Accessibility Statement
The University of Plymouth is committed to making its Short Courses platform accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This accessibility statement applies to University of Plymouth Short Courses platform. This is
our Short Course platform. https://open.plymouth.ac.uk
View the site your way
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website, which means that you
should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts
- zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate the website using just a keyboard
- navigate the website using speech recognition software
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader
We provide a facility within our Short Courses platform whereby resources can be downloaded in a range of alternative formats via the accessibility features within Brickfield Accessibility+ Toolkit (which utilises SensusAccess), which is embedded within the Short Course Platform.
Further information and support can be found in this guidance: Tools and technologies to support accessibility. AbilityNet has 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-compliance(s) and the exemptions listed below.
This section covers issues that we need to fix and are working to do so. The issues listed in this section refer to both the University of Plymouth Short Courses platform and the content hosted within the Short Courses platform. Moodle is an open-source Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), meaning some aspects of its accessibility are outside our immediate control.
The Moodle accessibility conformance report is based on an audit of Moodle version 4.5.
This accessibility conformance report is based on an audit of Moodle LMS by GrackleDocs (formerly AbleDocs), Moodle HQ’s external digital accessibility consultant, as well as internal testing and community audits. The audit was completed in February 2024 and updated in June 2024.
- AbleDocs issued a Statement of Accessibility Conformance for WCAG 2.1 Level AA in Jan 2024.
- AbleDocs performed the accessibility audit on Moodle 4.2. All issues identified during the audit have been rectified in all supported versions of Moodle.
- Only WCAG 2.2 items were assessed internally by Moodle due to the timing of the WCAG 2.2 standard's (Nov 2023) release and the external audit commencing (July 2023). All assessments against the WCAG 2.2 criteria are internal assessments only done in good faith. Moodle will be audited against WCAG 2.2 in the next cycle
We list below further areas within University of Plymouth’s implementation of Moodle (theme) that we know are not fully accessible. For the Short Courses platform we use a sub theme: Edwiser RemUI. We plan to fix or provide alternatives for all issues that we are made aware of alongside our periodic internal testing and auditing processes. Those that we are unable to fix we will liaise with Edwiser to make recommendations for change.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):
(a) non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Home Page
Elements within the page
- Some elements such as buttons and links within the page do not have an accessible name.
This fails WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value Level A.
Header and Footer University of Plymouth logo
- The University of Plymouth logos in the header and footer of the page do not have alt text. This fails SC 1.1.1 Non-text Content Level A.
Explore Page
Page navigation elements: categories, top menu items, filters, sort
- Some navigational elements are not selectable in an expected sequential order. This fails
WCAG SC 2.4.3 Focus Order Level A. - List elements are not structured correctly. This fails WCAG SC 1.3.1 Info and Relationships
Level A.
Page Body (<div>)
- The <div> page body does not have an accessible name. This fails WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name,
Role, Value Level A.
View course button
- The view course button link has no discernible text. This fails SC 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In
Context) Level A.
Course card images
- The course card images are not highlighted with a keyboard focus indicator making keyboard
navigation difficult. This fails WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.7: Focus Visible Level AA.
Header and footer University of Plymouth logo
- The University of Plymouth logos in the header and footer of the page do not have
alternative text. This fails SC 1.1.1 Non-text Content Level A.
Course Page
Edit button
- The edit button list elements are not structured correctly. This fails WCAG SC 1.3.1 Info and
Relationships Level A.
Elements within the page
- In some areas, the keyboard focus indicator is not visible making keyboard navigation
difficult. This fails WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.7: Focus Visible Level AA.
Progress bar (invisible)
- The invisible progress bar is missing a text alternative. This fails SC 1.1.1 Non-text Content
Level A.
Page Body (<div>)
- The <div> page body does not have an accessible name. This fails WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name,
Role, Value Level A.
Header and footer University of Plymouth logo
- The University of Plymouth logos in the header and footer of the page do not have
alternative text. This fails SC 1.1.1 Non-text Content Level A.
More Menu (right hand side of reports) and footer link
- The drop down more menu and invisible footer link have no discernible text. This fails SC
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) Level A. - The invisible footer link does not appear within the expected sequential order. This fails
WCAG SC 2.4.3 Focus Order Level A.
Glossary letter chooser, Forum post users name
- Some links have insufficient colour contrast of 1.25:1. This fails WCAG SC 1.4.1: Use of Color
(Level A)
Hidden element below answer options on MCQ 1
- Some elements such as buttons and links do not have an accessible name. This fails WCAG
SC 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value Level A.
Dashboard
Header and footer University of Plymouth logo
- The University of Plymouth logos in the header and footer of the page do not have
alternative text. This fails SC 1.1.1 Non-text Content Level A.
Page Body (<div>)
- The <div> page body does not have an accessible name. This fails WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name,
Role, Value Level A.
Footer
- Some navigational elements are not selectable in an expected sequential order. This fails
WCAG SC 2.4.3 Focus Order Level A.
Quiz attempts drop down menu and Course analytics drop down menu
- Some elements do not have an accessible name. This fails WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value
Level A.
Content issues
This section covers content uploaded by staff to the Short Courses platform. The Short Courses platform is an open platform within which staff upload teaching materials and course content to their courses. Due to this there will be some teaching materials uploaded to the DLE which are not as accessible as they could be.
Brickfield Accessibility+ toolkit
Within our Short Courses platform we have Brickfield Accessibility+ Toolkit. This is now embedded within the Short Courses platform and allows staff to check the accessibility of their course and importantly also allows students to download resources in a range alternative formats. Brickfield flags content which is not digitally accessible and makes suggestions as to how staff can improve their content.
Training
A training course is available to staff on the DLE which gives guidance on how to create accessible content: Digital Accessibility: Creating accessible content.
Video
Within the Short Courses platform we recommend staff link to external video hosting platforms such as Panopto or YouTube which support accessibility features such as closed captioning, transcripts and audio descriptions. We do not recommend staff upload stand alone video files as these are unlikely to have video accessibility features enabled such as closed captions, transcripts and audio descriptions.
Accessibility checker
Within the Tools drop down menu within text editor, staff can use the Moodle Accessibility Checker to check their content within text and media blocks.
Microsoft Accessibility Checker
All university staff have access to Microsoft Office 365 and we advise staff to use the Microsoft Accessibility checker to check their content before uploading to the Short Courses platform.
Third Party Tools
The Short Courses platform acts as a gateway for several third-party services over which University of Plymouth has no direct control. Where we find accessibility issues in relation to third-party services and these issues are not already referenced in the accessibility statement for that service, the University of Plymouth will liaise with providers and encourage them to take action.
Below are the accessibility statements for these third-party services:
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 15 05 2025. The website was last tested Thursday 26th June
2025.
Our testing processes
We referred to the Moodle accessibility conformance report and selected a prioritised sample of University of Plymouth Short Courses platform pages based on usage and importance to the user experience. Our evaluation has been conducted by self-assessment using a mix of automated tools and manual testing.
The statement was last reviewed on 26 09 2025
Feedback and contact information
Should you find that course materials are inaccessible, you should contact the module lead in the first instance.
If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:
For Students: libraryandITenquiries@plymouth.ac.uk or +44 1752 588588.
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).