Accessibility Statement for MyShowcase
- How accessible this website is
- Feedback and contact information
- Reporting accessibility problems with this website
- Enforcement procedure
- Contacting us
- Technical information about this website's accessibility
- Compliance Status
- Non accessible content
- Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- Disproportionate burden
- Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
- What we’re doing to improve accessibility
- Preparation of this accessibility statement
This accessibility statement applies to the MyShowcase website.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website, and accessibility is an essential part of The Open University’s mission. To adapt the content to your needs or preferences in most cases you should be able to:
- Change colours, contrast levels and fonts.
- Resize text up to 200% using browser zoom settings.
- Navigate the website using just a keyboard:
- tab through the interactive content (e.g. links, buttons).
- activate links, buttons and other interactive elements using keyboard commands.
- Use a screen reader (e.g. JAWs, NVDA) to:
- listen to the content of web pages and use any functionality on the page.
- list the headings in the page and then jump to their location on the page.
- bring up a list of meaningful links on the page.
If you have a print disability we provide SensusAccess to students, which is an automated service that converts files from one format to another, for example, PDF to text, audio, Word or Braille.
AbilityNet also provides advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
For additional accessibility information for websites associated with teaching and learning, students should read the Learning Accessibility Statement (you will be required to sign in using an Open University student or staff account to read this statement). If any module-specific accessibility-related guidance is needed beyond the Learning Systems statement, you will find this in the Accessibility Guide on your module website.
For additional accessibility information about Student Support sites (including StudentHome, the Help Centre, Student Policy and Regulations) and other sites designed to support students you should read the Student Support Accessibility Statement.
How accessible this website is
We’re aware that some elements of this website are not fully accessible, and we are working with the 3rd party supplier of this application to resolve the accessibility issues:
- Some online forms are not set up correctly to include helpful direction for screen reader users.
- Some parts of the site do not work well with the keyboard alone (no mouse).
- Some important content is obscured or truncated when using different methods to enlarge content.
- There are some colour contrast issues with links and buttons which make it more difficult to read the text.
We aim to provide accessible alternative content or activities where we can. For more information please visit What Support is Available and for more guidance please visit Studying on a Screen.
Feedback and contact information
If you find that a certain section of this website is not accessible and you can’t get access to the information that you need please use the Open University Accessibility Feedback Form and we will ensure that you are provided with the information you require. You will need to provide your contact details and PI if you are a student so we can get back to you. You should expect to hear back from us within 5 working days.
The Open University is very experienced in meeting accessibility needs for our students. In many cases we are able to provide module and other study support materials in alternative formats for students who indicate a need for this when completing a Disability Support Form.
In addition, some module materials are available in different formats and can be downloaded from module websites. Students can contact their Student Support Team for advice.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our websites. If you find a problem that isn’t already listed on this page, or you think we’re not meeting the requirements of the current accessibility regulations (Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018), please use the Open University Accessibility Feedback Form which is monitored daily.
We will ask you for the web address (URL) of the page and a description of the problem. We will also ask for your name and email address so that we can contact you about your feedback. You should expect to hear back from us within 5 working days.
Enforcement procedure
If you are a student, or someone who has had contact with the University before, and have a complaint about the accessibility of our websites, you should raise a complaint via the complaints and appeals process.
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 are not happy with our response and all our procedures have been exhausted, please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS). If you are based in Northern Ireland you can contact the Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI).
If you are neither a student, nor someone who has had contact with the University before and have a complaint about the accessibility of our website, you should go directly to the EASS.
Contacting us
If you wish to contact us about anything not covered above, please visit our Contact Page where we have a comprehensive list of services to suit your specific enquiry and requirements.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The Open University is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance Status
The MyShowcase website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.
Non accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Colour contrast
Some webpage text, and some text within links and buttons, does not provide enough contrast with the background, making it more difficult to read. This is specifically within the Tasks area. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.3 (Contrast). This will be resolved by June 2024.
