Kent Academic Repository (KAR) accessibility statement

This accessibility statement applies to the Kent Academic Repository (KAR) platform (kar.kent.ac.uk) run by the University of Kent. KAR is a University of Kent application based on the open source EPrints platform. We are working to make sure that the content on KAR is designed for everyone to find, read, and understand. We aim to ensure that it is compatible with assistive technologies and developed to meet the accessibility standards outlined in this statement.

View the site your way

There are a number of customisation options for your browser and device that could help you use KAR and other websites more effectively.  

AbilityNet provide advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability. 

Explore some of our recommendations for tools that can make your online experience better.

We provide a facility whereby resources can be converted in a range of alternative formats via SensusAccess.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact us if you have an accessibility query including:

  • If you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using KAR
  • If you find an accessibility problem not listed on this statement
  • If you have positive feedback on the accessibility considerations made 

A process is being finalised so that when you contact us we will acknowledge your contact, tell you who is dealing with it and give you a timescale by which you can expect a reply.

Find out more on the KAR web page.

Alternative formats

We have designed our content to be as accessible as possible. If you still experience barriers, you can request alternative formats. For more information please contact the alternative formats team

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact the University of Kent’s webmaster to register your difficulty. This helps us improve our systems. 

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).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The University of Kent is committed to making its website and associated subdomains 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 and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

We formally test the accessibility of key user journeys that represent the breadth of content across our website on a regular basis against WCAG 2.1 AA standards

Some parts of KAR may not work for everyone. Below are known issues that we either need to fix, cannot fix, or do not need to fix right now.

If you find an issue that we have missed please contact us.

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

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 platform (KAR) and the content hosted on KAR. Where issues are part of the EPrints platform we may not be able to fix these in house.

Platform 

Images without a description 

Some images on our website don't have appropriate alternative text. (WCAG: 1.1.1).

Incorrectly tagged decorative images

Images which are purely decorative are not identified as such. (WCAG: 1.1.1).

Mislabelled elements or missing labels

Some of the user interface elements, such as buttons and headings, do not have appropriate labels that define their roles. This includes labels which do not match the purpose and elements which do not have a label (WCAG: 4.1.2).

Landmarks and elements with duplicate labels and IDs

Some of the elements on the page have duplicate labels or values. Similarly some of the container landmarks do not have unique roles or labels. This impacts on the usability of the webpage by not being able to identify specific elements or types of content. (WCAG: 4.1.2.).

Form labels

Some of the form elements are missing labels which explain the type of content to enter.

Some of the forms have labels which are not persistent. These labels do not remain visible when the user begins to enter data in the fields. (WCAG: 3.3.2)

Page structure missing landmarks

Some of the pages have elements which are not contained in appropriate landmarks such as ARIA labels and HTML5 tags. (WCAG: 1.3.1).

Issues with focus indicator 

Some elements may not always display effective focus indication. (WCAG: 2.4.7).

Elements cannot be accessed by keyboard

Some of the elements can not be accessed by a keyboard and require users to use a mouse. (WCAG: 2.1.1).

Error messages for incorrect data submitted to forms

  • Fields that are required do not have labels to specify this. 
  • Users are able to submit forms with empty fields.
  • Error messages are not provided on the same page as the form. (WCAG: 3.3.1).

Content

Headings are not sequential

Some pages may not contain consistent marked-up headings.

Page titles

Some of the page titles do not accurately describe the content of the page. Some of the page titles are not unique which can cause confusion.

Document untagged 

Portable Document Format (PDF) tags are hidden labels that clarify the structure of the document and define what’s a heading, paragraph, table, list, etc. 

Images without a description 

Some documents contain images that don’t have a description or alternative text. People with screen readers or other assistive devices rely on these descriptions to understand the image content and purpose

Documents language is not specified

Documents do not have a language specified.

Contrast issues 

Some documents contain text with low contrast between the text and its background. This can cause the text to be difficult to read, especially for those with low vision, poor eyesight or colour blindness. 

Tables without header row

Some documents contain tables which do not have their header row set with markup. This means that screen readers cannot identify the header row, and where tables overlap across pages, the header is not maintained on the following pages.

Disproportionate burden

This section covers issues that we cannot fix right now. We’ve assessed the cost of fixing these issues but believe that doing so would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the law. 

We have not identified any issues that we believe to be a disproportionate burden.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

This section covers issues that we do not need to fix right now. The law calls these exemptions.

PDFs and documents

Some of our PDFs that are not essential to providing our services were published before 23rd September 2018. Our ambition is to ensure that new PDFs or documents we publish will meet accessibility standards wherever possible.

If you experience difficulty accessing these documents please refer to our list of tools that can help with access or you can request alternative formats

We provide a facility whereby resources can be converted in a range of alternative formats via SensusAccess

For more information please contact Research Support.

Third-party content

KAR contains resources created by third-parties that we may be unable to influence. 

To help accessibility compliance across the sector, the University of Kent supports searchBOX, a centralised, independent directory of third-party accessibility information. 

SearchBOX catalogues the contact information and accessibility statements of third-party suppliers, enables the sharing of community-generated accessibility statements, and allows users to map their supplier ecosystem. 

Users can access third-party accessibility statements using the free searchBOX Finder service. 

The University of Kent encourages all our partners and suppliers to support this effort by ensuring that their accessibility information is included in the searchBOX directory.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 28 April 2020. It was last reviewed on 12 April 2022.

KAR was last tested on 1 June 2020. The test was carried out by the University of Kent. 

Last updated