Accessibility
Accessibility statement for the University of Edinburgh Online Exhibitions Website
Website accessibility statement inline with Public Sector Body (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018
This accessibility statement applies to:
This website is run by Library and University Collections, Information Services Group at the University of Edinburgh. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this application. For example, that means you should be able to:
- Customise most of the colours and font size using browser settings.
- Magnify up to 400% without content loss, overlapping or spilling over.
- Navigate the website using just a keyboard.
- Experience no time limits when using the site.
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
Customising the website
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. This is an external site with suggestions to make your computer more accessible:
AbilityNet - My Computer My Way
With a few simple steps you can customise the appearance of our website using your browser settings to make it easier to read and navigate:
Additional information on how to customise our website appearance
If you are a member of University staff or a student, you can use the free SensusAccess accessible document conversion service:
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- There are some areas where the colour contrast could be improved.
- Some non-text content does not have descriptive alt text.
- All links do not necessarily have meaningful hypertext.
- Some content moves and the end user cannot stop this.
- Some links open in a new tab/window without warning.
- Where a user has tabbed to by keyboard is not clear.
- There is no skip to main content option when tabbing by keyboard.
- Some audio/visual content does not have text transcription, human corrected captions, and audio description.
- Assistive software such as voice recognition and screen readers are not fully compatible with the website.
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format, including accessible PDF, large print, audio recording or braille:
- Email: Information.systems@ed.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)131 651 5151
- Use the IS Helpline online contact form
- British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via Contact Scotland BSL, the on-line BSL interpreting service
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:
- Email: Information.systems@ed.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)131 651 5151
- Use the IS Helpline online contact form
- British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via Contact Scotland BSL, the on-line BSL interpreting service.
We will consider your request and get back to you in 5 working days.
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 please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) directly:
Contact details for the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)
The government has produced information on how to report accessibility issues:
Reporting an accessibility problem on a public sector website
Contacting us by phone using British Sign Language
British Sign Language service
Contact Scotland BSL runs a service for British Sign Language users and all of Scotland’s public bodies using video relay. This enables sign language users to contact public bodies and vice versa. The service operates from 8.00am to 12.00am, 7 days a week.
Contact Scotland BSL service details.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The University of Edinburgh is committed to making its websites and applications 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 (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
The full guidelines are available at:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard
Non accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Noncompliance with the accessibility regulations
The following items do not comply with the WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria:
- Some non-text content does not have appropriate alternative text and some ARIA progress bar nodes do not have an accessible name
- Some audio/visual content does not have text transcription, human corrected captions, and audio description
1.2.1 - Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
1.2.2 - Captions (Prerecorded)
1.2.3 - Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
- There may not be sufficient colour contrast between font and background colours, especially where the text size is small
- Not all tooltips are enabled
1.4.13 - Content on Hover or Focus
- There is text movement that cannot be independently paused by the end user
- There is no skip to main content option
- Some links do not contain meaningful hypertext to inform the user of their target location
2.4.4 - Link Purpose (in Context)
- Visual information to identify user interface components, such as keyboard focus, do not always have a sufficient contrast ratio
- Some touch targets are too small and do not have sufficient space between them
- Some links open in a new tab or open pop up without warning
- The website is not fully compatible with assistive software e.g., not all elements are labelled correctly and have an accessible name.
We aim to improve our websites accessibility on a regular and continuous basis. See the section below ('What we're doing to improve accessibility') on how we are improving our site accessibility.
We are working towards solving these problems and expect significant improvements by July 2026. The site is fully within our control.
Disproportionate burden
We are not currently claiming that any accessibility problems would be a disproportionate burden to fix.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
At this time we believe no content is outwith the scope of the accessibility regulations.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We will continue to address and make significant improvements to the accessibility issues highlighted. Unless specified otherwise, a complete solution or significant improvement will be in place by July 2026. At this time we believe the site is fully under our control.
While we are in the process of resolving these accessibility issues we will ensure reasonable adjustments are in place to make sure no user is disadvantaged. As changes are made, we will continue to review accessibility and retest the accessibility of this website.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 20th September 2022. It was last reviewed on 22nd July 2025.
The website was last tested on 19th July 2025. The testing was carried out by Library and University Collections, Information Services Group at the University of Edinburgh using both automated and manual methods. The site was tested on a PC, primarily using Microsoft Edge alongside Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
Recent world-wide usage levels survey for different screen readers and browsers shows that Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge are increasing in popularity and Google Chrome is now the favoured browser for screen readers:
WebAIM: Screen Reader User Survey
The aforementioned three browsers have been used in certain questions for reasons of breadth and variety.
We ran automated testing using AXE Devtools and then manual testing that included:
- Spell check functionality;
- Scaling using different resolutions and reflow;
- Options to customise the interface (magnification, font, background colour, etc);
- Keyboard navigation and keyboard traps;
- Data validation;
- Warning of links opening in new tab or window;
- Information conveyed in the colour or sound only;
- Flashing, moving or scrolling text;
- Operability if JavaScript is disabled;
- Use with screen reading software (for example JAWS);
- Assistive software (TextHelp Read and Write, Windows Magnifier, ZoomText, Dragon Naturally Speaking, TalkBack and VoiceOver);
- Tooltips and text alternatives for any non-text content;
- Time limits;
- Compatibility with mobile accessibility functionality (Android and iOS);
- Any drag functionality and alternatives;
- Consistent help function;
- No need to re-enter data already submitted;
- Any cognitive tests.
Change Log
Since our first evaluation and statement, which was based on automated testing, we have undertaken extensive manual testing. This includes utilising a range of assistive technology to ensure we have a clear picture of the accessibility issues and how best to resolve them.