), is accessible to all students in order to comply with Chapter 2 of the Equality Act 2010.

This statement highlights the University of London and Member Institutions' commitment to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 by aiming to meet the requirements listed in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 

How accessible is this website

We know some parts of this website aren't fully accessible:

  • some text won't reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window;
  • you can't modify the line height or spacing of text;
  • most older PDF documents aren't fully accessible to screen reader software;
  • Most videos don't have captions;

We are committed to updating content in accordance with the guidelines set out by the WCAG 2.1 AAA standard.

 

What to do if you can't access parts of this website

If you still experience barriers to accessing content, you can contact the Student Advice Centre to discuss your requirements. We will advise you on the support available to you and make every reasonable effort to support you through your studies.

You can contact the Student Advice Centre from the Help link, on the Portal log in page, or via the telephone +44 (0)207 862 8360.

Student Advice Centre
University of London
Stewart House
32, Russell Square
London WC1B 5DN

We'll consider your request and get back to you within 5 working days. Please note that our offices are wheelchair accessible. If you are visiting the University and require assistance, please contact the Student Advice Centre in advance of your visit.

 
Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We're always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that aren't listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact the University of London's Student Advice Centre, as above.

 

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, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).


Technical information about this website's accessibility

The University of London is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

 

Non accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:

Images

  • Not all images contain text alternatives that serve the equivalent purpose.
  • Text equivalents are not always available for images or graphics in the form of Alt text.
  • Images are not always placed in a logical order within text, meaning screen readers may not pick it up.
  • Where information is displayed in visual format, there may not be enough contrast between foreground and background so users of all visual abilities can discern differences.
  • Standard text formatting conventions for headings, paragraphs, lists, tables are not consistently adhered to when adding text via a text editor.
  • Where text has been copied and pasted and formatting has not been stripped from the original source, this can impact text-to-speech technology by adding extra formatting.
  • Correct sequencing of content through the use of appropriate formatting, is not consistently applied.

Hyperlinks

  • Some links may not be visually evident and use of colour alone must not be used to indicate links e.g. links are underlined
  • Not all hyperlinks point to descriptive text which informs the user of the links purpose or location.

Documents

  • Not all documents use standard text formatting conventions for headings, paragraphs, lists and tables. Some of our older PDF documents may not be fully tagged or marked up to be accessible to a screen reader

Video and audio

  • Some of our older content does not have provide a text alternative such as transcripts.
  • Some videos are not offered in different resolutions, allowing users the choice of watching the smaller, lower resolution version.
  • Most audio content does not provide closed captions.
  • Some audio content quality is not as good as it could be.
  • Where content contains flashing images, clear warnings do not play on screen before content starts playing.

 
Third Party Content

Our site may include third party content and functionality. Depending on our relationship with the third party, we cannot always guarantee its accessibility.  

 
Links to other websites

Where we link to other websites that may offer benefits to our users we are not responsible for the accessibility of these or any other websites we don't manage


Disproportionate burden

A large quantity of our existing content has not been updated and to do so would be a disproportionate burden. As content is updated it will be made accessible.

 
Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Our website also archives content that we have produced over the last few years. We cannot guarantee the accessibility of this archived content and cannot guarantee it will be converted. However, if you find any accessibility problems, please contact the Student Advice Centre, per the contact information above.

 
How we tested this website

We use accessibility scanning software to report on any accessibility issues with the current content.


What we're doing to improve accessibility

We are conducting an audit of our site to help us determine content that is not completely accessible. As content is updated it will be reviewed and put through the necessary accessibility checks to ensure it is compliant.

 

This statement was prepared on 10 February 2020. It was last updated on 10 February 2020.