Web accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities. A disability might affect vision, manual dexterity, cognition or reading. It might be permanent, but anyone can be temporarily or situationally disabled.
The accessibility regulations came into force on September 2018. They are called The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018. The Equality Act (2010) already protects disabled students from discrimination. The latest regulation implements the EU directive on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies into UK law.
This makes explicit the need for digital materials from public bodies to be accessible. University teaching, learning and research platforms are included as part of the directive.
All university platforms and services must publish an accessibility statement from:
- New websites published after 23 September 2018: 23 September 2019
- Existing websites: 23 September 2020
- Mobile apps: 23 June 2021
There are exemptions and different deadlines apply to some content types, such as intranets, archives and pre-recorded media published before 23 September 2020.
For websites, statements should be published as an HTML page and added to a footer or other prominent part of the page.
To find out how to access accessibility software to support your studies contact the Inclusive Support Service at inclusivesupport@brookes.ac.uk
Contact the web team for anything web related at webdev@brookes.ac.uk