Accessibility statement for the Classic Catalogue

This statement applies to content published on the https://library.st-andrews.ac.uk domain, run by the University of St Andrews. It does not apply to content on any other st-andrews.ac.uk domain or subdomains.

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
  • zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver).

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

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

You can also explore some of our recommendations for tools that can make your online experience better.

How accessible this website is

Classic Catalogue is currently not fully compliant with accessibility legislation. Classic catalogue is deprecated and we advise you to use Library search. Library search is also not compliant with legislation, but work is being undertaken with the software supplier, Innovative Interfaces Inc, to ensure compliance in that software.

Some areas of inaccessibility include:

  • Some pages have poor colour contrast.
  • Some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard.
  • Some buttons are not correctly identified.
  • Some adjacent links are used for the same destination.
  • Some labels are incorrectly used.
  • HTML is used to format content.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact IT Service Desk:

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

We have induction loops in main lecture venues, and we have portable loops that may be set up if requested in advance. We also have a Roger pen to assist visitors who use hearing aids.

We can provide a text relay service for people who are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment who are contacting us by phone.

British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via the online BSL Video Relay Interpreting service from Contact Scotland BSL. We will also try to arrange a BSL interpreter for visitors who need that support, but this should be requested in advance as availability is limited.

Find out how to contact the University. 

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The University of St Andrews is committed to making its website 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 (WCAG) version 2.1 AA standard due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

Classic Catalogue is deprecated and will not be fixed. We will try to fix as many as possible of the issues listed below using the alternative Library search. Library search is not currently compliant, but we are working with the software supplier, Innovative Interfaces Inc, to fix this.

Images

Some images don’t have a text alternative, so the information in them isn’t available to people using a screen reader. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

Forms

There are forms and interactive elements such as carousels which do not meet multiple AA success criteria. 

  • Orientation (1.3.4)
  • Colour contrast (1.4.3)
  • Resize text (1.4.4)
  • Reflow (1.4.10)
  • Non-text contrast (1.4.11)
  • Text spacing (1.4.12)
  • Headings and labels (2.4.6)
  • Focus visible (2.4.7)
  • Consistent navigation (3.2.3)
  • Error suggestion (3.3.3)

Contrast issues

Some pages contain elements with low contrast between the element and its background. This can cause text to be difficult to read, especially for those with low vision, poor eyesight, or colour blindness (Success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast - minimum).

Issues with focus indicator

Some elements may not always display effective focus indication when interacting with elements (Success criterion 2.4.7 Focus visible).

HTML is used to format content

There are some table elements that use attributes such as "cellpadding". CSS should be used instead. This fails criterium 1.3.1 Info and Relationships.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We recognise that Classic Catalogue is not fully compliant. The website is deprecated from a development perspective, and we encourage users to use Library search instead. Although Library search is only partially compliant, we are working with the software supplier, Innovative Interfaces Inc, to ensure compliance.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 18 September 2020. It was last reviewed on 3 September 2024.

Classic Catalogue is tested on a regular basis, using an accessibility tool provided by Siteimprove. This tool tests a sample of web pages and provides a report on accessibility issues. 

Issues are prioritised according to the severity of the impact it may cause, the number of people who may be impacted and the time involved in resolving the issue.