SITE DOCUMENTATION

Accessibility statement for www1.essex.ac.uk

Accessibility

This statement applies to the website www1.essex.ac.uk and associated applications found on www1.essex.ac.uk listed below.

This website is run by the University of Essex. We want as many people as possible to be able to use our website and we’re committed to providing an accessible web presence, by making the information and resources we provide accessible to all web users.

We aim to achieve the recommended government standard for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and follow general principles of usability, which should help all visitors to our website. 

The University of Essex intends to continue improving our accessibility and we are working towards improving our digital services. By taking this approach we hope to make our site as inclusive as possible.

Making changes to your operating system

Please find advice from AbilityNet, showing users how to make full use of accessibility settings in browsers and operating systems.

To find more information please see an overview of the Web Accessibility Initiative.

This accessibility statement applies to this website, www1.essex.ac.uk and associated applications found on www1.essex.ac.uk

How accessible is this website/s?

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

  • you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
  • most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • live video streams do not have captions
  • some of our videos do not have captions
  • some of our online forms can difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
  • some of our pages can be difficult to navigate with a screen reader
  • not all of our images have alternative text added to them
  • on some pages our headings are not nested correctly.

If you need information on this website/s in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

  • email - wedm@essex.ac.uk
  • call +44 (0)1206 873333
  • Web Editing and Digital Media Team, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 10 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website/s

We’re 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, contact the University Web Editing and Digital Media Team: wedm@essex.ac.uk

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).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Information on how to contact the University can be found on our contact us webpages. Alternatively, information on visiting us in person can be found on each of our three campus pages:

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The University of Essex is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

 

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

Module Directory, Programme Specifications

Section grouping:

Non-accessible content

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • On some pages we are missing a page region. This means it only visually looks different, so screen readers cannot tell the region or mark-up of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We plan to ensure all of our pages have correctly marked up regions by October 2023.
  • On some pages our labels are orphaned meaning it is hard for assisted technologies to know what that label relates to. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.2 (Meaningful sequence) We plan to ensure all of our pages have no orphaned labels by October 2025.
  • Some of our labels are orphaned, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure to add labels aren’t orphaned.
  • On most of our pages we use too small text in white on a pink background. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • On all of the pages the contrast between our logo and the background is insufficient. Which can make it tricky for someone to see clearly. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.11 (Non-text contrast). We plan to fix this by December 2025.
  • On some of our pages, accordion show/hides can’t be opened when tabbing / using arrow keys alone, meaning that for some people who rely upon a keyboard to navigate they can’t open content up easily. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.1.2 (No Keyboard Traps). We plan to address this by December 2025.
  • On a number of our pages, we have no specified certain regions, meaning it can be tricky for assisted technologies to know where about on the page they might be. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • For some of our pages, the accordions we have used to show content cannot be opened using tabs and arrow keys alone. This means it is hard for people to access our content when they rely upon a keyboard to navigate. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order) We plan to address this by December 2025.
  • In the footer on our website our links do not have a link text, which means it is difficult for assisted technologies to know what the purpose of the link is for. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when adding new links we’ll make sure to add appropriate link text.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • On some of our labels the label used doesn’t match the programmatically used name so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • Some of our form elements are not grouped with a field-set to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together by October 2025.
  • When users return ‘no results’ whilst searching for modules, our error response is too vague. We need to ensure that we also provide guidance for a user to know how to make sure in future they return results. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 3.3.3 (Error Suggestion). We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that we provide much clearer guidance for our users.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

Request a password, Set up your passphrase, and Get your IT Account

Section grouping:

Non-accessible content

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • Some of our labels are orphaned, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels aren’t orphaned.
  • Our social media icons haven’t got descriptive text, so it is not possible for those using assisted technologies to recognise their purpose. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text). We aim to ensure all our images have a descriptive text associated with them by October 2025. When we publish new images, we’ll make sure to include descriptive text with them
  • On some of our pages the option to skip is broken. This makes it tricky for assisted technologies to navigate round the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • Occasionally we have accidentally added an empty link on to some of our pages. This means assisted technologies might indicate a link is present when it fact is not. This can be confusing for the user. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, we’ll make sure to only add valid links.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • On some of our labels we haven’t used the name attribute to clearly indicate a label item. This means it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On a number of our pages we fail to indicate that the whole page is in the same language. This can make it confusing for users who may not realise this. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success criterion 3.1.2 (Language of parts). We aim to ensure this is fixed by October 2025.
  • Some of our form elements are not grouped with a field-set to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

