Accessibility statement for Fairness Innovation Challenge (ResearchArchieve)

The Open University is committed to making its websites and mobile applications accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This accessibility statement applies to the ResearchArchieve.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use our websites and mobile apps, and accessibility is an essential part of our mission. On our Accessibility hub, you’ll find everything you need to answer any questions you have about accessibility, whether you’re a student or a member of staff.

To adapt the content to your needs or preferences, you should be able to:

  • Change colours, contrast levels, and fonts.
  • Resize text up to 200% without impact on the functionality of the website.
  • Zoom in up to 400% without loss of information or functionality.
  • Navigate the website using just a keyboard.
    • Tab to ‘Skip to content’ links at the top of the page to jump over repetitive information to the main content.
    • Tab through the content; the current location will be indicated by a clear visual change.
    • Control the embedded media player to play audio and video materials.
  • Use a screen reader (e.g., JAWS, NVDA) to:
    • Listen to the content of web pages and use any functionality on the page.
    • List the headings and subheadings in the page and then jump to their location on the page.
    • Bring up a list of meaningful links on the page.
  • Use transcripts or closed captions with most audio and video materials.
  • Download learning materials in alternative formats (e.g., Word document, PDF, ePub).
  • If you have a print disability, we provide SensusAccess to students, which is an automated service that converts files from one format to another, for example, PDF to text, audio, Word, or Braille.
  • AbilityNet also provides advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

Compliance status

This website is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and/or the exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

1. Images and Visual Elements

  • Some linked images are missing alternative text (alt), so screen readers cannot describe them to users with visual impairments.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1: Non-text Content (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.
  • Some images have title attributes that repeat visible link text, which is unnecessary and can confuse assistive technologies.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.

2. Forms

  • Some form fields do not have visible or programmatically associated labels, making them hard to use for people with screen readers or voice input.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.

3. Text Contrast

  • There are multiple places where the text color blends into the background, making it hard to read for users with low vision or color blindness.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.

4. Headings and Page Structure

  • Some pages skip heading levels (e.g., jumping from H1 to H3), which disrupts navigation for screen reader users.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.
  • Some items that look like headings are not marked up correctly in HTML, making it harder for assistive tech to identify them.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.

5. Links and Navigation

  • Some pages include multiple links that go to the same place, which creates extra noise for users of screen readers.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.
  • Links to PDF files are not clearly marked as such, which may mislead users expecting standard web pages.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.

6. ARIA and Tabindex

  • ARIA roles and tabindex values are used incorrectly or inconsistently, which can disrupt how assistive technologies interpret the page.
    This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of December 2025.

Though no other non-compliance issues were identified through basic accessibility testing, partial compliance has been selected as a full accessibility audit has not yet been conducted.

This section will be completed when a full accessibility audit has been undertaken by December 2025.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 2 June 2025.

This website was last tested on 2 June 2025. The testing approach used SortSite alongside internal tools to assess the website’s accessibility. This included a combination of automated checks and manual reviews across a representative sample of pages that reflect the main components and layouts used throughout the site.

While the testing focused on key aspects of accessibility—such as alternative text, colour contrast, content structure, form labels, page language, link clarity, keyboard navigation, content resizing, skip links, and captions—it should be noted that this level of testing does not cover all WCAG 2.2 Level AA Success Criteria. The aim was to identify common issues and support ongoing improvements rather than provide full conformance certification.

The following accessibility testing methods and tools were used:

  • W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) checks (alternative text, content structure, language of page, keyboard navigation, skip links)
  • SortSite (A web crawler that scans the entire website for quality issues including accessibility, browser compatibility, broken links, legal compliance, search optimization, usability and web standards compliance)
  • Manual checks (content resizing, captions)

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording, or braille:

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