Accessibility statement for MyUoY app

This accessibility statement applies to the MyUoY mobile app which is available for both iOS and Android devices via the App and Play Stores. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this mobile application. This statement was written for the MyUoY app from version 2.2.1 onward as of 10 June 2024. 

This mobile application is intended for use by current students and staff of the University of York. It requires a University email account to log in.

How accessible the mobile application is

We evaluate this mobile application on a regular basis against WCAG 2.2 AA standards. We know that currently some parts of this mobile application may not work for everyone and some parts of MyUoY are not yet fully accessible. For example:

• The MyUoY app does not currently support landscape mode.
• The MyUoY app does not fully support text resizing up to 200% - while resizing is supported, we know that 200% text causes issues with some of the text elements, especially on smaller devices.
• The MyUoY app uses toast messages to inform users of the result from their action (e.g. adding an event to schedule). Currently, this toast message is time limited (2.5 seconds) and does not move the screen readers’ focus when it appears, which limits its utility to users who rely on assistive technology or might need more time to process the message.

Specific technical details on where we are not fully meeting accessibility standards are listed below (Non-accessible content).  As part of our regular evaluation, we are identifying improvements to add to our product development backlog.

Feedback and contact information

The University of York is committed to making all aspects of university life accessible. Development of this mobile application is coordinated by IT Services in the Directorate of Technology, Estates and Facilities. We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this mobile application. If you find any problems not listed in this statement or you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can report these issues to us and we’ll do our best to take action.

Reporting accessibility problems with this mobile application

To reach IT Services with an accessibility query or report relating to MyUoY you can contact IT Services. We try to provide an initial reply to emails in three business days.

If you would like to learn more, further information on the University of York’s approach to digital accessibility is available.

Enforcement procedure

In the first instance, University of York students and applicants unhappy with our response to reporting of an accessibility issue can follow our complaints 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).

Technical information about MyUoY's accessibility

Compliance status

This mobile application is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA or 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and the exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Non-text content

The MyUoY app contains some decorative images that do not have an alt text attribute marking them as such, meaning assistive technology might not know to ignore them (WCAG 1.1.1). Images are used in the Latest News items, Discovery screen, and Campus Explore screen. The images used for latest news items and discovery screens are provided by external users, but are intended to be decorative. They should not contain any information that is not covered in the written text. In the Campus Explore screen, venues have an image to illustrate the way the venue looks - this is usually a photograph of the exterior (e.g. Buildings) or interior (e.g. Eat & Drink), which cannot be replicated in alt text. In the future, these images will be marked as decorative to clarify their purpose.

Orientation

The MyUoY app does not currently support landscape mode, meaning users are restricted to portrait view (WCAG 1.3.4). This has been added to our product backlog for future development.

Contrast (text elements)

The MyUoY app generally complies with the AA standards on colour contrast of text elements (WCAG 1.4.3). On the Library Card screen, the Library Card number underneath the barcode does not meet the colour contrast standard. The Library Card number is also represented at the top of the page, where it does meet the colour contrast standard. We aim to increase the contrast between the background and library card number in a future release.

Resize text

The MyUoY app does not fully support resizing text up to 200% (WCAG 1.4.4). While parts of the app will likely render correctly (e.g. Library Card, Schedule), there are areas that may cause difficulty when text is zoomed to 200%. If you are experiencing issues accessing areas of the app due to resizing issues, using a magnifier tool might help. Magnifier tools are available on iOS (guidance on setting up iOS magnifier) and Android (guidance on setting up Android magnifier) devices.

The impact of resizing the text to 200% differs between mobile devices with different screen sizes. We are aware of the following areas where text clipping might occur or text might flow outside of the bounds of its component (non-exhaustive list):

• Login screen
• Bottom Menu bar
• The ‘More’ screen
• Latest News items
• Discovery Screen cards in the list
• Campus Explore cards on the category lists
• Campus Explore Opening Hours dropdown component

Complex pointer gestures

The MyUoY app generally uses simple tap or swipe gestures. However, there are a few areas where the app uses path-based gestures without a non-path based alternative (WCAG 2.5.1). The app uses a pull-to-refresh motion across various screens, to allow the user to manually trigger a refresh. Similarly, the app uses vertical and horizontal scrolls across various screens. While these pull-to-refresh and scroll motions are generally robust to some variability in the exact path, they do rely on a directionality in the path, which might cause issues for users with motor impairments. We have added the investigation and implementation of alternative controls to our product backlog for future development.

Target size

The MyUoY app generally uses clickable elements of at least 24 by 24 pixels, except for the ‘Show All’ button in the Discover screen which does not meet this minimum target size (WCAG 2.5.8). We have added the design and implementation of compliant controls to our product backlog for future development.

Timing adjustable (status messages)

The MyUoY app uses pop-up ‘toast’ messages to inform users of the results of certain actions (e.g. adding or removing an event from their schedule). These toast messages currently disappear after a set amount of time (2.5 seconds), which fails to meet the requirements for timing adjustments in WCAG 2.2.1 and/or persistence of information in WCAG 1.4.13. This has been added to our product backlog for future development.

Disproportionate burden

Not applicable at present. 

Content is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Some elements of the Campus Map do not meet a small number of WCAG criteria; however online maps are considered exempt from the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations. Nevertheless, we note these areas for reference and to provide transparency on where the experience for those requiring assistive technology could be improved.

Colour contrast 

Some elements of the Campus Map do not meet colour contrast guidelines (WCAG 1.4.11) between some of the Point Of Interest pins and the map background, as well as some elements of the map that might occur next to each other.

Bypass blocks

When categories of point of interest map markers are activated (e.g. bus stops, parking), large list(s) of markers appear on the map. These markers are screen reader accessible, but screen readers or keyboard-navigation cannot easily navigate out of a list of markers (WCAG 2.4.1). This limits its current utility to users who rely on assistive technology.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

• This statement was prepared on 10 June 2024. 
• This statement was prepared through self-assessment by the University of York, using automated testing frameworks to scan the app (Google Accessibility Scanner for Android), as well as tools (e.g. Color Oracle and Colour Contrast Analyser) to enhance manual testing on a range of real and simulated devices. We evaluated this mobile application against WCAG 2.2 AA standards
• The statement was last reviewed on 10 June 2024. 
• The next review of this statement is planned for 10 June 2025.