This accessibility statement applies to all sites built using SpringShare’s LibApps suite including LibGuides (library.essex.ac.uk), LibCal (libcal.essex.ac.uk), LibAnswers (libans.essex.ac.uk and Live Chat), and Libwizard (essex.libwizard.com).
These websites are run by the University of Essex Library & Cultural Services. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand where possible.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
We know some parts of the website are not accessible:
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read or audio recording:
We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 3 working days.
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of these websites. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: libline@essex.ac.uk with the specific issues you are having and the Digital Systems and Services team will respond to your report.
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).
The University of Essex Library & Cultural Services team is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018).
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 in conformance with the AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below. You can also see the full list of the WCAG 2.1 on the W3 website.
The content below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
The website is generally compliant, but due to the number of web-authors, we cannot always guarantee that the content created is always compliant with the WCAG 2.1 to a AA standard. To improve this, we regularly train web authors on what elements they need to ensure work and also review our content annually.
Some common non-compliant elements may be:
Some images do not have a text alternative, stopping access to information for people using a screen reader . This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).
Some text may not have the correct ratio of contrast with its background, making it difficult to read. This fails the WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).
Some links may not hold a proper description or proper context, they may also not be unique within a page. This would cause those using screen readers and/or screen magnifiers trouble when knowing which link to use. This fails the WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context).
To the best of our knowledge, we have reduced the number, but with content being created and edited regularly, these may appear from time to time. If you find any of these, please report them in one of the ways suggested above.
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.
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. By September 2020, we plan to either fix or replace them with accessible versions.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 23 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services. For example, we do not currently plan to fix Special Collections content. If you need to access this content and cannot, please contact us and we can look into this specifically.
We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
Library & Cultural Services are committed to ensuring that web content is as accessible as possible for as many people as possible. All web authors undergo training on how to create accessible content and ensure that the material they produce follows as closely as possible to the government regulations.
As well as this, there is a Web Authors Group specifically set up to periodically review and provide support for staff to ensure our content meets the expected standards where possible. This group will review the website, and will respond and update when regulations change and when issues are found and reported.
We will also be working with SpringShare to ensure that, where possible, their system meets the standards expected by the government regulations.
Accessibility starts with our team and training. Our web-authors have received training on creating accessible content, and internally material will be created to help these web-authors and teaching new web-authors. The main priority with this is to ensure that our Web-authors team are confident in creating content that conforms with the WCAG 2.1
From a content side, we will be periodically reviewing a changing sample of pages (following the same principles explained below) to ensure that content that may have been missed can be updated and to ensure that new pages also reach the standards expected of us.
From a technical side, we will be working with SpringShare and the University of Essex to ensure that our systems can be used to the standard expected of us and to adapt to any changes made by SpringShare
From a user side, we will be communicating with you when you find parts of the website that do not conform to the standards expected. We will look to fix or find an alternative where possible and as soon as possible.
We will be prioritising content that fall under the Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations part of the statement, followed by Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations.
If you find content within either of these headings, we will prioritise where possible and try to get content that works for you.
This statement was prepared on 01/07/2020. It was last reviewed on 12/07/2023.
This website was last tested on 01/07/2020. The test was carried out by Adam Cowlin of the University of Essex Library Services Team.
When testing, we chose a sample of pages to cover a broad range of content and built our samples on the following principles:
