Taught postgraduate application portal accessibility statement

You should be able to use most of the application portal:

• with a keyboard instead of a mouse
• a screen reader or speech recognition software
• while zooming in to 300%
• with changed fonts, colours or contrast

Get advice on making your device easier to use from AbilityNet, a charity that helps organisations be more inclusive.

We know some parts of this application portal are not fully accessible:

• you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader
• some pages do not have unique titles to help differentiate between them
• some pages do not have unique headings to help understand the purpose of them
• some images do not have alternative text content to be read by screen reader software
• parts of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard or voice activation software
• if you zoom in over 125% or are using a small screen content in the navigation menu and within, the page may be obscured
• some elements lack sufficient contrast to be visible if you have low vision
• some interactive elements may not behave as expected
• your progress through the application will not be communicated to you if you are using a screen reader
• the structure of the content on a page may not be clearly communicated to you if you are using a screen reader
• you may not be able to navigate directly to all sections of a page if you are using a screen reader
• how to interact with some of the application form elements will not be clearly communicated to you if you are using a screen reader
• if you are using a keyboard you will not be able to navigate through a table as expected
• some help content contained in tooltips will not be accessible if you are using a keyboard
• where there are multiple buttons on a page the purpose of each may not be made clear to you if you are using a screen reader
• you will be unable to manipulate e.g. zoom, some text as it is contained within images
• content in PDF documents, such as the application offer letter, may not be fully accessible if you use screen reader software or a keyboard to navigate 

For more detailed information as to why this application portal isn't fully accessible see the section below 'Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations'

Ask us for the information in a different way

You can request any information you cannot access in an alternative format. Email your request: digital-accessibility@soton.ac.uk

We'll consider your request and get back to you within 30 days. Alternative formats include:

• large print
• easy read
• audio recording
• braille

Complain about an application portal accessibility issue

You can complain to us about problems accessing information on the application portal or in alternative formats. Email: digital-accessibility@soton.ac.uk

The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) can help you do this. They advise and support people on equality issues.

If you are unhappy with our response

If you are unhappy with how we handle your complaint about accessing our application portal or alternatives, ask EASS advisors to help you resolve the issue. Call them on: +44(0)808 800 0082.

This service may take your complaint to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which enforces the regulations on accessibility.

We are making our application portal content and functionality more useful and usable. We are working on a new version of the application portal which will make it easier for everyone to read and submit an application. This is due to go live in late 2023. In the meantime, we are working to resolve the accessibility issues highlighted and we will release updates to the application portal as fixes become available.

This statement was prepared on 16 September 2023. This website was last tested on 9 September 2022.

The University of Southampton is committed to making its taught postgraduate application portal accessible in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This application portal is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 A standard. The non-compliances and exemptions are listed below.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

You may experience difficulties on the application portal due to issues we need to fix. These issues are not compliant with WCAG 2.1, many not meeting even the minimum standard (level A).

The most common of these failures are:

Bypass Blocks (A)

• If you use a keyboard alone to navigate there is no skip link present to bypass blocks of repeated content at the start of every web page and skip directly to the main page content. This fails 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A).

Page titled (A)

• Some pages do not have unique titles and do not reflect the content of the page. This fails 2.4.2: Page Titled (Level A).

Non-text content (A)

• A text alternative may not be available for images. This means there is nothing to clearly describe the contents of the images if you are using a screen reader. This fails 1.1.1: Non-text Content (Level A).

Focus order (A)

• Non-interactive elements have been included in the tab sequence. This can be disorientating if you're navigating using the keyboard alone as it can be difficult to track focus if it lands on unexpected elements within the page. This also causes the need for additional key-presses when navigating the page. You may assume that because these are in tab sequence they must be interactive and then be confused as to why you cannot activate the content. This fails 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A).
• If there is an error when submitting a form page links that are displayed at the top of the page do not scroll the page to the relevant form field as intended. This fails 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A).
• In the 'Agency information' section of the application portal when a code is entered and ‘Add Agent Details’ is pressed, the region of the page reloads but the focus is not managed. This means you must press the ‘tab’ key for focus to reappear within the page. Focus then reappears on the next focusable element after the ‘Use code’ button. When navigating with screen reading software ‘in context’, using arrow keys to read through the page, you are directed back to the start of the page which will cause you to lose your place. This fails 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A).
• When an application form page loads, the focus is directed to the middle of the page. If you use a screen reader you would miss important information above form. You would have to navigate back up the page to find this information. This fails 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A).

