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Accessibility: Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement for LSBU Library and Learning Resources

This accessibility statement is for the LSBU Library and Learning Resources website hosted on LibGuides.

It specifically covers published pages using the domain library.lsbu.ac.uk/ including the platforms used to provide services such as room and event bookings and service requests: lsbu-uk.libcal.com and lsbu-uk.libwizard.com

Other sites that are linked to from this domain are not covered by this statement. Visit LSBU Accessibility Statement for its main website and Moodle.

Links to external websites and platforms’ Accessibility Statements can be found in the Third-Party Suppliers Accessibility Statements tab above. We have also produced a LibGuide on ebook accessibility.

Not all our third-party suppliers currently have accessibility statements in place. However, we are working with the library community and Searchbox to encourage third party suppliers to publish accessibility statements for users.

These details will be added to the Third Party Suppliers Accessibility Statements tab, as they are made available. If you require accessible content from one of our third-party suppliers, please email: library@lsbu.ac.uk

We have listed any accessibility and assistive technology compatibility issues found during testing, in this statement. If you find an issue that has not already been identified, please contact us

Visit the site your way

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website in a way that suits them. You should be able to:

  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader 

We have also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

You can also find information and accessibility tips directly from your device brand: Android, Apple Mac OS, Windows

You can adjust the accessibility settings in your web browser so webpages are displayed in a way that better suits your individual needs. For tips on how to change your web browser settings, select your chosen browser to link through to their support pages:

Chrome Edge Firefox Safari

Our colleagues at Kent University have put together a comprehensive selection of productivity tools that support accessibility that you may find helpful. Please note this software has not been tested and is not supported by LSBU.

How accessible is this website?

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • you cannot change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
  • most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software
  • some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
  • some third-party content is not accessible to all
  • users who navigate this site using their keyboard only may have difficulty identifying their location

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in an accessible format please: email: library@lsbu.ac.uk 

We will consider your request and get back to you in one week.

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 are not meeting accessibility requirements, please email: library@lsbu.ac.uk letting us know the details so we can investigate.

We will respond to your email within one week and let you know what we are doing to address the issue you have raised.

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 are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Find out how to contact us Please check our help desk opening hours if you are planning to visit in person.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

London South Bank University is committed to making its website 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 version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

 

London South Bank University experienced a major cyber incident in December 2020. This has impacted on the work taking place to address the actions set out in this accessibility statement. Whilst some progress has been made, we have had to move our original target dates to the end of the second quarter, 31st May 2022.

 

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Events and Training

Keyboard users may struggle to navigate events and training hosted on LibCal as there are keyboard traps in the dropdown menu used in some advertised events. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.1.2 (keyboard trap). If you require support booking an event or workshop please email askalibrarian@lsbu.ac.uk

General web page content

The areas of non-compliance listed below affect a number of webpages and so the information below details the non-compliance rather than the specific webpage or content.

Content Description and Text Alternatives

Some images do not have a text alternative, or the text alternative does not correctly describe the image so people using a screen reader either, cannot access the information or the information provided is unhelpful. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

Some images used as links are missing text alternative. Text alternative should describe the purpose of the link so people using screen readers can access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1. success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

Some images are missing an alternative attribute. This should be used to specify a short text alternative so people using screen readers can access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1. success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

We plan to add text alternatives for all images by the end of the third quarter of 2021, 30/09/2021. We will sure our use of images meets accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Some accessible names do not contain visible label text. Visible label text helps people who use screen readers or speech input to navigate a website providing them with a better experience. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.5.3 (label in name).

We plan to add visible label text for all accessible names by the end of the third quarter of 2021, 30/09/2021. We will make sure our use of accessible names meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Some links only have image elements and are missing alternative text. The alternative text should describe the purpose of the link so people using screen readers can access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

Some image elements are missing alternative attributes. An alternative attribute should be used to specify a short text alternative so people using screen readers can access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1. (non-text content).

