A woman with her back to the camera delivers a speech to three other females

Accessibility Statement for BNU Library and Archives

Accessibility Statement for BNU Library and Archives

This accessibility statement applies to content on the domain, known as Library Search.

The Buckinghamshire New University accessibility statement applies to /life/student-success-and-support/library.

This website is run by Buckinghamshire New University Library and Archives. Library Search is Buckinghamshire New University’s online library resource searching platform. It uses the software, WorldCat Discovery. This is managed by Library and Archives and developed and hosted by OCLC. 

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
  • zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard 
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader
  • We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

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

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • some pages are confusing to navigate with screen readers.
  • some pages are hard to navigate using a keyboard.
  • some pages are difficult to use when enlarged to 200% and above.
  • some older style pages lack features such as skip repetitive links or time out warnings.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact Library and Archives if you have an accessibility query including:

  • If you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using the website
  • If you find an accessibility issue not listed in this statement

Support with searching

If accessibility problems are stopping you from using library Search please contact Library and Archives for support. Contact us by emailing library@bnu.ac.uk or visit one of our libraries during staffed hours. 

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, .

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

Buckinghamshire New University Library and Archives is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

The website has been tested against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard.

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):

a) non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Magnification and visibility

  • When the search results page is at 400% zoom, some elements overlap and are harder to see. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (reflow). We plan to fix this by January 2025.
  • When the search results page is at 400% zoom, horizontal and vertical scroll bars are required to view some of the content. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (reflow). We plan to fix this by January 2025.

Users of screen readers will find some pages hard to use because:

  • Some element IDs are not unique
  • Some content is not included in an appropriate landmark
  • Some pages have an illogical heading structure
  • Some IDs are not unique
  • Some HTML is used to format content
  • Some ARIA attributes have incorrect reference IDs
  • Some aria roles are a poor match for content.

This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

  • On some pages ARIA references are incorrect or WAI-ARIA labels are redundant. This will make it harder to navigate these pages using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).
  • Some page elements receive focus in a confusing order, making navigating the page more difficult. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.3 (focus order).
  • The focus is barely visible on the current page number of the search results pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (focus visible). We plan to fix this by January 2025.
  • The keyboard focus is missing or barely visible on some form elements. This makes navigating the form harder as users are unable to see which element has focus. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (focus visible).

Headings and labels

  • Some page titles are not specific enough, making it harder to understand the page content from the title. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.2 (page titled).
  • On some forms, asterisks are used to indicate required fields without explaining this. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.3.2 (labels or instructions).
  • Some labels and aria-labels are not clear enough. This means the purpose of some page elements and links is unclear from the label text, particularly impacting users of screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (link purpose in context) and 2.4.6 (headings and labels).
  • Some user interface elements do not clearly share their names, roles or values with assistive technologies. This makes it harder for users of these technologies to customise their settings. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role, value).

Legacy pages

Some of our less visited pages are using an older template. These include the Advanced Search, A-Z eJournal browse, Saved Items and Saved Lists pages and Place Hold form. These ‘legacy’ pages are non-compliant in the following areas.

  • The keyboard focus is missing or barely visible for some elements of our Advanced search page. This makes navigating the page harder as users are unable to see which element has focus. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.7 (focus visible). We plan to fix this by October 2024.
  • When the Advanced search page is at 200% zoom, some of the links in the Library links menu on the navigation bar are no longer visible. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.4 (resize text). We plan to fix this by October 2024.
  • When the Advanced search page is at 400% zoom, most of the header links are no longer visible. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (reflow). We plan to fix this by October 2024.
  • In mobile view, the Advanced search page does not always show all of the header links. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.10 (reflow). We plan to fix this by October 2024.
  • There are two hidden elements on the Advanced search page that receive focus. This creates confusion when navigating the page by keyboard or using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role, value). We plan to fix this by October 2024.

All legacy pages

  • When users are inactive on legacy pages, they are logged out after 30 minutes with no option to extend their time. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.2.1 (timing adjustable).
  • On legacy pages it is not possible for users to skip repetitive links. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.1 (bypass blocks).
  • Alert messages on legacy pages are not always coded as alerts. Users of assistive technologies will not know the significance of the message. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.3 (status messages).
  • Legacy pages do not have the same layout and style as the modern pages of Library Search. This makes it confusing when you move between the two and look for familiar features. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 3.2.4 (consistent identification).

Legacy pages are being moved onto modern templates, starting with the Advanced Search page. The legacy page issues listed above will be fixed as pages are transferred to modern templates.

b) Disproportionate burden

A disproportionate burden assessment carried out by Buckinghamshire New University Library and Archives, 27th August 2024, indicates that it is not possible to complete remedial action before the end of January 2025. This is because the work must be completed by our third party provider, OCLC, who cannot meet the timescale. Our full assessment can be made available on request from library@bnu.ac.uk.

It is also not possible to swap to another provide because:

  • Public Sector Procurement Regulations mean that it would not be possible to procure a new system before the deadline.
  • If we were to procure a new system the implementation would be lengthy and complex and would not take place in a timely manner. 
  • At present, no fully compliant alternatives exist on the market.

OCLC are committed to fixing the accessibility issues by January 2025. It is therefore quicker to work with OCLC to resolve the accessibility issues than to procure and implement a new system. 

What we are doing to improve accessibility

The accessibility issues with this site can only be fixed by OCLC updating the software and deploying this to their worldwide customers.  Regular improvements to accessibility are planned between July 2024 and January 2025. Buckinghamshire New University Library and Archive staff meet regularly with OCLC and work with the OCLC UK User Group to ensure we keep track of updates and ensure that we maintain momentum with implementing the required fixes. 

OCLC have provided the following statement:

“OCLC is committed to enabling the use of WorldCat Discovery service by all users. Accessibility is an important consideration during our product development. Future enhancements to WorldCat Discovery include considerations for building new features that comply with accessibility guidelines. We aim to provide compliance within all newly modernized pages going forward, focussing on improving the ability to bypass blocks and the clarity of headings, labels, and page titles.”

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 27 August 2024.

The website was last tested on 13 February 2024 against the WCAG 2.1AA standard. The test was carried out by OCLC who audited it using the following tools:

  • SiteImprove evaluation tool for Chrome browser
  • WAVE evaluation tool for Chrome browser
  • VoiceOver screen reader on Apple platform with Apple Safari
  • WebAim’s Contrast Checker
  • Manual code review and general product knowledge

An additional test focussing on Buckinghamshire New University Library and Archive’s colour schemes was carried out on 22nd August 2024 using WAVE evaluation tool for Chrome browser.

The statement was last reviewed on 27 August 2024.