my-cumbria-logo, my-cumbria-logo Toggle navigation

PebblePad Accessibility Statement

Pebble Pad Is Partially Accessible when compared to the WCAG AA regulations

The University of Cumbria take accessibility very seriously and want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. We are actively working to make the website more accessible to all people and compliant with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) WAI’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1.

PebblePad Platform?

The Pebble Pad Platform is developed to meet the WCAG AA and AAA standards, for more information visit the Pebble Pad Accessibility Page­­­

View our accessibility tools page to find accessibility tools and plugins to help improve your online experience.

­­

Pebble Pad Content

While specific statements can be made about the accessibility of the Pebble Pad platform itself, content stored within Pebble Pad will have been created and uploaded by a wide variety of academic staff and students, and the accessibility of this content may vary accordingly. We are currently developing the accessibility knowledge and skills of our content creators. 

Content uploaded to Pebble Pad areas is the responsibility of the relevant teaching team. 

Pebble Pad platform enables users to:

  • understand the website text
  • accessible colours and contrast
  • change colour and contrast using a browser extension
  • zoom in up to 400%
  • text reflows when the page is enlarged and window size changed
  • navigate all the content using just a keyboard
  • be able to understand hyperlink destinations from the text description
  • navigate to all headings on the page using assistive technology
  • use text to speech tools to access content
  • listen to the website using a screen reader

How accessible is Pebble Pad?

  • you cannot skip to main content
  • some images may not include alt text
  • most older PDF documents aren’t fully accessible to screen reader software
  • some colours and contrasts created by students may fail guidelines
  • some pre-recorded media clips created by students do not have closed captions

What to do if you can’t access parts of this website

Self-help options

Alternative Formats

The University subscribes to an alternative formats service Sensus Access. This service will transfer most files into a chosen format e.g. an inaccessible PDF can be transferred to an accessible PDF, or a Word document can be transferred to sound. This service can be used directly by Students using their University email address. Alternative Formats

 

Assistive Technologies

You can access specialist assistive software on PCs and laptops throughout the university and also download free web based tools to enable you to fully interact with content. To find out more visit the assistive software page or download the AT Bar for free. 

University of Cumbria Support

If you are unable to access content or interact with the interface and would like an alternative accessible format, please contact us to discuss the most suitable options

We will review your request and communicate with you in 7 days.

Reporting Accessibility Problems with this Website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. You can help us by reporting any barriers you encounter and contribute to our Accessibility Improvement plan. however, if you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact itservicedesk@cumbria.ac.uk.

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 web-based system’s accessibility levels

The University of Cumbria 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.

Non accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons…

1. Non-compliance with accessibility regulations

  • There is No Skip Links function option available when using the keyboard. This means that more tab strokes are needed to navigate the page, which impacts on the user experience This contravenes WCAG2.1 -  2.4.1 This is a 3rd party system issue we are, however, communicating with the System developers regarding this function. We will add this issue to the Accessibility Action Plan, which monitors improvement and is updated annually.
  • Some images do not have Alternative Text, this makes it difficult for those using a screen reader to access all the content. This contravenes WCAG2.1 – 1.1.1. This can be improved through regular auditing and training, which is now in place as part of the Accessibility Action Plan and quality improvement process which is reviewed annually.

2. Disproportionate Burden

The changes needed to achieve AA WCAG Guidelines and meet the Web Accessibility Regulations will be achieved through a planned accessibility improvement action plan to be reviewed and updated a minimum of 12 monthly.

3. Content that’s not within the Scope of the Accessibility Regulations

  • Many of our older PDFs and Word documents don’t meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader.
  • Some pre-recorded media clips do not have closed captions or transcript. This content is created by students and is therefore outside of the scope of the regulation, however, the university has invested in auto caption software MS Stream for student use to support accessibility.
  • Some pre-recorded media clips do not have closed captions or transcript. This content is created by academic staff and is outside of the scope of the regulation as the date is before September 23rd 2020. The University now uses MS Stream which includes an auto caption software to support accessibility. Training is currently taking place to support its use.

How we tested this Website

We tested the most visited pages both manually and with the use of accessibility testing software such as Wave, a web accessibility evaluation tool WAVE and Accessibility Insights. This system was last tested on August 2020 by University of Cumbria.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are continuously working to improve the accessibility levels of Pebble Pad. A Basic Accessibility Check is carried out each year followed by a more detailed accessibility check, both assessments highlight the areas needing improvement. The identified issues are added to the system improvement action plan with a timescale for improvement or 3rd party communications on improvement.

Edit page