We plan to add alternative text to links and alternative attributes by the end of the third quarter of 2021, 30/09/2021. We will make sure our use of links and alternative attributes meet the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Logical Page Structure and Order

Some form fields are not labelled. This means people using screen readers will not understand if it is a required field or not. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

We plan to add labels to form fields by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of form fields meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Tables containing caption elements have been used to structure content making it confusing, for people who use screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

We plan to remove caption elements from tables used to structure content by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of tables to structure content meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

There are some heading tags with no content. Text not intended as a heading should not be marked up with heading tags as this makes it confusing for people using screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

We plan to add content to the heading tags by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of heading tags meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Some of the align attributes are not supported by HTML5 and the presentational mark-up used is now obsolete in HTML5. These issues make it difficult for people using screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

We plan to change the HTML5 used so the align attributes and presentation mark-ups are supported by HTML5 by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of align attributes and presentational mark-ups meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

The heading structures used on this website are not logically nested. This makes it difficult for people using screen readers to follow the information presented. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

We plan to amend heading structures so they meet the requirements for logical nesting by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of heading structures meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Operable

The iframe element requires a non-empty title attribute that identifies the frame. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 (bypass block).

We plan to add a non-empty title attribute to identify the frame by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of accessible names meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Several links do not contain meaningful text making it difficult for people using screen readers to determine the purpose of the link. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (link purpose – in context).

We plan to add meaningful text to links by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Headings and labels are missing from some content making it difficult for people using screen readers to navigate the webpages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.6 (headings and labels).

We plan to add headings and labels to content, where needed, by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of headings and labels meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

When a keyboard user navigates the webpages, there is no indication of keyboard focus. This makes it difficult for keyboard users to know where the focus is on the webpage. This fails WCAG 2.1 Success criterion 2.4.7 (focus visible).

We plan to add keyboard focus functionality by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of keyboard focus functionality meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Compatible

Several pages have duplicate ID attributes. Duplicate ID attributes are known to cause problems for screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.1 (parsing).

We plan to remove duplicate ID attributes from our webpages by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of ID attributes meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Some anchor elements are missing valid links. Text input, checkbox input and select elements on some pages do not have a name available to an accessibility API. This prevents assistive technologies such as screen readers understanding where the focus is. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name role value).

We plan to add valid links to anchor elements where they are missing by the end of the second quarter of 2022, 30/09/2022. We will make sure our use of heading structures meets the accessibility standards when we publish new content.

Disproportionate burden

Library Catalogue

The library catalogue has several accessibility issues that make it hard to navigate for people who use screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1. (non-text content), 1.3.1 (info and relationships), 2.4.6 (headings and labels) and 3.3.2 (labels and structure).

Our current Library Management System is outdated and is due to be replaced in 2022. As we progress through the procurement process, accessibility is high on the agenda and so we hope to replace the existing system in the 2022 academic year with a fully accessible library management system that will benefit all users.

You can request your core reading list materials in an accessible format by contacting the Disability & Dyslexia Support team. They will liaise with the library to request your reading list in an accessible format for you.

The Disability & Dyslexia Support (DDS) team are available on campus and provide a dedicated service for students who have a disability, mental health condition, medical condition or specific learning differences (including dyslexia). DDS provide advice on available support and will help coordinate your support to ensure that there are no barriers to your learning, enabling you to get the most out of your time at LSBU. You can contact them by emailing disability@lsbu.ac.uk

Interactive tools and transactions

Some of our interactive forms are difficult to navigate using a keyboard because, for example, some form controls are missing a ‘label’ tag.

Several of our forms are built and hosted through third party software and ‘skinned’ to look like our website.

This includes our online payment forms for adding print credit or paying for printing and binding online services. You can top up your print credit and pay for these services at our help desks if you are unable to do so online.

We have assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, and with interactive tools and transactions. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when the supplier contract is up for renewal, likely to be in 2022/2023

Content that is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

PDFs and other documents

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they are not essential to providing our services. For example, we do not plan to fix obsolete help sheets.

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

What we are doing to improve accessibility

We are actively improving the accessibility of this site by addressing known issues that have been identified in the initial audits of the site. The audit process will continue so all webpages are in this site: library.lsbu.ac.uk/ are reviewed for their accessibility.

Library and Learning Resources will adopt the approach of universal design, to ensure that new content is created with accessibility at the centre of the design process.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was first published on 22 September 2020. It was last updated on 26 November 2021.

This website was last tested on 10 March 2021. The testing was carried out by an internal Library and Learning Resources team.

For details on the approach used to decide on a sample of pages to test please visit our LibGuide Audit Strategy