Accessibility Statement

This website is run by the University of Essex. We want as many people as possible to be able to use our website and we are committed to providing an accessible web presence, by making the information and resources we provide accessible to all web users.

We aim to achieve the recommended government standard for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and follow general principles of usability, which should help all visitors to our website.

The University of Essex intends to continue improving our accessibility and we are working towards improving our digital services. By taking this approach we hope to make our site as inclusive as possible.

Making changes to your operating system

Please find advice from AbilityNet, showing users how to make full use of accessibility settings in browsers and operating systems.

To find more information please see an overview of the Web Accessibility Initiative.

Scope of this statement

This statement only applies to the Agent Online Services website accessed from https://agents.essex.ac.uk/.

It does not apply to the main University of Essex site at https://www.essex.ac.uk

Accessibility statements for other parts of the essex.ac.uk domain can be found at https://www.essex.ac.uk/disclaimer/accessibility-hub

How Accessible is this website?

We are aware that some parts of this website are not yet fully accessible:

• You cannot modify the line spacing or spacing of text
• Some of our pages can be difficult to navigate with just a keyboard
• Some of our pages can be difficult to navigate with a screen reader
• On some pages our headings are not nested correctly
• Some images do not have good alternative text

Feedback and Contact Information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

Email: sphelp@essex.ac.uk

We will consider your request and and aim to reply within 10 working days.

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, contact the SharePoint Development Team at sphelp@essex.ac.uk

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

We provide a text relay service for people who are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter. Find out how to contact us at our contact us page

Technical Information about this websites Accessibility

The University of Essex is committed to making its websites 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 on University of Essex Agent Online Services

• Some images are lacking alt text. This fails WCAG success criteria 1.1.1 We plan to ensure all images have alt text by the end of December 2025.
• Some event handlers depend on mouse control and cannot be used by the keyboard. This fails WCAG success criteria 2.1.1. We plan to make all event handlers device independent by the end of December 2025.
• Some text has poor contrast. This fails WCAG success criteria 1.4.3. We plan to ensure all text has appropriate contrast by the end of December 2025.
• Some missing or empty form labels. This fails WCAG success criteria 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 2.4.6, 3.3.2. We plan to ensure all form controls have a linked and descriptive label by the end of December 2025.
• Some form labels are not linked to a control correctly. This fails WCAG success criteria 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 2.4.6, 3.3.2. We plan to ensure all form controls have a linked and descriptive label by the end of December 2025.
• In some places tables are used for layout. This fails WCAG success criteria 1.3.1, 1.3.2. We plan to remove tables for layout by the end of December 2025.

Disproportionate Burden

There is nothing in the scope of this accessibilty statement which has been assessed as being a disproportionate burden. This may change as regulations and content changes, or if new items are found which we would classify under this heading

Content that does not fall within the scope of the accessibility regulations

There is some content on the Agent Online Services site which we have identified as not falling within the scope of the accessibilty regulations. This content is listed below.

• PDFs, images and other documents not created by the University of Essex. These include (but are not limited to) any document submitted by an applicant or their agent to support their application to the University

Preparation of this Accessibility Statement

This statement was prepared on 31st March 2023. It was last reviewed on 31st March 2023

The website was last tested on 31st March 2023. The test was carried out internally by the University's SharePoint Development Team.

Additional Accessibility statements on the University of Essex online infrastructure

Please see our accessibility statements hub