Mandatory fields (A)

• You will be unable to proceed if an option is not selected on the 'Which of these applies to you?' screen as part of the sign-in or registration process. You are not informed that fields are required, and no message appears to describe the error to you. This fails 3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A), 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) ​​​and 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA).

Labels or instructions (A)

• Asterisks have been used to indicate that a field is required but the asterisk meaning is not defined. This fails 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A).
• Form field title attributes may not match the visible field labels which may cause confusion. This fails 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A).

Labels not programmatically associated (A)

• Some form fields have no accessible name by which it may be referenced to voice activation software. You might expect to be able to reference elements by speaking the visual label as it appears onscreen. If you use a screen reader and are navigating ‘out of context’, filtering the page by element type, will encounter the component as ‘unlabelled’, you will have to switch navigational methods and search through the surrounding page content in order to identify the purpose of the control. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
• The visual label provided to enable you to identify the purpose of a field may not be programmatically associated with the field. This means that this component has no accessible name by which it may be referenced to voice activation software. If you are using a screen reader and are navigating ‘out of context’, filtering the page by element type, you will encounter the component as ‘unlabelled’. You would have to switch navigational methods and search through the surrounding page content in order to identify the purpose of the control. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

Label in name (A)

• The accessible name of checkboxes does not contain the text that is presented visually as the label. If you are using voice activation, you may struggle to reference the component when using assistive technology by speaking the visual label, for example, ‘Yacht and small craft’, as this name is not contained within the accessible name of the component. This fails 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A).
• The accessible name of some links does not contain the text that is presented visually as the label. This means if you are using voice activation software you may struggle to reference the component. This fails 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A).

Headings (A)

• The heading on the Welcome page is displayed as two separate headings for styling purposes. This means the primary heading and structure of the page may not be properly announced if you are using screen reader software. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).
• The text 'Russell Group' in the footer of each page is marked-up as a heading, but this is stand-alone information rather than heading to a section of content. This means if you are using screen reading software you may navigate to this section but it won't contain any related content. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).
• Some page headings are not marked up programmatically as headings. This means if you are using screen reader software you will not be presented with the purpose of this information. This means that the start of each section may be difficult to determine. In addition to this, you will not be able to navigate directly to the required content by filtering the page by headings. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).
• On some pages, headings are not structured hierarchically. This means that it is not clear that it is the page heading introducing the main page content. If you are using screen reader software this may make the purpose of the information unclear. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).

Form groups (A)

• Some form fields are not marked-up programmatically as being related to each other. This means that the relationship between these fields may be ambiguous if you are navigating with screen reading software. This may be particularly challenging if navigating ‘out of context’, filtering the page by element type. You may have to switch navigational methods and search through the surrounding page content to find the group label in order to identify the purpose of the controls and to what they refer. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA).

CSS content (A)

• The completed status of an application step is communicated visually with a tick symbol. if you are using assistive technology such as screen readers it may not announce the tick symbol and the completed status of the application steps will not be made clear. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).

Images as labels (A)

• Images or icons used with form fields may not have a suitable text alternative to present the information contained within the image and convey its purpose if you are using screen reader software. This fails 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A), 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

Information and relationships (A)

• The current step of the application form is indicated by a different font and background colour. If you are using a screen reader the status will not be announced to you. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).
• The application step numbers will be announced twice by screen reading software. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).
• Some Items are displayed as a list. This is not however conveyed if you are using screen reader software. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A).
• Some form fields include long instructions describing how to use it. This means that if you are using screen reader software you will not be read the role of the control, for example, ‘read-only edit’. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

Incorrect Use of ARIA (A)