Staff profile builder, Learning events for staff, and Clearing application form

Section grouping:

Non-accessible content

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • On some occasions we have used a button but we have missed certain attributes to describe it for people using assisted technologies This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • Some images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add text alternatives for all images by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.
  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • We have missed a heading level on some pages, so people using a screen reader can find navigating our content confusing. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to add address this by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add headings appropriately to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • Some of our labels are orphaned, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels aren’t orphaned.
  • On most of our pages we use too small text in white on a pink background. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • Our social media icons haven’t got descriptive text, so it is not possible for those using assisted technologies to recognise their purpose. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text). We aim to ensure all our images have a descriptive text associated with them by October 2025. When we publish new images, we’ll make sure to include descriptive text with them
  • On some of our pages the option to skip is broken. This makes it tricky for assisted technologies to navigate round the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • Occasionally we have accidentally added an empty link on to some of our pages. This means assisted technologies might indicate a link is present when it fact is not. This can be confusing for the user. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, we’ll make sure to only add valid links.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • On some of our pages the headings have been added in the wrong sequence, meaning it can be confusing for people that use assisted technologies to navigate through the page appropriately. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add headings in the correct sequence
  • On some of our labels the label used doesn’t match the programmatically used name so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • On a number of our pages we fail to indicate that the whole page is in the same language. This can make it confusing for users who may not realise this. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success criterion 3.1.2 (Language of parts). We aim to ensure this is fixed by October 2025.
  • Some of our form elements are not grouped with a field-set to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

MyEssex

Section grouping:

  • My Essex - https://www1.essex.ac.uk/myessex
  • Languages For All (student-facing form in My Essex)
  • Extenuating Circumstances (student-facing form in My Essex)
  • Work-based Learning Claim Form (student-facing form in My Essex)

Non-accessible content

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • We’ve used tables to set out our form so you can’t easily navigate through it using different devices. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to ensure our pages properly adapt on different devices by December 2025. In future when publishing any new applications on our website we’ll make sure to use proper adaptive technologies.
  • We’ve missed heading levels on our pages so it is not clear how the page is broken up. This can be confusing for people who use assisted technologies. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to ensure this is addressed by December 2025.
  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to add labels for all our forms by December 2025.. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • The header for the pages is stored within a div container, meaning it can’t easily be read by assisted technologies. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan correct this December 2025.
  • On some pages we are missing a page region. This means it only visually looks different, so screen readers cannot tell the region or mark-up of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We plan to ensure all of our pages have correctly marked up regions by December 2025.
  • This section of our website relies on solely using landscape orientation. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.4 (Orientation). We plan to ensure our pages properly adapt on different devices by December 2025. In future when publishing any new applications on our website we’ll make sure to use proper adaptive technologies.
  • Most of our input fields do not have a corresponding label, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025.
  • On most of our pages the contrast we have used is not strong enough. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • Many of our tables have a fixed width, which means you sometimes need to use a horizontal scroll to access all the information. This can make it difficult to see everything on our pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow). We plan to fix this by December 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • Our system limits the ways in which people can access it by access only being able if you have the URL. This means users can access the site how they wish, or how best serves them. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.5 (Multiple ways). We plan to ensure this is addressed by October 2025.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • On some of our labels the label used doesn’t match the programmatically used name so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On a number of our pages we fail to indicate that the whole page is in the same language. This can make it confusing for users who may not realise this. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success criterion 3.1.2 (Language of parts). We aim to ensure this is fixed by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • We do not provide a consistent error warning throughout this section of the website, which means it can be hard for people to determine when an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 3.2.4 (Consistent Identification). We plan to ensure this is addressed by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to use an consistent error message throughout
  • Some of our form input elements do not contain labels to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions). We aim to ensure all our form elements that require labels have them by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.

