Accessibility statement
This accessibility statement applies to https://swansea.ac.uk
This website has been developed by Swansea University. We want as many people as possible to be able to use the website, feel welcome and find the experience rewarding. For example, that means you should be able to
- Zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen.
- Use consistent navigation across the website.
- Navigate the majority of the website using just a keyboard.
- Use ReciteMe Application to provide an array of accessibility tools.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible swansea.ac.uk is?
The website has been evaluated by our internal specialist and they certify that swansea.ac.uk is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.
We know some parts of swansea.ac.uk aren't as accessible as they should be:
- Audio Podcasts do not have alternative media such as transcripts.
- Some embedded videos do not have audio descriptions for visual only content.
- Image descriptions are available, but need to be improved.
- Third-party developed areas such as Virtual Tours do not have image descriptions and room tour rotations cannot be paused.
- Third-party generated embedded forms do not have errors that are specific, styles that cannot be over-ridden.
- Some videos do not have audio descriptions when they are needed.
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on swansea.ac.uk in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille you can contact our Transcription Centre:
Email: braille@swansea.ac.uk
Twitter: @SUTranscription
Swansea University Transcription Centre Amy Dillwyn Building, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, United Kingdom
How to find the transcription center: SUTC-Accessible-Guide
We'll consider your request and get back to you in 7 days.
Reporting accessibility problems with swansea.ac.uk
We're always looking to improve the accessibility of the website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements:
Email: webteam@swansea.ac.uk
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)
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
The university aims to provide professional information and guidance services for disabled students, students with specific needs and/or medical conditions. We can provide support if you would like to visit us or phone us.
Please contact the disability service:
Telephone: +44 (0)1792 60 6617
Email: wellbeingdisability@swansea.ac.uk
Technical information about the website’s accessibility
Swansea University is committed to making all its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
swansea.ac.uk is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA/A standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non accessible content
Swansea University is committed to sustaining Level AA accessibility. The following information explains any areas of the website that to our knowledge are not conformant and what we're doing to make that happen.
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Virtual Tours
Missing Image Alternatives
Highly visual virtual tours lack text alternatives, preventing blind or low‑vision users from accessing visual‑only information. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.1.1 Non‑text Content (A).
Incorrect Heading Structure
Multiple H1 headings and missing H3 headings create confusing navigation for assistive technology users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A).
Missing Landmarks
No ARIA landmarks are provided, reducing navigability for screen reader users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A).
Auto‑rotation Cannot Be Fully Paused
The virtual tour rotates automatically and resumes after attempting to stop it, which may cause motion sensitivity issues. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (A).
No Skip Link
No ability to skip repetitive navigation, forcing keyboard users to tab through many controls to reach the main content. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (A).
Page Titles Not Unique
All tour pages share the same page title, making it difficult for screen reader users to distinguish between them. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.2 Page Titled (A).
Incorrect Tab Order
Tab order does not follow logical reading order and includes hidden content, confusing keyboard-only and screen reader users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.3 Focus Order (A).
Links Provide No Purpose
Certain interactive elements read only as “Void” to assistive technologies, offering no information about their purpose. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.4 Link Purpose (A).
Poor Focus Visibility
Focus indicators have low contrast, making keyboard navigation difficult to follow. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA).
Cookie Banner / Cookiebot
Insufficient Text Contrast
Cookie category counters such as “necessary” do not meet minimum contrast requirements. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (AA).
Reflow Failure at 400% Zoom
When zoomed to 400% or viewed on small screens, key options such as “content”, “details” and “about” become inaccessible. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.10 Reflow (AA)
No Visible Keyboard Focus
The necessary cookies toggle lacks a visible focus indicator. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA)
Site Search
Filters Provide Visual‑Only Cues
Adding or removing search filters is indicated visually only, with no non-visual cue for assistive technology users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (A)
No Error Message for Empty Search Submission
Submitting an empty search redirects users to a blank results page without messaging, causing confusion for assistive technology users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 3.3.1 Error Identification (A)
Search Result Count Not Announced
The number of results is only shown visually in the “refine” panel and is not programmatically conveyed. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 4.2.3 Status Messages (AA)
Forms (Keep in Touch, Prospectus, Third‑Party)
Text Spacing Cannot Be Adjusted
Embedded third‑party forms block users from modifying text spacing for readability. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.12 Text Spacing (AA)
Errors Identified Only by Color
Form errors are shown only in red text with no alternative indicator. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.1 Use of Color (A)
Generic Error Messages
Error messages do not indicate which specific field requires correction. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (AA)
Prospectus Flipbook Button Not Keyboard Accessible
The “Book your place today” button cannot be accessed via keyboard and lacks a visible focus ring. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.1.1 Keyboard (A) and 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA)
Sign‑Up Form Triggered Automatically
The flipbook triggers a sign‑up form after interactions and a delay, which may confuse or distract users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 3.2.1 On Focus (A).