Navigating with the keyboard
Some interactive elements on the page such as links and buttons do not have a clear outline to show when they are in focus. This means that someone who is using the keyboard tab key to access these elements cannot be clear when a link or other element is in focus and can be activated. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.4.7 (Focus Visible). This will be resolved by June 2024.
Invalid HTML
Some pages include invalid HTML code which may present issues for assistive technology. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.1 (Parsing). This will be resolved by June 2024.
Notifications
Some of the notifications sent out by the system are currently incompatible with screen reader usage. This will be resolved by June 2024.
The Open University is working hard with the 3rd party supplier of this application to address all of the above issues.
Disproportionate burden
We are not claiming Disproportionate Burden for this website.
Content not within the scope of the accessibility regulation
The following types of content may not always be accessible, and they are not included within the scope of the accessibility regulation.
PDFs and other documents
PDFs or other documents that are not essential to providing our services and were published before 23rd September 2018 are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations, and therefore we do not have plans to fix these. We are working to ensure that any new PDFs or other documents that we publish will meet accessibility standards.
Third party content not within OU control
Third party content that is not funded, developed by, or under the control of the OU is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
Archived websites
Websites and mobile applications that only contain content that is not needed for active administration purposes and is not updated or edited after 23rd September 2019 are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations. We do not have plans to make this content accessible. Examples include old blogs and wikis that are no longer active.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
As we build new websites and digital services, we strive to ensure that they are accessible and comply with the current legislation. We also review and audit older sites to identify what changes we need to make to improve accessibility.
The Open University website development process has stages that test the usability and accessibility of new and updated platforms, activities and services against WCAG 2.1. As well as working with external consultants, an internal Accessibility and Usability Evaluation team helps to offer guidance in this area and to ensure that accessibility and usability are embedded in the design and development process for developers and content creators.
These activities ensure that we are meeting and responding to the changing digital requirements of our students and users as well as developing and delivering systems and websites which are as accessible and usable as possible.
The Open University is committed to accessibility and demonstrates this in a number of different ways:
The Securing Greater Accessibility team (SeGA) was set up in 2010 as a university-wide initiative to promote accessibility and inclusive practice and support students and staff. SeGA offers training and guidance in accessibility in teaching and learning and oversees forums and activities for a wider community of practice and research. SeGA also runs a network of over 50 accessibility champions and coordinators, who work as points of contact on accessibility queries within their respective academic areas.
Staff at the Open University are offered on-demand accessibility training in a variety of topics to support them to carry out their roles. This will be complemented in the future by the introduction of bespoke, mandatory training in accessibility for all staff to complete in order to further embed accessibility good practice.
The Open University Library provides wide-ranging support to students with disabilities and specific requirements. As well as working with students directly to offer guidance in accessible resources, the Open University Library staff work with publishers to help improve the accessibility of their products.
The Open University aims to make studying as accessible as possible and a range of adjustments and support are available. A well-established disability support team provides guidance for students and arranges for students to have support when accessing digital content online or alternatively, access to a variety of formats. A wealth of resources for information and guidance in enabling students to study as effectively as possible in the digital environment are available via the help centre.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 17th September 2021. It was last reviewed on 25th January 2024.
The MyShowcase website was tested in April 2021 and re-tested in September 2021. The tests were carried out by Open University staff from the Accessibility and Usability Evaluation team. Sample pages from the website were chosen to be representative of different types of content and layout and included the most commonly used aspects of the system. Testing for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance was undertaken by a combination of manual and automated methods. In addition, 7 important user tasks were identified, and these were tested using 3 accessibility scenarios (keyboard-only user, screen reader user, user enlarging content by 200%) to identify barriers. The team will continue to assess the MyShowcase website and act upon any issues of non-compliance or feedback from users in order to ensure that the Open University is constantly monitoring and improving accessibility.
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