Website accessibility

Website accessibility statement inline with Public Sector Body (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018

This accessibility statement applies to (including the LiveChat function):
https://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/.

This website is run by Accommodation, Catering and Events within Corporate Services Group at The University of Edinburgh. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

• using your browser settings, change colours, contrast levels and fonts while retaining most functionality;
• zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen;
• operate with mobile devices in both landscape and portrait modes;
• use the website without encountering any time limits.

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

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: Information on SensusAccess

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

• text-to-speech assistive technologies (including Job Access with Speech (JAWS) and NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)) are not necessarily compatible with all browser configurations when using this website;
• speech-to-text assistive software (for example, Dragon NaturallySpeaking) is not necessarily compatible with all browser configurations when using this website;
• it is not possible to navigate throughout the whole site using a keyboard only in certain browsers;
• colour contrasts do not necessarily meet the recommended Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 AA standard;
• keyboard navigation could be clearer in informing users where they have reached on a page;
• audio description is not available for all video content;
• some input fields that collect user personal data do not have the necessary ‘autocomplete’ attributes;
• not all non-text content presented to users has alternative text;
• the LiveChat function opens in pop-up window without warning;
• not all link purposes are clear to the user;
• some parts of the website are not fully compatible with mobile accessibility functionality (including pausing or stopping a carousel feature).

If you need information on this website in a different format, including accessible PDF, large print, audio recording or braille:

• email  accom.allocations@ed.ac.uk
• telephone +44 (0)131 651 2189
• British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via Contact Scotland BSL, the on-line BSL interpreting service: Contact Scotland BSL

We will consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.

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 accom.marketing@ed.ac.uk
• telephone +44 (0)131 651 2189
• British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via Contact Scotland BSL, the on-line BSL interpreting service: Contact Scotland BSL

We will consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.

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: Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)

The UK government has produced information on how to report accessibility issues: Reporting an accessibility problem on a public sector website

British Sign Language service

British Sign Language service Contact Scotland BSL runs a service for British Sign Language users and all of Scotland’s public bodies using video relay. This enables sign language users to contact public bodies and vice versa. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact Scotland BSL service details

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.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

The full guidelines are available at:

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 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 2.1 AA success criteria:

• Not all non-text content presented to users has alternative text.
  • 1.1.1 - Non-text Content
• Audio description is not available for all video content.
  • 1.2.3 - Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
• Audio description is not provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media.
  • 1.2.5 - Audio Description (Prerecorded)
• Information, structure and relationships conveyed through presentation cannot always be programmatically determined. This includes missing heading tags.
  • 1.3.1 - Info and Relationships
  • 2.4.6 - Headings and Labels
• The way the content is presented affects its meaning, and a correct reading sequence is not programmatically determined.
  • 1.3.2 - Meaningful Sequence
• Some input fields that collect user personal data do not have the necessary ‘autocomplete’ attributes.
  • 1.3.5 - Identify Input Purpose
• There may not be sufficient colour contrast between font and background colours, especially where the text size is small.
  • 1.4.3 - Contrast (Minimum)
• Visual information to identify user interface components, such as keyboard focus, do not always have a sufficient contrast ratio.
  • 1.4.11 - Non-text contrast
• Not all areas of the website can be operated via keyboard navigation.
  • 2.1.1 - Keyboard
• A carousel cannot be paused or stopped by the user in the mobile version of the website.
  • 2.2.2 - Pause, Stop, Hide
• Focusable components are not brought to user attention in an order that necessarily preserves meaning and operability.
  • 2.4.3 - Focus Order
• The purpose of each link cannot be determined from the text alone.
  • 2.4.4 - Link Purpose (In Context)
• Visual information to identify user interface components, such as keyboard focus, do not always have a sufficient contrast ratio.
  • 2.4.7 - Focus Visible
• Some items open in a pop-up browser window without warning.
  • 3.2.2 - On Input
• Labels or instructions are not provided when content requires user input
  • 3.3.2 - Labels or Instructions
• The site is not fully compatible with screen readers and voice recognition software.
  • 4.1.1 - Parsing
• Screen readers are not able to identify some parts of the page.
  • 4.1.2 - Name, Role, Value

Unless specified otherwise, a complete solution, or significant improvement, will be in place for those items within our control by February 2024.

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

We are not currently claiming that there is any content outwith the scope of the accessibility regulations.

We will continue to address the accessibility issues highlighted, working with the suppliers, Gecko and LiveChat, either through delivery of a solution or suitable workaround. Unless specified otherwise, a complete solution or significant improvement will be in place for those items within our control by February 2024.

Whilst we are in the process of resolving these accessibility issues, or where we are unable, 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.

This statement was first prepared on 21st April 2021. It was last reviewed on 1st May 2023.

This website was first tested in April 2021, then again by Test Partners Ltd on behalf of Accommodation, Catering and Events in March 2022.The website was most recently tested during February 2023 by the University of Edinburgh Disability Information Team, based within Information Services Group.

All manual testing involved using the Mozilla Firefox (76.0.1), Microsoft Edge (91.0.864.59) and Google Chrome (96.0.4664.45) browsers. Internet Explorer is still commonly used by disabled people, due to its accessibility features and compatibility with assistive technology, as shown in a UK government survey: UK Government Assistive Technology Browser Survey.

As of June 2022, Edge is unsupported by Microsoft, whereby Edge is the intended replacement. However a more recent world-wide usage level survey suggests the other browsers are used more widely. In particular, when using a combination of different screen readers and browsers, Chrome has increased in popularity, and is now the favoured one in overall use: WebAIM: Screen Reader User Survey 2021.

We tested on a sample of pages we believed to be representative of the type of content across the site:

• Spellcheck functionality;
• Scaling using different resolutions and reflow;
• Options to customise the interface (magnification, font, background colour et. cetera);
• Keyboard navigation and keyboard traps;
• Data validation;
• Warning of links opening in a new tab or window;
• Information conveyed in colour or sound only;
• Flashing, moving or scrolling text;
• Operability if JavaScript is disabled;
• Use with screen reading software (JAWS; NVDA);
• Assistive software (TextHelp Read and Write, Windows Magnifer, ZoomText, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, TalkBack and VoiceOver);
• Tooltips and text alternatives for any non-text content;
• Time limits;
• Compatibility with mobile accessibility functionality (Android and iOS).

Change Log

• February 2023
  • Undertaken further manual accessibility testing, including with the particular forms of assistive technology, namely Job Access with Speech (JAWS), ZoomText Magnifier / Reader, TextHelp Read and Write Gold and Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
  • Embedded video content includes captions, which have been human-corrected.
• March 2022
  • Completed a new manual accessibility audit including testing with the main forms of assistive technology.
• December 2021
  • Continued phasing out usage of portable document format (PDF) files and replaced with webpages.
  • Missing alternative text resolved for more images in the media and asset library.
• September 2021
  • Continued usage of the Little Forest, Wave and Silktide accessibility tools to ensure any future content is more accessible.
  • Editorial change whereby any current or future videos will hold captions.