Accessibility Statement
Projects Website accessibility statement in line with Public Sector Body (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This accessibility statement applies to https://secure.projects.ed.ac.uk/.
This site is managed by the Project Services, which is part of the Information Services Group (ISG) 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:
- Zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen;
- Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard;
- Navigate most of the website using speech recognition software (for example, Dragon);
- Listen to most of the website using a screen reader (for example, JAWS);
- Experience no time limits on the site;
- Experience no moving or flashing or scrolling text.
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 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:
- Keyboard navigation could be clearer in informing users where they have reached on a page;
- Colour contrasts do not necessarily meet the recommended Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 AA standard;
- Not all non-text content holds a text alternative;
- Users will likely encounter pop-ups without warning;
- Some older PDFs and MS Office documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software, for example, links and attached documents on “Additional guidance and templates” section;
- There are new links via attachments open without warning users;
- The font is small in a few cases, for example, for the date when the article was published;
- Spell check is not enabled in certain cases, such as in some search fields or free-text boxes;
- Some parts of the website are not fully compatible with mobile accessibility functionality.
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:
- Email IS.Helpline@ed.ac.uk
- Call our Information Services Helpline +44 (0)131 651 5151
- British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via the on-line BSL interpreting service - Contact Scotland BSL
We will consider your request and get back to you within 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 are not meeting accessibility requirements, contact the Information Services Project Management Office (PMO):
- Email IS.Helpline@ed.ac.uk
- Call our Information Services Helpline +44 (0)131 651 5151
- British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via the on-line BSL interpreting service - Contact Scotland BSL
We will consider your request and get back to you within 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, 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
Contacting us by phone using British Sign Language
British Sign Language service
contactSCOTLAND-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.
contactSCOTLAND-BSL service details
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) 2.1 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.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- Not all non-text content presented to users has alternative text
- Not all PDFs and Word documents meet accessibility standards
- Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation cannot always be programmatically determined, for example, some headers are empty
o 1.3.1 - Info and Relationships
- Colour contrast is not always sufficient between font or graphics and background colours, especially where the text size is small
- It is not fully possible to customise all content using browser settings (AAA criteria)
o 1.4.8 Visual Presentation (AAA)
- ‘Skip to main content’ button is not available on every page of the website
- The purpose of each link is not always clear from the link text alone or links are empty
o 2.4.4 - Link Purpose (In Context)
- Some headings and labels are incorrect
- Visual information to identify user interface components, such as keyboard focus, do not always have a sufficient contrast ratio
- When a user is asked to rectify a data validation error, suggestions are not always consistent or are presented in a form of tooltips
o 3.1.1 - Error Identification
- Pop ups appear without the user being alerted
- Not all navigational mechanisms occur in the same order on every page
o 3.3.2 - Labels or Instructions
- Screen readers on mobile devices are not always able to interact with all sections of the website
Unless specified otherwise, a complete solution, or significant improvement, will be in place for those items within our control by October 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.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
As part of the accessibility audit, a list of follow-up actions has been compiled to address areas of non-compliance in the website. These action points will be added to our existing log of improvements and fixes that are reviewed on a regular basis. A project is underway to procure a replacement system by the end of 2024 where accessibility will be a priority. Until this time, we will prioritise improvements to the accessibility of the current platform where possible. As changes are made, we will continue to review accessibility and retest the accessibility of this website and update the accessibility statement.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 11th August 2020. It was last reviewed on 10th October 2023.
This website was last tested in June 2023. The test was carried out by the University of Edinburgh’s Applications department, using the browsers Mozilla Firefox (91.7.1esr), Microsoft Edge (99.0.1150.55), Google Chrome (99.0.4844.84), and Internet Explorer (IE) (19043.1586) for comparative purposes. 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
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
Automated testing, using the WAVE Evaluation Tool extension on Google Chrome browser, was also undertaken to supplement the findings.
We tested:
- 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 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 (for example, JAWS);
- Assistive software (TextHelp Read and Write, Windows Magnifier, 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).