OpenUniversity

Accessibility Statement

Last updated: February 25, 2026

Our Commitment

Open University is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people of all abilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards to ensure we provide equal access to all users.

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.

Accessibility Features

Visual Accessibility

  • Color contrast: All text meets WCAG AA contrast ratios (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text).
  • Dark mode: Full dark mode support that reduces eye strain and is optimized for low-vision users.
  • Font sizing: Adjustable font sizes from small to 3XL in account settings. All layouts adapt gracefully to larger text.
  • Color blind modes: Support for protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia with alternative color palettes.
  • High contrast mode: An optional high-contrast mode that increases border visibility and background differentiation.
  • No color-only indicators: All status information is conveyed through text, icons, and patterns in addition to color.

Motor Accessibility

  • Full keyboard navigation: All interactive elements are reachable and operable via keyboard (Tab, Enter, Space, Arrow keys, Escape).
  • Visible focus indicators: Clear, high-visibility focus rings on all interactive elements.
  • No time-dependent interactions: Users can disable time limits on assessments. Session timeouts provide adequate warning.
  • Large click targets: Interactive elements have a minimum size of 44×44 pixels on touch devices.
  • Skip navigation: Skip-to-content links are available on every page.

Cognitive Accessibility

  • Dyslexia mode: An optional mode that adjusts font, spacing, and layout for improved readability.
  • Reduced motion: Respect for the prefers-reduced-motion media query. All animations can be disabled in settings.
  • Clear navigation: Consistent layouts, breadcrumbs, and descriptive page titles throughout the platform.
  • Plain language: AI-generated content can be adjusted for simpler language when requested.
  • Error prevention: Form submissions include validation messages, confirmation dialogs for destructive actions, and the ability to undo.

Auditory Accessibility

  • Text alternatives: All audio and voice content includes text transcripts.
  • No audio-only content: Important information is never conveyed exclusively through audio.
  • Visual notifications: All alerts and notifications have visual indicators in addition to any sounds.

Screen Reader Support

  • Semantic HTML: Proper use of headings, landmarks, lists, and ARIA attributes throughout the platform.
  • Alt text: All meaningful images include descriptive alternative text.
  • Live regions: Dynamic content updates (notifications, loading states, progress) use ARIA live regions for screen reader announcements.
  • Form labels: All form controls have associated labels and descriptive error messages.
  • Table markup: Data tables use proper headers and captions.

Settings

Open University provides the following accessibility settings, available in your account settings:

  • Font size adjustment (small to 3XL)
  • Dyslexia-friendly mode
  • Reduced motion (disable animations)
  • Color blind mode (protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia)
  • High contrast mode
  • Theme selection (light, dark, or system preference)

Known Limitations

While we strive for full accessibility, some areas are still being improved:

  • Code exercises: The code editor (Monaco) has limited screen reader support for certain programming interactions. We provide alternative text-based input for code exercises.
  • Drag-and-drop: Matching and ordering exercises use drag-and-drop, which may be challenging for some users. Keyboard-only alternatives are provided for all drag interactions.
  • AI-generated diagrams: Some auto-generated visual content may have limited alternative descriptions. We continuously improve our alt-text generation.

Testing

We regularly test our platform for accessibility using:

  • Automated tools: axe-core, Lighthouse, WAVE
  • Manual testing with screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA, JAWS)
  • Keyboard-only navigation testing
  • Color contrast analysis tools
  • User testing with people with disabilities

Standards Compliance

We aim to comply with:

  • WCAG 2.1 Level AA — Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
  • Section 508 — U.S. federal accessibility requirements
  • EN 301 549 — European accessibility standard for ICT
  • ADA — Americans with Disabilities Act (Title III)

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of Open University. If you encounter accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us:

When reporting an accessibility issue, please include:

  • The page URL where you encountered the issue.
  • A description of the problem.
  • The assistive technology you were using (if applicable).
  • Your browser and operating system.

Enforcement

If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you may file a complaint with the appropriate enforcement body in your jurisdiction (e.g., the U.S. Department of Justice for ADA complaints, or your national equality body in the EU).

Accessibility Statement | Open University