Accessibility roadmap

Issue 1: insufficient colour contrast 

• Description
  Some pages have text and background colour combinations that do not meet minimum contrast ratios, making content difficult to read for users with visual impairments. 
• Planned actions
  • Audit: Complete a full review of all website pages to identify elements with insufficient colour contrast. 
  • Design update: Update the website's style guides and CSS to use colour schemes that meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA contrast requirements. 
  • Testing: Perform user testing with individuals who have visual impairments to validate improvements. 
• Timeline 
  • Audit completion: December 2026
  • Design updates implemented: partially implemented by June 2026, with remaining updates to be confirmed by February 2027
  • User testing and final adjustments: March 2027 

Issue 2: inaccessible PDF documents 

• Description
  Most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software, lacking proper tagging, headings, and alternative text for images. 
• Planned actions
  • Inventory: Create a comprehensive list of all PDF documents available on the website. 
  • Prioritisation: Identify and prioritise PDFs that are most frequently accessed or critical for academic and administrative purposes. 
  • Remediation: Convert prioritised PDFs into accessible formats, either by updating the PDFs or converting content into HTML pages. 
  • Training: Provide training for staff on creating accessible PDF documents going forward. 
• Timeline
  • Inventory and prioritisation: November 2026 
  • Remediation of high-priority PDFs: December 2026
  • Ongoing updates for remaining PDFs: Throughout 2027 

Issue 3: lack of captions on live video streams 

• Description
  Live video streams do not have captions, excluding users who are deaf or hard of hearing from accessing the content. 
• Planned actions 
  • Captioning service: Procure a live captioning service to provide real-time captions for all live streams. 
  • Implementation: Integrate the captioning service with our video streaming platforms. 
  • Training: Train staff on best practices for hosting accessible live streams. 
• Timeline 
  • Service procurement: December 2026 
  • Integration and testing: February 2027 
  • Full implementation: March 2027

Issue 4: keyboard navigation difficulties in online forms 

• Description
  Some online forms are not easily navigable using only a keyboard, which can hinder users with mobility impairments. 
• Planned actions 
  • Assessment: Evaluate all online forms for keyboard accessibility issues. 
  • Development: Update form code to ensure proper focus order, label associations, and elimination of keyboard traps. 
  • Validation: Test updated forms with keyboard-only users to ensure improvements are effective. 
• Timeline 
  • Assessment completion: December 2026
  • Code updates implemented: partially implemented by June 2026, with remaining form-estate updates to be confirmed by February 2027
  • User validation testing: March 2027

Issue 5: absence of 'skip to main content' links 

• Description
  Users cannot bypass repetitive navigation links to access main content directly, affecting screen reader and keyboard-only users. 
• Planned actions 
  • Implementation: Add 'Skip to Main Content' links at the top of each webpage. 
  • Accessibility check: Ensure the links are functional across all browsers and assistive technologies. 
  • User education: Inform users about this feature through an updated accessibility help page. 
• Timeline 
  • Implementation: completed by April 2026 
  • Testing: implemented; testing records to be confirmed
  • User education materials published: March 2027

Issue 6: device orientation limitations 

• Description
  Content does not always adjust appropriately when switching between horizontal and vertical device orientations, affecting mobile and tablet users. 
• Planned actions
  • Responsive design review: Assess the website's responsiveness and identify elements that do not adapt well to orientation changes. 
  • Development: Update CSS and layout structures to ensure content reflows correctly in both orientations. 
  • Cross-device testing: Test on various devices and screen sizes to ensure consistency. 
• Timeline
  • Design review completed: December 2026 
  • Development updates: February 2027 
  • Testing and deployment: March 2027 

Ongoing commitments 

• Training and awareness
  • We will continue regular accessibility guidance and training for editors and developers.
• Continuous monitoring
  • We use monitoring tools and will continue improving automated and manual accessibility checks.
• User feedback
  • Encourage users to report accessibility issues via a dedicated feedback form. 
  • Respond to all accessibility-related feedback within 5 working days. 
• Policy updates
  • Review and update the accessibility statement annually to reflect progress and set new goals. 

Preparation of this accessibility roadmap