Accessibility Statement
Our commitment and legal obligations
We commit to ensuring the communications we produce are clear and accessible to the widest range of people.
We recognise our obligations under The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and the Equality Act 2010.
Web standards and technologies
We have developed this website so that it works on the widest number of devices and web browsers as possible.
This website uses HTML 5 (HyperText Mark-up Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to render content. We have also used other technologies including JavaScript on certain areas of the website.
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
This website is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard. The non-accessible sections are listed below.
This site was built using the Squarespace Template platform and hosted by Squarespace. Accessing the code and rewriting in order to be meet compliancy levels is not possible within the terms set out by Squarespace.
Known limitations
This website was tested using a combination of automated accessibility tools and manual testing methods. This included:
Automated testing with axe browser add-on.
Manual code assessment.
Keyboard-only operation.
Screen reader testing with VoiceOver, NVDA and JAWS on desktop.
Screen reader testing with VoiceOver and TalkBack on mobile.
Testing took place during May 2020 and was carried out on behalf of UAL by a third party supplier.
It has not been possible to ensure that the website/application meets WCAG 2.1 (AA) at the current time because:
Not all colour combinations meet the minimum required colour contrast ratio of 4.5:1.
The keyboard focus outline is not present on interactive elements.
Some image gallery functionality is not keyboard accessible.
Screen reader focus is not managed correctly when navigating between pages.
Not all images have an appropriate alt text for their purpose.
The mobile navigation menu is not keyboard/screen reader accessible.
Some content is cropped at 200% page zoom.
Some content is shown on mouse hover only
Videos are not audio described.
The blog comments field is missing an accessible label.
The preview and post comment controls are not keyboard accessible.
The social media share icons have no accessible names.
None of our images have alternative text. We have not met WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A)
The website does not have a visual focus and users navigating the site with a keyboard may not know where they are on the page. We have not met WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA)
Disproportionate Burden:
As this website is built using a Squarespace theme it is not possible to access and edit the code of that theme to make the changes required to make this website compliant with the Regulations. We would need to redevelop and re-platform this website in order to make it accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA. We have assessed the cost and time needed to do this work and, after consultation with our developers and designers, believe that doing so would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the Regulations. Additionally, this website features niche content and the intended audience is limited in scope. Therefore, the resources needed to make this website accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA outweigh the potential benefits to users based on the small number of visits this website receives annually.
Contact us
If you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page please contact: hstorey@fashion.arts.ac.uk
Alternative versions
If you are not able to access a service, or content on the website, contact Professor Helen Storey at the above email address. Please include details of the content you need and the required format. We will then work with the team who own the service, or content, to get you what you need.
Issues and complaints
To report an issue with the website, or to make a complaint, please contact Professor Helen Storey on: hstorey@fashion.arts.ac.uk
We aim to provide you with an initial response within 48 hours and will provide clear information about how we will deal with your enquiry.
This statement was prepared on July 15th 2020.
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the accessibility regulations. If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).