Introduction
Purpose
Advance HE is committed to ensuring that its products and services are accessible to its external stakeholders and to creating an inclusive environment for all its stakeholders. To support with its commitment, Advance HE has developed the following Accessibility Roadmap (“the Roadmap”).
Advance HE is committed to ensuring digital accessibility and strives to continually improve the user experience for everyone by making its website and applications as accessible as possible, in line with the UK 2018 accessibility requirements for public sector bodies and conforming to Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.
The Roadmap has been developed to incorporate Advance HE’s entire digital service offering and to move to a more accessible offering, in line with the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) and Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Current Assessment
Advance HE has a variety of products and services that are offered on a number of platforms, some of which are offered by third-party suppliers.
In order to prepare the Roadmap, Advance HE has undertaken assessments on the current compliance levels of these platforms. These assessments have included internal evaluations, WCAG 2.2 and Customer feedback.
Overall, Advance HE recognises that there are a number of accessible as well as inaccessible areas present on its digital platforms; however there are significant work packages being undertaken to further enhance the accessibility properties of these platforms.
Advance HE recognises that its platforms and services are supported by third-party suppliers, which does impact on the ability to fully implement accessibility measures. Advance HE will work closely with their suppliers and ensure that accessibility becomes a priority where possible. In addition to this, the procurement process will contain supplier checks on their accessibility practices.
Advance HE is currently undertaking audits on a variety of its platforms, following the completion of this audits the current assessment will be updated.
Advance HE Website
Advance HE is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882).
The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and the exemptions listed within the Advance HE Website Accessibility Statement.
This website was last tested on 15 April 2024 against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. The website was tested using the following:
- Using only a keyboard (without the use of a touchpad, mouse, or touchscreen) to navigate and interact with the website
- Using screen readers such as Apple Voiceover
- Using the ReciteMe accessibility toolbar and Recite Me Accessibility Scanner
- Generic browser settings, such as font size and page zoom controls.
The testing was carried out by Advance HE in conjunction with web development supplier Creode.
Advance HE Portal
Advance HE has appointed an external audit firm to conduct an audit on its Portal platform. Following the completion of this audit, this Statement and subsequent Roadmaps will be updated in line with the findings, conformity statement and recommendations for improvement.
Advance HE Digital Learning Platform
Advance HE provides access to e-learning, online, and blended courses through the Digital Learn platform. Additionally, Advance HE provides the sale of Articulate Rise packages for institutions to deliver on their own learning platforms.
Moodle Workplace is hosted by Accipio and Advance HE has used the Moodle theme which is developed and maintained by Accipio , with support from a global network of over 80 certified Moodle Partners.
Moodle Workplace has been designed to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA. This reflects Advance HE’s commitment to making the platform as inclusive and user-friendly as possible. Advance HE has made reasonable efforts to ensure Moodle Workplace is as accessible as possible for its users.
This platform is partially compliant with the WCAG 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed in the Advance HE Digital Learning Accessibility Statement.
Advance HE recognises that not every part of the platform is currently meeting the highest accessibility standards. Advance HE will continue to work with Accipio to identify any improvement plans for the gaps in accessibility that may be present.
Advance HE Connect
Advance HE provides users with access to an online community platform, Connect, to allow them to share their own content and engage in discussions with other professionals in the Higher Education sector.
Connect has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard.
Connect is partially compliant with the WCAG 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed in the Advance HE Connect Accessibility Statement.
Advance HE recognises that not every part of Connect is currently meeting the highest accessibility standards. Advance HE will continue to work with HiveBrite to identify any improvement plans for the gaps in accessibility that may be present.
Accessibility Roadmap
Advance HE will prioritise ensuring that accessibility is at the forefront its journey of through the IT Strategy.
