Accessibility statement

Accessibility statement for The Open University’s Youth Guide

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 Open University’s Youth Guide, which is hosted on Swoogo, a third-party events platform.

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, contrasts 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 partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 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

              No Skip Links available

Some pages lack an effective ‘Skip to content’ link to help people bypass repeated parts of a page. People who use a keyboard won’t be able to easily move from the top of the page down to the start of the page’s content. This fails WCAG Success Criterion 2.4.1: Bypass Blocks (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of April 2026. 

 

              Some text is incorrectly formatted

Some text in the main content has been given an underline, instead of being italicised or made bold, which can lead to confusion. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 3.2.4: Consistent Identification(Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of June 2025. 

 

              Inconsistent tab focus across all pages

The focus box that appears when a user accesses this content using a keyboard only, has an inconsistent visual style. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion  2.4.7: Focus Visible (Level AA) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.11: Non-text Contrast (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of April 2026. 


Inconsistent button styles across all pages
There are multiple button styles. There is no consistency, which can cause confusion. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion  3.2.3: Consistent Navigation (Level AA) , WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 3.2.4: Consistent Identification (Level AA) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast Minimum (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of June 2025. 

 

              Some buttons have an unexpected animated element

Some of the buttons in the Event page have unexpected, animated elements upon focus or hover. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion  2.3.3: Animation from Interactions (Level AAA) and will be resolved by the end of June 2025. 
 

       Some links are styled as buttons across all pages
      Some links are styled as buttons, which can cause confusion. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion  3.2.3: Consistent Navigation (Level AA) 
      And WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 3.2.4: Consistent Identification (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of June 2025. 

 

Accordion titles have no contrast with the background on hover/focus.
The text of the accordion titles is a mint-green colour, which has no contrast with the pale off-white background. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion  1.4.3: Contrast Minimum (Level AA)  and will be resolved by the end of June 2025. 

 

On reflow, navigation menu buttons lose colour contrast.
When the page reflows, the navigation menu bar contracts into a hamburger menu. This menu is white, on a mint background, which has very poor contrast. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion  1.4.11: Non-text Contrast (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of April 2026. 

 

On reflow, some elements become carousels that are poorly implemented.
Some elements (embedded interactive widgets) become poorly implemented carousels on reflow, with colour contrast, size, and navigation issues. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.10: Reflow (Level AA), WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast Minimum (Level AA) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.11: Non-text Contrast (Level AA) and will be resolved by the end of April 2026. 

 

Keyboard tabbing is out of order on some components.
The semantic order of keyboard only tab access is in reverse order on the 'Popular Courses' component, and random order on the 'How to Apply' carousel. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.2: Meaningful Sequence (Level A), WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.3: Focus Order (Level A) and will be resolved by the end of April 2026. 

 

 

This statement was prepared on 30 May 2025. 

This statement was last reviewed on 30 May 2025.

This website was last tested on 19 May 2025.

An accessibility audit was carried out by the Accessibility and Usability Evaluation Team at the Open University. The testing approach taken was manual testing against WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines carried out on a copy of the live site, where all elements could be assessed for accessibility. This included the registration pages, and the final landing page.
 

Feedback and contact information

If you find that a certain section of our website is not accessible and you can’t get access to the information that you need please use the Open University Accessibility Feedback Form to request support and we will ensure that you are provided with the information you require. You will need to provide your contact details and Personal Identifier if you are a student so we can get back to you. You should expect to hear back from us within 5 working days. 

 

The OU is very experienced in meeting accessibility needs for our students. In many cases we are able to provide module and other study support materials in alternative formats for students who indicate a need for this when completing a Disability Support Form.
 

In addition, some module materials are available in different formats and can be downloaded from module websites. Students can contact their Student Support Team for advice.
 

If you are a student, or someone who has had contact with the University before, and have a complaint about the accessibility of our websites, you should raise a complaint via the complaints and appeals process. 
 

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