Module enrolment and Online registration

Non-accessible content

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • Some of our labels are orphaned, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels aren’t orphaned.
  • On most of our pages we use to small text in white on a pink background. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • Our social media icons haven’t got descriptive text, so it is not possible for those using assisted technologies to recognise their purpose. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.4.5 (Images of Text). We aim to ensure all our images have a descriptive text associated with them by October 2025. When we publish new images, we’ll make sure to include descriptive text with them
  • On some occasions we have code that implies there is a link, but no link has been added. This can be confusing for user. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when adding new links, we’ll make sure they are added appropriately.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • On some of our labels the label used doesn’t match the programmatically used name so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On a number of our pages we fail to indicate that the whole page is in the same language. This can make it confusing for users who may not realise this. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success criterion 3.1.2 (Language of parts). We aim to ensure this is fixed by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • Some of our form elements are missing form labels which makes it harder for users to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together with no missing labels by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

Direct admissions form, Postgraduate application form

Non-compliance areas:

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • We haven’t included a heading 1 on our forms so this can be very confusing for users to know what the form is about. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add a Heading 1 to the forms by October 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure to always add heading 1s to the page.
  • We’ve used tables to set out our form so you can’t easily navigate through it using different devices. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.2 (Meaningful sequence).. We plan to ensure our pages properly adapt on different devices by December 2025. In future when publishing any new applications on our website we’ll make sure to use proper adaptive technologies.
  • On some pages our labels are orphaned meaning it is hard for assisted technologies to know what that label relates to. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.2 (Meaningful sequence). We plan to ensure all of our pages have no orphaned labels by October 2025.
  • Some of our labels are orphaned, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure to add labels aren’t orphaned.
  • On our forms we use colour only to indicate the certain fields need to be completed. For users who do not recognise colour differences this can make it difficult to navigate the form. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Colour).We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On most of our pages the contrast we have used is not strong enough. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • It is not always possible to resize text to view it on a portrait focused device such as a mobile. As such a user needs to scroll horizontally and this can be problematic. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 (resize text). We aim to ensure this is addressed by December 2025.
  • Our page has a fixed width, which means you sometimes need to use a horizontal scroll to access all the information. This can make it difficult to see everything on our pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow). We plan to fix this by December 2025
  • Our helper tooltip fails, so users haven’t got on-page advice to guide them through their usage. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.13 (Content on Hover or Focus). We aim to ensure all our tooltips work properly by December 2025.
  • On some of our pages, it is hard to navigate using a keyboard so users that rely on this can’t open content up easily. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.1.2 (No Keyboard Traps). We plan to address this by December 2025.
  • Some of our pages can be hard to navigate through using a keyboard, and we do not use character key shortcuts or tabs so users can’t always navigate on their keyboard easily. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.4 (Character Key Shortcuts). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • Once a user makes a selection, the resulting choice isn’t accessible via a keyboard, which makes it difficult for users that rely upon a keyboard to access content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order) We plan to address this by December 2025.
  • At times it is not always clear what the purpose of some of our links are. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when adding new links we’ll make sure to add appropriate link text so it is clear.
  • Our system limits the ways in which people can access it by access only being able if you have the URL. This means users can’t access the site how they wish, or how best serves them. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.5 (Multiple ways). We plan to ensure this is addressed by October 2025.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • Sometimes, we use colour backgrounds on certain text boxes which overrides the visible focus attribute. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.7 (Focus visible). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some of our labels the label used doesn’t match the programmatically used name so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • Some of our form elements are not grouped with a field-set or include label attributes to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

Exam results

Non-compliance areas

  • On some pages we are missing a page region. This means it only visually looks different, so screen readers cannot tell the region or mark-up of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We plan to ensure all of our pages have correctly marked up regions by December 2025.
  • Some of our radio buttons need marking up in a fieldset with a group description. Not having this can make it hard to navigate through forms with some assisted technologies. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). We plan to ensure all of our pages have correctly marked up regions and markup by December 2025.
  • We need to add autocomplete for our date fields to make it easier for a user to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We will address this by October 2025.
  • On most of our pages the contrast we have used is not strong enough. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • Some of our pages can be hard to navigate through, and we do not use character key shortcuts so users can’t always navigate on their keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.4 (Character Key Shortcuts). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • On a number of our pages, we have no specified certain regions, meaning it can be tricky for assisted technologies to know where about on the page they might be. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • We need to ensure all our radio buttons are grouped into a fieldset so it is easy for users with assisted technologies to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels and fieldsets.
  • On some of our pages we are missing labels, so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • Some of our form elements are not grouped with a field-set to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone

