Accessibility statement for Lancaster eStream

This accessibility statement applies to the Lancaster eStream website (https://estream.lancaster.ac.uk). This site is based on a third-party product called Planet eStream and provides management of on-demand user generated video content. As Planet eStream is a third-party piece of software we have limited control over the changes we can make to it.

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

  • zoom in up to 200% 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

AbilityNet 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:

  • The purpose of some of the pages is not clear from the titles and headings
  • Some functionality such as forms, buttons and dialog boxes cannot be accessed using a keyboard and screen reader. This mostly affects customisation options for the interface (e.g. layout options) rather than core functionality.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact us if you have an accessibility query including:

  • If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or Braille.
  • If you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using Lancaster eStream
  • If you find an accessibility problem not listed on this statement
  • If you have positive feedback on the accessibility considerations made.

We’ll consider your request/comment and 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 the requirements of the accessibility regulations, please contact us to register your difficulty. This helps us improve our systems.

What to do if your problem isn’t dealt with satisfactory

If you have contacted us about an accessibility problem (e.g. because you needed information in a different format, or you think we're not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations) but you feel that this has not been dealt with satisfactorily we want to know.

The first stage would be to raise your concern informally. The aim of this stage is to achieve a quick and easy solution for you. It would be appropriate to take the concern through the relevant contact listed above for reporting an accessibility problem.

But if we do not deal with your concern satisfactorily you can take it through to a formal complaint. See our Concerns, complaints and enforcement information.

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)

Technical information about this websites accessibility

Lancaster University 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 version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Skip to content

The skip to main content link is not correctly coded on all pages, which may make it difficult for users to skip to the main content of the page when using a screen reader. (WCAG 2.4.1)

Field labels

Form controls (such as search boxes, dropdown selectors, and submit buttons) do not always have labels so it may be difficult for those using assistive technologies to understand their purpose. (WCAG 1.3.1)

Missing Anchor

Some links point to anchors on the page that do not exist (related to “Skip to content” issue) which may make pages difficult or confusing to navigate as links may not take users to their expected destination. (WCAG 2.4.1)

Image in link alt text

Some image links - such as the video thumbnail links on various pages - do not contain alt text or titles, which may make it difficult for those using assistive technologies to know the destination of the link.

Missing H1

Some pages do not have a top-level (H1) header specified, which may make it harder for users to understand the purpose of the page and nature of its content. (WCAG 1.3.1)

Interactive component distance

Some small links or buttons are too close together, which may make it difficult for people with physical impairments to click them. (WCAG 2.5.8)

Form control contrast

The search field on some pages does not have sufficient contrast with its surroundings, which may make it difficult for some users to see. (WCAG 1.4.11)

Heading text

Some pages contain headings in the source code which do not contain any text, which may cause confusion regarding page structure to those using assistive technologies. (WCAG 1.3.1)

Screen reader links

Multiple hyperlinks (particularly those in pop-ups) cannot be read by a screen reader or selected using a keyboard, which makes them unusable to people with visual or physical impairments. (WCAG 4.1.2)

Page language

The language of some pages is not specified in the source code, which may make it more difficult for people using certain assistive technologies (such as text-to-speech software) to access the content. (WCAG 3.1.1)

Form submit button

Some forms may be missing a submit button which means that some people using assistive technologies may not be able to submit all forms. (WCAG 3.2.2)

Page titles

The titles of some pages do not make the purpose of the page entirely clear. This will make it difficult for people using some assistive technologies to discern the purpose of the page when it first opens or when they first switch to the tab. (WCAG 2.4.2)

Potential headings

On some pages, there is text that appears to be a heading, but is not defined as a heading in the source code. This may make it difficult for those using assistive technologies to understand the structure and purpose of the page. (WCAG 1.3.1)

Duplicate IDs

The element IDs for some links in the tour for new users are duplicated in the code. This may make it more difficult for those using assistive technologies to interact with the content. (WCAG 4.1.1)

Text contrast

Some small text doesn’t contrast sufficiently with its background, which may make it difficult for some visually impaired users to read. (WCAG 1.4.3)

Link purpose

The purpose of some hyperlinks is not clear from the text of the link, which will make it harder for some users to understand the destination of the link. (WCAG 2.4.4)

Dialog labels

Some dialogs do not have an accessible label that can be read out by a screen reader. This means that some users may find it difficult to know the purpose of the dialog. (WCAG 1.3.1)

Table headers

Some tables do not have headers defined in the code, which may make it difficult for those using assistive technologies to understand the meaning of the values in the table. (WCAG 1.3.1)

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We will continue to work with the supplier to address the accessibility issues highlighted and deliver a solution or suitable work around. As eStream is a third party system we have limited ability to make any changes ourselves, but we are currently working with eStream to help improve the accessibility of their new interface, which is due to be introduced at Lancaster in 2025.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 4 December 2024.

This website was last tested on 2 December 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The test was carried out by Lancaster University. A sample of pages were selected for testing based on the pages we would expect be most commonly used by staff and students, these were:

  • Home page
  • MyHome
  • Main individual video page
  • Video editor
  • Upload page
  • Categories
  • Web Recorder
  • Tv and Radio Archive
  • Playlist
  • Content List

Pages were tested using automatic and assisted testing via Silktide Accessibility Checker and Axe DevTools. Screenreader compatibility was tested using NVDA and Silktide’s built-in screen reader simulator.