Accessibility statement for HREC Ethics RM system

1. How accessible this website is
2. Feedback and contact information
3. Reporting accessibility problems with TutorHome websites
4. Enforcement procedure
5. Contacting us
6. Technical information about Student Support websites’ accessibility
7. Compliance Status
8. Non accessible content
9. Disproportionate burden
10. Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
11. What we’re doing to improve accessibility
12. Preparation of this accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to the HREC Ethics RM system accessed via https://ethical-review-manager-forms.open.ac.uk/ (the application side of the system) and https://ethical-review-manager-admin.open.ac.uk/ (the review administration side of the system. The Open University contract with Infonetica, a third-party company, to provide our HREC Ethics RM website.

Note: some links in this statement are only available to OU students and staff with their OU login details. These are marked as "(Internal only)".

• Change colours, contrast levels and fonts.
• Resize text up to 200% without impact on the functionality of the website.
• Zoom in up to 400% without loss of information or functionality.
• Navigate the website using just a keyboard.
  • tab to ‘Skip to content’ links at the top of the page to jump over repetitive information to the main content.
  • tab through the content; the current location will be indicated by a clear visual change.
  • control the embedded media player to play audio and video materials.
• 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 and subheadings in the page and then jump to their location on the page.
  • bring up a list of meaningful links on the page.
• Use transcripts or closed captions with most audio and video materials.
• Download learning materials in alternative formats (e.g., Word document, PDF, ePub, Kindle eBook).
• 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 Systems 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 Accessibility 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.

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How accessible this website is 

We strive to exceed current accessibility standards. However, we know some elements of Open University websites are not fully accessible:

• Older legacy and archived material.
• Some third-party content not created by The Open University.
• Sites linked from Open University pages but not run by The Open University.
• Some activities (for example some of those involving maps, charts, graphs, online-experiments, interactive activities and features).
• Some content with specialised notations, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and music.
• Some content created in tutorials.
• Older PDFs and Word documents may not be fully accessible to screen reader software.
• The colour contrast for some text and some interface components (for example search boxes, check boxes) is not sufficient.
• Some online forms are not set up correctly to include helpful direction for screen reader users.

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.

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Feedback and contact information

If you find that a certain section of our website is not accessible and you can’t get access to the information that you need please use the Open University Accessibility Feedback Form to request support and we will ensure that you are provided with the information you require. You will need to provide your contact details and Personal Identifier 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Technical information about this website's accessibility

The Open University/Infonetica are committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

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Compliance Status

The HREC Ethics RM system is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 A & AA standards. There are few outstanding accessibility issues that need to be addressed by our team.

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Non accessible content

The vast majority of content elements on our websites are accessible. This has been confirmed by internal testing and auditing. This includes all pages on the forms side of the system except where a few specific elements within these pages are still partly non-accessible.

Below are the outstanding issues for compliance with WCAG standards for forms site:

1.3.1 Info and Relationships

Work Area Project Table & Notifications Page Table – These tables do not yet convey column headings to lower table data cells

Form Input Fields – Input fields within the form do not convey the question title to screen readers when the input field is focused

Radiobuttons and Checkboxes – Radiobutton and checkbox type questions do not provide an indication of the other options available when one of the options is focused

1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence

PDF Form Printouts – PDF versions of the form generated by the system do not have a correct read order for certain parts of the form.

Making pdf form printouts accessible is challenging and requires replacement of underlying technology. Resolution of this issue is deferred for future.

1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics

PDF Form Printout Radiobuttons and Checkboxes – Radiobuttons and checkboxes on PDF versions of the form do not convey which option is selected to screen readers

Making pdf form printouts accessible is challenging and requires replacement of underlying technology. Resolution of this issue is deferred for future.

1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)

Contrast Issues - The page footer, the green “0” on empty tiles and the placeholder text on input fields currently do not meet contrast requirements

1.4.11 Non-text Contrast

Various Interactive Elements – The following interactive elements do not have a distinct border between themselves and the page: sort controls on data tables, tiles, tab controls, notifications page slider, form radio buttons & checkboxes

2.1.1 Keyboard

PDF Printouts – Input elements on PDF printed forms cannot be focused when keyboard navigation to read the printout

Datepicker – Ethics RM’s datepicker cannot currently be interacted with via the keyboard

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)

Ethics RM Page Footer – The “Terms & Conditions” and “Privacy Policy” links in Ethics RM’s page footer open in a new tab, but this behaviour is not conveyed to screen readers

2.4.5 Multiple Ways

Site Map – Ethics RM does not currently have a site map or other alternate means to navigate the system.