Applicant portal 

Non-compliance areas:

  • Some of our videos do not have appropriate alternative text, such as captions, viewing the video may be unable to follow the content easily. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add captions to all of our videos by December 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add captions from now on.
  • We’ve used tables to set out page so you can’t easily navigate through it using different devices. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to ensure our pages properly adapt on different devices by December 2025. In future when publishing any new applications on our website we’ll make sure to use proper adaptive technologies.
  • Most of our input fields do not have a corresponding label, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025.
  • On most of our pages the contrast we have used is not strong enough. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set incorrectly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • On some of our labels the label used doesn’t match the programmatically used name so it can be confusing for people using assisted technologies to know what the label is. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • On some occasions we haven’t added a label to our input tags, which can make it hard for a user to know what the purpose of the content is. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) 3.3.2 (Labels or instructions). We plan to address all form issues, and ensure elements of a similar nature are grouped together by October 2025.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

Committee information, Delegated groups  

Non-accessible areas:

  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • Some of our forms are missing their labels, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure to add labels to our forms to meet accessibility standards.
  • We’ve missed heading levels on our pages so it is not clear how the page is broken up. This can be confusing for people who use assisted technologies. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and relationships). We plan to ensure this is addressed by October 2025.
  • Most of our input fields do not have a corresponding label, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.5 (Identity Input Purpose). We plan to add labels for all our forms by October 2025.
  • On most of our pages the contrast we have used between the text and it’s background is not strong enough. This can make it hard to see for some people. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum). We plan to fix this by October 2025.
  • On a number of our pages, we have code on the page implying a heading is there but no heading has been added. This can make it confusing for people when using assisted technologies as they expect a heading to be present. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks). We plan to address this by October 2025.
  • On some web pages our page titles are set correctly so they do not clearly outline the purpose of the page. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled). We plan to address this October 2025. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure pages are title correctly.
  • Occasionally we have accidentally added an empty link on to some of our pages. This means assisted technologies might indicate a link is present when in fact it is not. This can be confusing for the user. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, we’ll make sure to only add valid links.
  • Occasionally, we have added content and missed labels or headings on the page, making it hard for assisted technologies to navigate through content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, when we publish new content we’ll make sure to add appropriate labels.
  • Some of our form input elements do not contain labels to make them easier to navigate through. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions). We aim to ensure all our form elements that require labels have them by October 2025.
  • Sometimes we have used malformed HTML, meaning that users, who use assistive technologies might not be able to accurately interpret and parse content. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.1 (Parsing) We plan to address this by October 2025 and ensure that all our content can be correctly parsed.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

internal.essex.ac.uk

non-accessible areas:

  • Occasionally we have accidentally added an empty link on to some of our pages. This means assisted technologies might indicate a link is present when it fact is not. This can be confusing for the user. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). We plan to address this by October 2025. In future, we’ll make sure to only add valid links.
  • On some of our pages the language has not be set. This makes it difficult for some assisted technologies to know how to pronounce words or know what language the website is in. This fails success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page). We plan to ensure every web page has its language set by October 2025.
  • When using error messages sometimes it isn’t clear for assisted technologies that an error has occurred. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). We need to use role=error attribute for all our error messages. We plan to address this by October 2025 and make sure our error messages are helpful for everyone.

East 15 application form

Our statement for www1.essex.ac.uk/e15apply can be found on East 15's website

Disproportionate burden

We currently have no items we would classify as disproportionate burden. This may change as regulations and content changes, or if items are discovered that we would classify under this heading.

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

PDFs and other documents

Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word documents. By September 2025, we plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

Live video

We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 17 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 18 January 2024.

This website was last tested on 20 September 2020. The test was carried out by the University's Web Development Team.

We use a third-party company Siteimprove to continually monitor our website and highlight accessibility issues. Siteimprove's method and policy can be found on their website.

Additional Accessibility statements on the University of Essex online infrastructure

Other web accessibility statements have also been prepared. This can be found through our accessibility statements hub