Accessibility Statement

The Open University is committed to making its websites and mobile applications accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This accessibility statement applies to the Alumni website. The Alumni website is a third-party website for hosting information and resources for OU alumni and other interested audiences.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use our websites and mobile apps, and accessibility is an essential part of our mission. On our Accessibility hub, you'll find everything you need to answer any questions you have about accessibility, whether you're a student or a member of staff.
To adapt the content to your needs or preferences 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. 

  • 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).

  • 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.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and the exemptions listed below.


Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):

 

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations


External websites

The Open University Alumni site provides links to external websites that may not meet accessibility standards.

Images

Most images which convey meaning do not have an informative text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1: Non-text Content (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2024. 

Some purely decorative images (e.g., stock images) need to be marked as decorative within the code so that screen reader technology can simply ignore these images. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1 and will be resolved by the end of December 2024.

 

Links

Some link text does not provide enough information about the destination of the link. This makes it difficult for people using a screen reader to know where the link will take them, particularly if they are reading links out of context, (e.g., in a list of links). This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2024.
Some images which are also links do not have alternative text that describes the destination of the link. This means that screen reader software cannot use the alternative text to present a meaningful link title to users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2024.

 

Colour contrast

Some text does not provide enough contrast with the background, making it more difficult to read. For example, the contrast between foreground and background (turquoise) does not meet minimum contrast ratio thresholds. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of September 2024.

 

Navigating with the keyboard and screen readers

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 2.2 success criterion 2.4.7: Focus Visible (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of December 2024

 

Forms

Some forms do not have clear labels linked to input areas that are used by screen readers to provide information about how to complete the form. This makes it difficult for people using a screen reader to complete the form. For example, on the Your Stories page, no label is provided for the filter boxes. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2024.

 

PDF and Word documents

Some of our older PDFs may not provide the information required by assistive technology. We are striving to make older documents accessible and ensuring new PDFs and Word documents published after September 2018 meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standards. We are working together, as a university, to better manage the PDFs we produce and ensure that staff members are being given the right guidance to produce PDFs which are accessible and useable. This issue will be resolved by the end of December 2024.

 

The content is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations.

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.

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.

 

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 02 July 2024.

This statement was last reviewed on 13 September 2024.

The Open University Alumni website was tested June 2024. The tests were carried out by the Development Office, Operations Team at the Open University. Each page was tested against all of the WCAG 2.2 AA criteria using a combination of manual and automated test methods. Test methods included:

  • Keyboard-only testing
  • Axe DevTools for Web CLI extension for Chrome and Edge
  • Links with Axe DevTools Automated Checker
  • Siteimprove browser extension for Chrome
  • Color Contrast Analyser Tool from the Paciello Group
  • Validating code using the W3C Validator tool.
  • Language using W3C Check Language.

This testing will continue to be carried out to ensure The Open University Alumni website is constantly monitored and improving accessibility.

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.
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. 

Enforcement procedure

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 based in the UK, and you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).