4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

Notifications Page Filter – The slider control on the notifications page does not have the appropriate name, value and role

Form Navigation Buttons – The Next and Previous buttons on the form do not convey progress within the form

Commitment to fix above defects

Infonetica is committed to addressing accessibility issues and below are issues that are planned to be resolved in 2023:

• WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) – Several text elements and buttons in Ethics RM do not meet contrast requirements and need to be modified accordingly
• WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships – When navigating some tables within Ethics RM using a screen reader, proper context on the cell content is not given (specifically, column headings are not announced in some places)
• WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) – The Ethics RM Data Processor Privacy Policy link in the page footer does not indicate to screen readers that it opens in a new tab.

Following the resolution of issues relating to these three guidelines, Infonetica will conduct further audits and testing in line with our continuing commitment to making our software accessible. As part of this process, Infonetica will identify the most pressing accessibility issues in the system and start work on resolving those with an aim to meeting all WCAG 2.1 A & AA guidelines in future.

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Disproportionate burden 

We are not claiming Disproportionate Burden at this domain level. If there are any claims they will be declared within the specific statement for that subdomain.

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

The following types of content may not always be accessible, and they are not included within the scope of the accessibility regulation.

Video and audio

Wherever possible we provide transcripts for audio, and captions, audio descriptions and transcripts for video. Sometimes these alternatives are not available. Pre-recorded time-based media published before 23rd September 2020 is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Live audio and video

Adding captions to all live video streams is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.

Heritage collections

Reproductions of items in heritage collections are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations where they cannot be made accessible due to the unavailability of cost effective solutions to achieve this, or where making items accessible would impact negatively on the preservation of the item. 

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. We are working to ensure that any new PDFs or other documents that we publish will meet accessibility standards. 

Maps

Online maps and mapping services are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations. 

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. 

Intranets and extranets

Content of extranets and intranets that are only available for a closed group of people, and not to the general public, are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations if they were published before 23rd September 2019 and have not been substantially revised. 

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. Examples include old blogs and wikis that are no longer active.

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What we’re doing to improve accessibility

Infonetica

Infonetica has dedicated large development resources for over a year to improve accessibility of the system. We made significant changes to forms side website, which is used by applicants to access the system. We do not have accessibility report for the review side website, which is used by admins and reviewers to access the system. 

The Open University

As part of our Digital Governance Framework, The Open University has an approved Digital Accessibility standard which is available to all staff members. The standard sets WCAG 2.1 AA as a benchmark and aligns with our legal obligation under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. As part of the Digital Governance Framework, staff are provided with resources and guidance to ensure they are able to achieve this standard and are following best practice. 

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 AA. 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 digital accessibility and usability are embedded in the design and development process for developers and content creators. 

In addition, The Open University is undertaking a long-term project to roll out the use of the Siteimprove digital tool to monitor website quality, accessibility, and compliance across the public-facing parts of the web estate. Staff are offered training for how to use the automated outputs of the tool to identify defects and areas of development and integrate this into web estate management effectively. 

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 additional 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.

The Accessibility and Usability team runs a network of over 80 accessibility champions, who work as points of contact on accessibility queries within their respective departments. 

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 23 February 2023. It was last reviewed on 23 February 2023.

Infonetica regularly audits and tests Web Content Accessibility, and all new features are designed and developed to comply with WCAG version 2.1 A & AA standards.

Date of last audit/testing for Ethics RM system: 30/May/2022

Date of next audit/testing for Ethics RM system:  end of 2023  

Test methods included:

• Screen reader and/or keyboard navigation testing - use Ethics RM via Google Chrome with the NVDA screen reader, and testing of these features is conducted without use of the monitor where possible

• Technical conformance is assessed by referring to external accessibility audit documentation, in-house developer expertise and using the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool

• Colour contrasts are tested using TPGi’s CCA (Colour Contrast Analyser).

 

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