This statement applies to content published on the Imperial Profiles (Symplectic Discovery) platform at Imperial College London, it does not apply to content on any external websites or systems that we may feature links to. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means:

  • The display of all content is optimised for all screen sizes.
  • You should be able to skip to main content links present.
  • Text resizing and zooming in are enabled.
  • Colour contrasts meet the minimum 4.5:1 ratio.
  • Video captions, transcriptions and audio descriptions are present.
  • Any content types or features that have been optimised to meet accessibility such as accordions, slideshow/carousels, tables, and tab and links.
  • AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible is the Discovery platform?

Parts of this platform are not fully accessible, for example:

  • Some buttons or checkboxes may not be announced by screen readers.
  • Heading structures may not be consistent.
  • Some images and graphs do not have good alternative text.
  • Focus order may have issues and/or some content may not be announced, including the tables.
  • Drop down menu items beyond the first few are lost under 300% zoom.
  • CAPTCHA is used however, text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative. forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities.

What we do about known issues

Imperial College London works to achieve and maintain WCAG 2.2 AA standards, but it is not always possible for all content to be accessible. Where content is not accessible, we will state a reason, warn users, and offer alternatives.

Technical information about this platform’s accessibility

Imperial College London is committed to making its platforms accessible in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. Imperial College Discovery platform is partially compliant with the WCAG 2.2 AA standards, due to the known issues listed below.

Non-accessible content

Some documents and content are exempt from the regulations (such as live video content and PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services), so we do not currently have any plans to make them accessible. But if you need to access information in one of these document types, you can contact us and ask for an alternative format.

The content that is not accessible is outlined below with details of:

  • The filters supported in the full desktop version are not yet supported in the 320-pixel wide version of Discovery.
  • The Media functionality which displays YouTube videos is not available in the 320-pixel wide version of Discovery.
  • The Collaboration network diagram functionality is not available in the 320-pixel wide version of Discovery.
  • The menu items on the profile page ('About', 'Publications', etc) reflow into a horizontal scrollable menu beyond 300% zoom, which at present gives users no indication that further menu options exist beyond those displayed.
  • This fails 1.4.10 Reflow criterion. Symplectic is aiming to resolve this in future releases, but no broad timeline is given.

Disproportionate burden

Not applicable.

Reporting accessibility issues

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille or if you find any accessibility issues not listed on this page then please contact bs_academic_alerts@imperial.ac.uk. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in seven working days.

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).

How we test this platform

The review was performed in-house by Symplectic. The Discovery platform was checked for accessibility using a range of automated tools and manually. However, the platform was not tested against any supportive tech such as screen readers or speech-to-text software. Therefore, there may be issues that haven’t been identified. Should you have any difficulties whilst using your supportive tech please report this to the Research Applications team by raising an ASK request.

This platform is being tested against WCAG 2.2 AA the statement will be updated with the findings and relevant remedial work timelines. Tools used for accessibility include:

  • Keyboard
  • AXE provided by Deque (free version)
  • Wave
  • WebAim Colour contrast checker

Last updated

This statement was prepared on 05/03/2024 and was last updated on 04/04/2024.

Accessibility at Imperial