Accessibility statement

This website is run by University of the Arts London (UAL). This accessibility statement applies to Portfolio, UAL’s showcasing platform. Other websites and browser based systems on the arts.ac.uk domain have their own accessibility statements.

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 and iframes in certain areas of the website.

We commit to ensuring this website is as accessible as possible and we want as many people as possible to be able to use it. This means that you should be able to:

  • access the website regardless of the device and browser you are using
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate some of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate some of the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to some of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have also tried to make the website text as easy to understand as possible although we recognise we have more work to do on this. Portfolio features user generated content and we can’t guarantee that this content uses plain language or is easy to understand.

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

How accessible this website is

We know that some parts of the website are not fully accessible:

  • The site does not have a skip to main content link.
  • There is an inconsistent visual focus across the site.
  • Keyboard navigation through all homepage content is possible but may be difficult to do.
  • The search result filters not fully keyboard accessible.
  • Displaying image credits is not possible using only a keyboard.
  • Some container elements are empty and their roles unclear.
  • The contact form on the website is not fully accessible.
  • Some text that is perceivable to assistive technology is not included in ARIA landmarks.
  • Some element IDs are not unique which may cause an issue for screen reader users.

The user generated content that Portfolio hosts may not be accessible. This includes:

  • Videos that do not have subtitles or closed captions
  • Some images that do not have alternative text descriptions or captions
  • Text that may not be written in plain English
  • Documents such as Word and PDF documents may not be accessible

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in an alternative, more accessible format please contact ualdigitalteam@arts.ac.uk.

Please include details of the content you need and the required format or the service you are trying to access. We will then work with the team who own the content or the service to get you what you need.

We aim to provide you with an initial response within two working days and will provide clear information about how we will deal with your request.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: ualdigitalteam@arts.ac.uk.

We aim to provide you with an initial response within two working days and will provide clear information about how we will deal with your enquiry or complaint.

If you feel we have not answered your enquiry or complaint satisfactorily, please contact us again. We will escalate your enquiry or complaint to the Assistant Head of Online Services who will work with the team who provides the content or the service to get you a response.

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).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

For information about contacting us by phone or to arrange a visit to our offices please visit the Contact us page on the main UAL website.

More information about accessing our buildings is available from AccessAble.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

UAL 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 listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

  • The site does not have a skip to main content link. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A).
  • Keyboard navigation through all homepage content is possible but may be difficult to do. Search result filters are not fully keyboard accessible and displaying image credits is not possible using only a keyboard. This fails WCAG success criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A).
  • Keyboard focus is inconsistent on the site and this fails WCAG success criterion  2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level A).
  • Some container elements are empty. This fails WCAG success criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A).
  • Some form fields in the contact form are missing form fields. This fails WCAG success criterion 4.1.2: Name, Role, Value (Level A).
  • Some element IDs are not unique. This fails WCAG success criterion 4.1.1: Parsing (Level A).

User generated content

Portfolio is a showcasing platform for UAL students and as such it features user generated content that may not be accessible. This includes video content, imagery, language and documents. We provide students with guidance for making their digital content accessible.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We recognise we have more to do to make Portfolio accessible. We are prioritising the accessibility issues above and we’re aiming to fix the high priority issues first that have the biggest impact on our users.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on Tuesday 18 June 2019. It was last reviewed on Friday 27 January 2023.

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