The following outlines the detailed plans for the Roadmap:
| Goals | Actions |
|---|---|
| Short Term (0 – 1 years) | Audits Conduct a Digital Accessibility audit on Digital Learning Moodle Platform Conduct an audit on Supply Chain and Procurement, incorporating accessibility requirements on third-party suppliers. Conduct a Digital Accessibility audit on Advance HE Portal. Plan Areas of Improvement Identify areas of improvements from the audit recommendations. Incorporate the area of improvements into this Roadmap, mapping over short-term, mid-term and long-term plans. Internal Training Select colleagues attend specific digital accessibility to conduct accessibility testing inhouse. Mandatory accessibility training to all staff to support production of accessible materials and content. Customer Feedback and Third-Party Suppliers Review current third-party suppliers to determine accessibility requirements. Liaise with Customers to identify End-User Feedback. Compliance Documentation Publish completed accessibility statements and conformity statements. New Peer Review and CMS Platforms Move Peer Review process on to Survey Monkey Apply, ensuring the new system incorporates additional accessibility measures. Move website to new CMS with enhanced accessibility. |
| Mid Term (1 – 3 years) | New Customer Portal / Records Platform Undertake move of Customer Portal and Customer Records Management system to enhance usability and further improve accessibility. Website Platform Review Conduct a review of the website and work with third-party to incorporate accessibility. Review Digital Learning courses Conduct full review on digital learning courses to ensure accessibility. Connect Platform Review Undertake move of the Connect platform to a user-friendly system to further improve accessibility and customer experience. Embed Accessibility into Procurement Processes Embed accessibility into the services offerings to further improve tenders application and providing an accessible service to Customers. Embed accessibility into the process of procuring third-party suppliers. Embed Accessibility in Online Publications New and edited publications will be accessible as far as possible. |
| Long Term (4 years plus) | Full Accessibility on Website Embed full accessibility as far as possible on all areas of the Advance HE website. Full Compliance with WCAG 2.2 Achieve full WCAG 2.2 AA compliance across all digital platforms and service offerings. Accessibility Embedded into Strategy Embed accessibility into Advance HE’s Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibilities. |
Monitoring and Improvement
It is key to note that the Roadmap is a live working document and may vary as Advance HE conducts its audits and processes through its improvement plans.
Advance HE will aim to keep this as up to date as possible to reflect the actual position of its accessibility. Advance HE will continue to monitor the improvement plans and undertake follow-up audits to establish their effectiveness.
Feedback
Advance HE encourages customers to provide feedback on their experience in using our digital platforms and services. Therefore, if a Customer has any feedback on of their experiences with using Advance HE platforms, services or products, they are encouraged to reach out via the below contact details:
- Website / Portal / Connect Platforms:
- Email: communications@advance-he.ac.uk
- Telephone: 03300 416201
- Enquiries Form: customer enquiry form
- Address: Advance HE IC 2.12 Innovation Centre, Innovation Way, York Science Park, York, YO10 5DG.
- Email: communications@advance-he.ac.uk
- Telephone: 03300 416201
- Enquiries Form: customer enquiry form
- Address: Advance HE IC 2.12 Innovation Centre, Innovation Way, York Science Park, York, YO10 5DG.
- Digital Learning Platforms:
- Email: digitaldevelopment.team@advance-he.ac.uk
- Address: Advance HE IC 2.12 Innovation Centre, Innovation Way, York Science Park, York, YO10 5DG.
- Email: digitaldevelopment.team@advance-he.ac.uk
- Address: Advance HE IC 2.12 Innovation Centre, Innovation Way, York Science Park, York, YO10 5DG.
Complaints Procedures
In the first instance, should a user have a complaint regarding how Advance HE has responded to their concerns and request, they can raise a complaint as per the Advance HE’s Complaints, Comments and Matters of Concern Policy by emailing the Compliance team on compliance@advance-he.ac.uk.
After the inhouse complaints procedure has concluded, and should the user continue to be unsatisfied with the service, they can raise their concerns to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) who is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). Users can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
For Northern Ireland users, they can raise their complaint with the Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland who are responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’) in Northern Ireland.
