Institutional Web Management Workshop 2004:
Accessibility Survey of UK University Entry Points, June 2004

Background

In August 2002 a survey of the accessibility of 162 UK University home pages was carried out using the Bobby accessibility checking tool. This survey was carried out shortly before the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) came into effect on 1 ^st September 2002. The findings were published in an Ariadne WebWatch article.

About The Survey

The survey was carried out using the Web-based Bobby tool to analyse the accessibility of entry points of UK University Web sites. The results of the survey were recorded, including information on compliance with Bobby's A and AA guidelines and the numbers of Priority 1 (P1) and Priority 2 (P2) errors.

It should be noted that Bobby is only one of a range of accessibility testing tools. Bobby is used in this survey as it is probably the most well-known. A list of other accessibility testing tools is available on the W3C WAI Web site.

It should be noted that the survey addressed only accessibility aspects which could be detected by use of software. A more thorough accessibility audit would require use of manual testing. However this would be time-consuming to carry out.

Original Findings (2002)

Only four entry points appeared to provide AA compliance by having no Priority 1 or Priority 2 errors. These were the University of Bristol, the University of East London, the University of Sheffield and Writtle College. Subsequent analysis showed that one used JavaScript to create the HTML, and therefore does not comply with WAI guidelines.

Although the number of entry points which provide AA compliance is disappointing it is pleasing to note that seventy entry points appeared to provide A compliance by having no Priority 1 errors.

A summary of the findings is given below.

Table 1a: WAI AA Compliant Entry Points in 2002

	Institution	AA Compliant?	Comments	Try It
19	Bristol	Y	AA approved	Check
42	University of East London	Y	AA approved	Check
133	Sheffield	Y	AA approved	Check
160	Writtle	(Y)	AA approved	Check

 

Updated Survey (2004)

A repeat of the survey was carried out on 1-2^ndJune 2004. The findings are given in Appendix 1.

In this survey the automated findings seemed to show that 9 institutions complied with WAI AA guidelines. A summary of the findings is given below.

Table 1b: WAI AA Compliant Entry Points in 2004

	Institution	AA Compliant?	Comments	Try It
1	Aberdeen	Y	AA approved	Check
25	Cardiff	Y	AA approved	Check
26	University of Wales Institute, Cardiff	Y	AA approved	Check
34	Coventry	Y	AA approved	Check
42	University of East London	Y	AA approved	Check
61	Imperial College	Y	AA approved	Check
133	Sheffield	Y	AA approved	Check
145	Swansea	Y	AA approved	Check
161	York	Y	AA approved	Check

 

Conclusions

An overlap comparison of the 2002 and 2004 findings is given below.

Table 2: Summary Findings

	2002	2004
A Compliant	70	93
AA Compliant	3	9
Non-Compliant	89	49
Not Known	1	10
Total	163	161

 

As can be seen there is a definite trend towards apparently more accessible home pages. However it is also noticeable that only a very small number of pages appear to comply with WAI AA guidelines. In the light of the wide knowledge of and support for accessible Web sites within the UK HE Web management community (as shown by the frequent discussion of this topic on mailing lists) there is a need for further consideration of the reasons for these low numbers. One possibility may be that some of the WAI AA guidelines are felt to be too theoretical or difficult to implement. The University of Staffordshire's home page, for example, contained only 1 P2 error - the page failed to 'nest headings properly'. On a menu page should as a University home page it is questionable as to whether this requirement really aids accessibility.

There is a broader issue, however. It may be questionable whether the checklist approach inherent in testing WAI guidelines is desirable. Although the WAI guidelines require use of manual testing in order to test whether a page is actually accessible, in practice there is a danger that such manual testing will not be carried out. In addition over-dependence on issues addressed in the WAI guidelines may lead to a failure to address other issues such as usability.

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Appendix 1: Results

A summary of the findings is given in the following table.

