Falmouth Learning Space Accessibility Statement
This accessibility statement applies to Learning Space, which is a virtual learning environment using the Moodle platform.
This website is run by Falmouth University. We want to ensure that everyone using Learning Space has a positive experience and that the learning environment is inclusive and accessible to as many people as possible. This includes those who may experience: impaired vision, motor difficulties, cognitive impairments or learning disabilities, deafness or impaired hearing, and/or who may require additional tools or formats to be able to access the learning materials.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. Please also see our assistive technology overview to find out more about the accessibility features in different programs, apps and devices.
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website aren't fully accessible, for example:
Contrast issues
Some documents and images contain text with a low contrast ratio to the background colour. This can cause the text to be difficult to read, especially to those with visual impairments, such as colour blindness or poor eyesight.
Images without a description
Some images have been used to convey meaning, but do not have any descriptive text associated to them. This can prove detrimental to those people who rely on screen readers or other assistive tools to understand the image and its purpose.
Untagged Documents
Some documents in PDF format are untagged and therefore do not appropriately highlight the structure of the document, e.g. defining what is a heading, paragraph, list.
Headings
Some of the content on pages and documents does not adhere to a typical heading hierarchy, so the structure and layout of sections may be confusing to those with assisted devices or tools.
Links with inappropriate text
Some content contains links with inappropriate (e.g. “click here”) or no text. This can be confusing to navigate for text-to-speech devices or tools.
Feedback and contact information
We are working towards making all our content as accessible as possible and part of this is to provide documents in alternate formats. We use a tool called Blackboard Ally, which provides an option next to documents on the page to download it in an alternate format.
If this option is not available for your desired content, you can contact us using our webform to report the issue. You will get a confirmation within five working days that your form has been received and a full response within 20 working days.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us using our webform. You will get a confirmation within five working days that your form has been received and a full response within 20 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, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website's accessibility
Falmouth University is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Learning Space uses the Moodle platform which is an open-source virtual learning environment and, as such, some aspects of its accessibility are out of our immediate control. Moodle has a known issues page which shows any reported problems with accessibility, along with the Accessibility Standards page which all Moodle developers should adhere to.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons:
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Contrast issues - WCAG 1.4.3
Documents, images with text, and some page content may have a low contrast ratio between text and the background colour. Most of these issues are largely due to the nature of the creative courses and the learning material being provided.
Where poor contrast exists, we are actively working with staff to address the colour choices for documents and images and aim to make any new learning material added during 2022/23 term accessible.
Images without a description - WCAG 1.1.1, 1.4.5
Some images contain text-based information, or used to convey meaning, and have not provided a text alternative. Ongoing training with Staff aims to educate in this area, and where found or reported the images will be fixed.
Links without appropriate text - WCAG 2.4.4, 2.4.9
Links in documents and content may not have appropriate text to describe where that link is sending the user. As this is a content editor issue, ongoing training aims to address and educate in this area. Where found or reported, these issues will be fixed.
Headings - WCAG 2.4.3, 2.4.6
Some of the content on pages and documents does not adhere to a typical heading hierarchy, so the structure and layout of sections may be confusing to those with assisted devices or tools.
This is partly due to page template structure which will be fixed for SB2 22/23, however some errors are caused by content editors, and ongoing training with editors aims to educate in this area. Where found or reported, these issues will be fixed.
Documents - WCAG 2.4.3, 2.4.6
Some documents in PDF format are untagged and therefore do not appropriately highlight the structure of the document, e.g. defining what is a heading, paragraph, list.
Scanned Documents - WCAG 1.4.5
Some documents are either entirely scanned or contain pages that are scanned. Screen readers are unable to convert images into words, even if the image only consists of text. We plan to fix documents that are essential to study for September 2020, as well as educate staff on accessibility best practice. We also have employed a tool (Ally) that can, where possible, provide optical character recognition versions of these documents.
ARIA - WCAG 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 4.1.1, 4.1.2
Certain ARIA tags used in the HTML are not used as in the specification. This is generally third-party issues with the platform and outside our control. Feedback has been provided to the supplier, and it is anticipated that with the next major release of Moodle and implementation next year that these will be fixed.
Forms – WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2
Some form elements do not have a label. As above, this is a third-party issue with the platform and outside of our control. It is anticipated that the next major release will fix these issues.
Content that's not within the scope of the acessibility regulations
Heritage documents
Certain technical documentation that has been scanned may not be accessible due to OCR not working on scan, and the original documents no longer exist.
Pre-recorded Audio and Video
Video content published before September 2020 is exempt from the regulations and therefore may not be accessible. All new video content going forward will adhere to regulations.
Third-party content
Learning Space uses various third-party plugins, such as Talis Aspire and Turnitin, that we do not have control over so are not responsible for their accessibility. We do try to provide alternate solutions to any issues that may affect users, and you can contact us should any arise.
How we tested this website
This statement was first prepared on 12/08/2020. It was last reviewed on 6/10/2022.
This website was last tested on 3/10/2022. The test was carried out by Falmouth University.
In order to test the website, a selection of pages were identified that would best indicate the accessibility of Learning Space as a whole. This included: login page, home page, resource page, course page, module page, activity page. Multiples of these pages were chosen across the various departments. Once identified, these pages were reviewed using a combination of automated and manual testing, utilising Ally for LMS, Wave and Axe tools to highlight any issues found.