Videos, Media & Podcasts
Podcasts Have No Transcripts
Podcasts contain no transcripts, making them inaccessible to users who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.2.1 Audio‑only (A).
Videos Missing Captions
Some hosted videos do not include captions. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.2.2 Captions (A).
No Audio Description
Videos with visual‑only content lack audio descriptions, preventing blind users from accessing critical information. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.2.3 Audio Description (A).
Course Pages
Overlapping Interactive Controls
Cookiebot and Student chat controls overlap with the Apply and Course Menu buttons, reducing target size and increasing accidental activation risk. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.5.8 Target Size (AA)
Keep in Touch Button Disappears When Zoomed / Mobile Devices
The “Keep in touch” button disappears at 200% zoom or on mobile/tablet screens, preventing users from seeing the link or navigating to the form. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.4.10 Reflow (AA)
Poor Image Descriptions
Images used across course pages sometimes include poor alt text. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.1.1 Non-text Content (A).
Table Captions Missing
Tables rely on visual headings instead of semantic captions, limiting accessibility for assistive technology users. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A).
Tab Order Issues
Keyboard navigation moves into areas out of sequence, such as panels before their controlling buttons. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.3 Focus Order (A).
Module Dropdown Status Not Announced
Courses page have multiple modules available for review. This information is can be viewed by changing modules with a dropdown, the information on page changes without announcing changes to assistive technology. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 4.1.3 Status Messages (AA).
Site-wide / Global Issues
Identical Link Text with Different Destinations
Links such as “How to Apply” lead to different locations depending on context, this appears across the site in the navigation menu. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.4 Link Purpose (A).
Poor Focus Contrast Across Site
Focus styles (e.g., double border) are difficult to perceive in some browsers such as Edge. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA).
Jobs Pages
Missing Language Attribute for Welsh Content
Welsh-language content embeds when put on english pages lacks the lang="cy-GB" attribute, causing screen readers to mispronounce text. Fails WCAG 2.2 – 3.1.2 Language of Parts (AA).
PDFs and Documents
PDFs Not Tagged or Missing Titles
Many PDFs lack tagging and proper titles, making them difficult or impossible for screen reader users to interpret. Fails WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A) and 2.4.2 Page Titled (A).
How we will address non-compliance
Over the last year we have addressed a number of accessibility issues, undertaken training with an external agency in accessibility testing and auditing. However, we know we need to do more!
The above criterion failures will be addressed through the following:
- Contact third-party vendors and request fixes to the accessibility issues we found.
- Assigning designated time for the Web Development Team to address these issues.
- Investigate ways to automate accessibility testing within our development process.
- Re-audit the website to assess the fixes within the next 12 months.
Disproportionate Burden
An assessment has been made taking into account the size and resources available to the organization, any content that is judged a disproportionate burden are stated in this section.
Navigation and accessing information
No issues or not applicable.
Interactive tools and transactions
No issues or not applicable.
Interactive tools
No issues or not applicable.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
An assessment has been made taking into account the size and resources available to the organization, any content that is judged out of scope of the regulations are stated in this section.
PDFs and other documents
A sample selection of PDF's have been manually accessibility tested and automated tests ran by an external platform reported 850 PDFs with minor accessibility issues. We will work with content editors to ensure they have the training and resources to address any errors found.
The accessibility regulations don’t 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.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
Our Accessibility Roadmap shows how and when we plan to improve accessibility on swansea.ac.uk.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 02/03/2026. This statement was last reviewed on 03/03/2026.
The website swansea.ac.uk was last tested on 27/02/2026. The test was carried out by our internal usability and accessibility specialist, that works externally to the web team that develops this site.
We used a consistent process and approach to deciding on a sample of pages to test. This is available in How we tested the website
The full accessibility report is available on request.