Table 2: Bobby Analysis Of UK University Entry Points

	Institution	A Compliance Findings 2002	A Compliance Findings 2004	AA Compliant Findings 2002	AA Compliance Findings 2004	Comments	Try It
1	Aberdeen	N	Y	N	Y	AA Compliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
2	Abertay Dundee	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
3	Aberystwyth	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
4	Anglia Polytechnic University	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
5	Aston	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
6	Bangor	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
7	Bath Spa	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
8	Bath	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
9	Queen's University of Belfast	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
10	Bell College	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
11	Birkbeck College	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
12	Birmingham	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
13	Bishop Grosseteste College	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
14	Bolton Institute	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
15	Arts Institute at Bournemouth		Y		N	Misleading result - analysed Flash page	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
16	Bournemouth	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
17	Bradford	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
18	Brighton	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
19	Bristol	Y	Y	Y	N	AA approved (2002 only)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
20	Brunel	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
21	Buckinghamshire Chilterns	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
22	Cambridge	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
23	Institute of Cancer Research	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
24	Canterbury Christ Church	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
25	Cardiff	N	Y	N	Y	AA compliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
26	University of Wales Institute, Cardiff	Y	Y	N	Y	AA compliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
27	University of Central England	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
28	University of Central Lancashire	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
29	Central School of Speech and Drama	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
30	Chester College	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
31	University College Chichester	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
32	City University	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
33	Courtauld Institute of Art	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
34	Coventry	N	Y	N	Y	AA compliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
35	Cranfield	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
36	Dartington College	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
37	De Montfort	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
38	Derby	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
39	Dundee	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
40	Durham	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
41	East Anglia	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
42	University of East London	Y	Y	Y	Y	AA Compliant (2002 and 2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
43	Edge Hill College	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
44	Edinburgh College of Art	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
45	Edinburgh	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
46	Essex	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
47	Exeter	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
48	Falmouth College	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
49	Glamorgan	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
50	Glasgow Caledonian	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
51	Glasgow School of Art	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
52	Glasgow	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
53	Gloucestershire	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
54	Goldsmiths College	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
55	Greenwich	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
56	Harper Adams	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
57	Heriot-Watt	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
58	Hertfordshire	Y (Frameset page only tested)	N (Frameset page only tested)	N	N (Frameset page only tested)	Framed site	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
59	Huddersfield	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
60	Hull	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
61	Imperial College	N	Y	N	Y	AA comnpliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
62	Institute of Education	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
63	Keele	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
64	Kent Institute of Art and Design	N	?	N	?	Connection problem (due to redirect)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
65	Kent	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
66	King Alfred's College	N	N	N	-	Framed site. Only master frameset file analysed.	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
67	King's College London	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
68	Kingston	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
68	Lampeter	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
70	Lancaster	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
71	Leeds Metropolitan University	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
72	Leeds	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
73	Leicester	Y	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
74	Lincoln	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
75	Liverpool Hope	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
76	Liverpool John Moores University	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
77	Liverpool	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
78	London Business School	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
79	London Metropolitan University	N	Y	N	N	Merger of LGU and UNL (2003 details for LGU given).	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
80	University of the Arts London	N	Y	N	N	Was London Institute	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
81	University of London	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
82	London School of Economics	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
83	London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
84	Loughborough	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
85	Luton	N	N	N	-	Framed site. Only master frameset file analysed.	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
86	UMIST	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
87	Manchester Metropolitan University	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
88	Manchester	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
89	University of Wales College of Medicine	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
90	Middlesex	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
91	Napier	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
92	Newcastle	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
93	Newman College	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
94	Newport	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
95	North-East Wales Institute of Higher Education	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
96	University College Northampton	Y (Frameset page)	Y	Y (Frameset page)	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
97	Northern School of Contemporary Dance	Y	Y	N	N	Flash page	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
98	University of Northumbria	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
99	Norwich School of Art and Design	N (Only master frameset file analysed)	N	N (Only master frameset file analysed	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
100	Nottingham Trent University	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
101	Nottingham	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
102	Oxford Brookes	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
103	Oxford	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
104	Paisley	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
105	Plymouth	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
106	Portsmouth	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
107	Queen Margaret University College	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
108	Queen Mary and Westfield College	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
109	Ravensbourne College	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
110	Reading	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
111	University of Wales	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
112	Robert Gordon University	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
113	University of Surrey, Roehampton	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
114	Rose Bruford College	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
115	Royal Academy of Music	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
116	Royal Agricultural College	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
117	Royal College of Art	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
118	Royal College of Music	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
119	Royal Holloway	Y (Only master frameset file analysed)	Y	Y (Only master frameset file analysed)	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
120	Royal Northern College of Music	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
121	Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
122	Royal Veterinary College	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
123	St Andrews	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
124	St George's Hospital Medical School	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
125	College of St Mark and St John	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
126	St Martin's College	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
127	St Mary's College	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
128	Salford	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
129	School of Oriental and African Studies	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
130	School of Pharmacy	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
131	Scottish Agricultural College	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
132	Sheffield Hallam	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
133	Sheffield	Y	Y	Y	Y	AA Compliant (2002 and 2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
134	South Bank University	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
135	Southampton Institute	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
136	Southampton	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
137	Staffordshire	Y	Y	N	N	1 'nest headings properly' error	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
138	Stirling	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
139	Strathclyde	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
140	Sunderland	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
141	Surrey Institute of Art and Design	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
142	Surrey	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
143	Sussex	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
144	Swansea Institute	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
145	University of Wales, Swansea	N	Y	N	Y	AA compliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
146	Teesside	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
147	Thames Valley University	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
148	Open University	N	N	N	N	Framed site. Only master frameset file analysed.	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
149	Trinity College of Music	N	N	N	N	Framed site. New domain in 2004	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
150	Trinity College, Carmarthen	N	?	N	?	Connection problem	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
151	Trinity and All Saints College	N	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
152	Ulster	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
153	University College London	Y	N	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
154	Warwick	Y	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
155	Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama	N	?	N	?	Connection problem (intermediary URL accessed)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
156	University of the West of England	Y	Y	N	N	Misleading results - uses browser sniffing and Flash	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
157	Westminster	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
158	Wolverhampton	N	Y	N	N		[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
159	University College Worcester	N	Y	N	N	Analysed redirected page	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
160	Writtle College	Y	Y	(Y)	N	(In 2002 survey the page was created using JavaScript).	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
161	York St John College	Y	Y	N	N	One 'Create link phrases that make sense when read out of context' error message	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
162	York	Y	Y	N	Y	AA compliant (2004)	[ A - Check] [ AA - Check]
163	University Of North London	N	N.A.	N.A.	Merged with London Guildhall University - Web site no longer available