• On some form fields where instructions have been provided on how to operate the field, the natural role is not read. For instance, instead of encountering ‘read-only edit’, only the long instruction is read by screen readers, which does not describe the role of the control. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
• Help or hint information has been provided on some fields in such a way that the field is not identified by a clear name describing its purpose if you are using a screen reader. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

Grid Role (A)

• Some tabular data won't have the expected table keyboard shortcuts and will not work if you are using assistive technology. This fails 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

Custom controls (A)

• Some instances of the 'Continue' button are hidden from assistive technology and will not be accessible using a keyboard. This fails 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A), 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A), 2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception) (Level AAA) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

On Input (A)

• When a checkbox is changed, any other selected checkboxes become de-selected. The usual behaviour is to be able to select multiple checkboxes rather than just one. You are not advised of this behaviour prior to selection. This fails 3.2.2 On Input (Level A).

Use of Colour (A)

• The colour used to indicate that a form field has focus does not have sufficient contrast to its background colour. If you have limited colour vision or are using limited-colour or monochrome displays you may not be able to perceive this information. This fails 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A).

Custom Tooltip (A)

• In the Payment section of the application, the '?' tooltips are not accessible through the keyboard, voice activation software or screen readers. This means you will not be aware you can interact with the tooltips or what their purpose is. 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A), 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A), 2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception) (Level AAA) and 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).

Sensory Characteristics (A)

• Some form fields include instructions referring to a ‘magnifying glass icon'. If you are using a screen reader you will encounter this control as ‘Launch lookup modal’, with no reference to a magnifying glass icon. This means you may not be able to connect the instructions to the interactive element it refers to. This fails 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A).

Headings and Labels (AA)

• Headings are not unique across multiple pages. This means if you are using a screen reader you may not know what the purpose of the page is. This fails 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA).
• The ‘action menu’ button labels do not clearly describe the purpose of the button. Multiple buttons have the same label, so their individual purpose is not able to be determined from the label alone. This means if you are using a screen reader and navigating ‘out of context’, filtering the page by element type, will have to switch navigational methods and search through the surrounding page content in order to identify the purpose of the buttons. This fails 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA).

Images of Text (AA)

• There are some images of text for example used to represent buttons. This means you will not be able to manipulate the visual presentation of the text. This fails 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) and 1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception) (Level AAA).

Non-text Contrast (AA)

• Form field borders lack sufficient colour contrast from their background colour. This means that if you have low vision you may not be able to determine the presence of the form field. This fails 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA).
• The tooltip icon in the Payment section of the application has insufficient contrast with the background colour. This means that if you have low vision you may not be able to determine the presence of the tooltip icon. This fails 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA).

Content on Hover or Focus (AA)

• Content is displayed when hovering the mouse pointer over the tooltip icon in the Payment section. This content obscures other content and cannot be dismissed without moving the mouse pointer. This may interfere with your viewing or operating of the original content particularly if you have low vision and require a high level of magnification. This fails 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA).

Contrast (Minimum) (AA)

• Error messages displayed in the Payment section contain white text on a red background that lacks sufficient colour contrast. If you have low vision you may have difficulty reading this text. This also applies to the red asterisks against the white background. This fails 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) and 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA).
• When moving the mouse pointer over a button in the Payment section of the portal the text lacks sufficient contrast to the background colour. This fails 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) and 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA).

Reflow (AA)

• When the page is zoomed to 400% (or viewed on smaller screens) information may be lost. For example menu links, form fields spilling off the page and having to horizontally scroll to read tooltips. This fails 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA).

Disproportionate burden

There are currently no issues on the taught postgraduate application portal that we consider to be a disproportionate burden to fix.

Third-party content

We often do not have control over the accessibility of third-party services and content across our website.

This includes things like:

• application fee payment

However, we’re working with vendors and reviewing our procurement processes to make sure as many people as possible can use these services.

We ask third-party suppliers to provide links to their Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). They can do this using the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). The template supports Section 508, EN 301 549 (PDF), and W3C/WAI WCAG.

We support the searchBOX project, which provides a database of accessibility information about third-party vendors across the public sector. You can search for third-party accessibility statements using the free searchBOX finder tool.