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Accessibility Statement

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Commitment to Accessibility

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The Northumbria University Distance Learning Microsite is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. We aim to go beyond minimum compliance by enhancing both technical conformance and user experience wherever possible. Our website is designed and maintained in accordance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.
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Conformance Status

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Our website is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Partial conformance means that some parts of the content do not fully meet accessibility standards. We are actively working to resolve these issues.
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Known Accessibility Issues

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During recent testing, the following areas were identified as not fully compliant:

  • Navigation and structure – Some layout and navigation elements are not fully recognised by assistive technologies, which may impact page understanding.
  • Tabbed content – Tab components may not be correctly identified or navigable using screen readers.
  • Hidden and overlapping content – Some content may be incorrectly hidden or obscured, affecting visibility and focus.
  • Link clarity – Some links do not clearly describe their purpose when read in isolation.
  • Form labels and inputs – Certain form fields may not clearly communicate their purpose or required status.
  • ARIA implementation – Some accessibility attributes are not consistently applied, affecting screen reader interpretation.
  • Dynamic interactions – Some changes in content or context may not be clearly communicated to assistive technology users.

We are prioritizing fixes for these issues and expect to resolve them by Q3 2026.

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Accessibility Features

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We have implemented the following measures:

  • Keyboard navigability for interactive components
  • Text alternatives for non-text content
  • Sufficient contrast between foreground and background elements
  • Responsive design for use with screen readers and assistive technologies
  • Logical and consistent navigation structure

We also utilise the accessiBe accessibility widget, which allows users to:

  • Adjust font sizes, spacing, and alignment
  • Change colour contrast and highlight links
  • Enable text-to-speech and reading guides
  • Pause animations and flashing content
  • Navigate using an accessible virtual keyboard
  • Choose preset accessibility profiles (e.g. for vision impairment, ADHD, or cognitive disabilities)

This tool is available via the accessibility icon in the bottom corner of the site.

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Disproportionate Burden

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At this time, we have not made any disproportionate burden claims.
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Content That’s Not Within the Scope of the Accessibility Regulations

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PDFs and other documents

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The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018, if they’re not essential to providing our services.

Any new PDFs or Word documents we publish will meet accessibility standards.

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Live video

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We do not plan to add captions to live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
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Feedback and Contact Information

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If you experience any accessibility barriers on our website or would like to request information in an alternative format, please contact us: accessibility@mco.com

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 7 business days.

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How We’re Improving Accessibility

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We maintain accessibility through regular audits, proactive remediation, and daily automated scans via accessiBe. Our development team incorporates accessibility best practices into all updates, ensuring ongoing compliance and a high-quality experience for all users.
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Enforcement Procedure

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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).
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Last Updated

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This statement was last reviewed on 29 May 2026.