This accessibility statement applies to OU Digital Archive (OUDA) accessed via https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/
The Open University’s web presence consists of several million individual pages across numerous websites. We want as many people as possible to be able to use our websites, and accessibility is an essential part of our mission. To adapt the content to your needs or preferences in most cases you should be able to:
- Change colours, contrasts 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, or the need to scroll in more than one direction.
- Navigate the website using just a keyboard.
- control the embedded media player to play audio and video materials.
- Use a screen reader (e.g. 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.
For additional accessibility 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 but excluding the websites covered within the Learning Systems statement, students should read the Student Support Accessibility Statement
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.
- 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) does not provide enough contrast.
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 our website is not accessible and you can’t get access to the information that you need please use this 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 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 OU 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 this accessible Accessibility support and 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 use this Accessibility support and feedback form.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The Open University 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 fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.
Disproportionate burden
We are not claiming Disproportionate Burden in relation to this website.
Content not within the scope of the accessibility regulation
The following aspects of OU Digital Archive are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations:
- Pre-recorded audio and video published before 23 September 2020
- Live audio and video
- PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018
- Reproductions of items in heritage collections that cannot be made fully accessible because of either—
- (i) The incompatibility of the accessibility requirement with either the preservation of the item concerned or the authenticity of the reproduction; or
- (ii) The unavailability of automated and cost-efficient solutions that would easily extract the text of manuscripts or other items in heritage collections and transform it into content compatible with the accessibility requirement;
The archive content held within the OU Digital Archive may not always be accessible to all users. For example, video and audio may not have accompanying captions and transcripts. The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 do not apply to reproductions of items in heritage collections that cannot be made fully 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. Wherever possible we will try to make inaccessible content items available in an accessible format on request. If you are need assistance with inaccessible content, please use the Accessibility support and feedback form, letting us know which content you would like to access and details of the accessibility issue.
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 11th September 2020. It was last reviewed on 16th September 2022. The tests were carried out by Library Services.
We used this approach to decide on a sample of pages to test: the pages were chosen as they are representative of the different types of content that make up this site.
