Website Accessibility Statement

Scope and ownership 

This accessibility statement applies to www.uos.ac.uk which is owned by the University of Suffolk. It is designed to be used by as many people as possible. The site should be clear and simple to understand. 

We have built our website so that:

• You can zoom in up to 300% on pages without the text spilling off the screen 
• It has responsive design viewable on a range of desktop and mobile devices 
• Pages have appropriate colour contrast 
• Pages use heading levels so assistive technologies like screen readers and browser plugins (like HeadingsMap for Chrome or Firefox)  can show you the page overview and let you skip to any section of the page.  
• Most images have text descriptions where appropriate 
• The site can be navigated using just a keyboard 
• You can listen to the website using a screen reader. Webpages are coded so screen reader users can quickly navigate between page regions using ARIA landmarks. 
• Videos are used across the site to provide additional information.  

AbilityNet and MyComputerMyWay have advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. 

How accessible this website is 

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible: 

• Pages do not have a ‘skip to content’ link
• Some focus indicators have insufficient contrast
• PDFs lack accessibility tags meaning the headings and structure are not accurately communicated to screen readers correctly. This also means they can’t be browsed via the Bookmark view in Adobe Reader. Images within these PDFs are also not marked with alternative text. 

Feedback and contact information  

If you are unable to access a certain part of this website or require something in a different format please email studentlife@uos.ac.uk 

In your email please include your contact details, the web address (URL) for the page you are trying to access and what information you were trying to get. 

Alternatively you can call 01473 338833 or visit the Student Centre in person at the Waterfront Building. 

Our Student Centre team will respond to you in the first instance and will be able to advise you on options and timeframes. 

Reporting accessibility problems with this website 

We actively seek to maximise the accessibility of our website so if you find barriers that we’ve not covered in this accessibility statement please inform us and we will add the issue to our improvement plans where appropriate. 

Please email any issues, comments or observations to studentlife@uos.ac.uk who will acknowledge your email within three working days and give an indication of the potential workarounds. In the email please provide your contact details, the web address (URL) of the page and details of the issue. 

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

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person 

Different people have different accessibility needs. You can contact us in a number of different ways: 

Phone: 01473 338833 
Email: studentlife@uos.ac.uk
Live Chat: www.uos.ac.uk 
In person: Student Centre, Ground Floor, Waterfront Building. 

Our buildings are accessible for wheelchair users and accessible parking (for permit holders only) is located behind the Waterfront Building, accessed via Coprolite Street. The closest accessible parking for visitors is at Duke Street Car Park. 

Technical information about this website’s accessibility 

The University of Suffolk 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 partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 - AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below. 

Non accessible content 

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons. We are actively working to fix these issues. 

Non compliance with the accessibility regulations 

• Pages do not have a ‘skip to content’ link - we are working with our website partner to resolve this issue by 31st October 2023
• Some focus indicators on the cookie control pop-up have insufficient contrast - we expect to resolve this issue by 31st October 2023

External Platforms

Click4Assistance chat widget 

The fields on the Click4Assistance chat widget have an incorrect tabbing order when controlled via the keyboard. There is also insufficient colour contrast when hovering over the ‘Start Conversation’ button. 

Disproportionate burden

We don't categorise any of the accessibility issues on www.uos.ac.uk as a disproportionate burden to fix within the meaning of the regulations.

Content not within the scope of the accessibility regulations 

The DiscoverUni widget on course pages is out of scope for universities' responsibilities under the 3rd party content exemption as it is neither funded nor developed by universities and they have no control to deliver technical fixes to it but must keep it on their website. Further information is provided at Make Things Accessible.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility 

The university has created training and reference resources for all website editors to ensure this is embedded into website content update and development processes. We use a web governance service, Little Forest to monitor our website and ongoing accessibility compliance.      

Preparation of this accessibility statement 

This statement was prepared on 18 September 2023.