Digital accessibility
Good design helps everyone.
Digital technology can enable some, but also disadvantage others. We want it to enable everyone.
1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability. This could be visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive (affecting memory and thinking). Over 11% of LJMU students have a declared disability. And, all users will have different needs at different times and in different circumstances. Someone's ability to use a service is sometimes affected by their:
- location - they could be in a noisy cafe, sunny park, or area with slow Wi-Fi
- health - they may be tired, recovering from an illness or accident
- equipment - they could be on a mobile phone or using an older browser
The way you create and share digital content and materials will affect how your audience receives them.
As a public body, legislation requires us to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (known as WCAG) regulations. LJMU has an obligation to ensure that we all understand and follow the best practices for creating digital content.
We are working in the background to continually improve access for students, staff, and anyone we connect with digitally. If you are a student or staff member, you have a vital role in this change.
Many staff members and digital contributors are already adopting the best practices, and we know it is working. In Silktide’s UK universities Accessibility Index, the LJMU website rose from 124th to 11th (and counting!). Please make yourself familiar with our guidance for creating digital content.