LSE Moodle Accessibility Statement

This Accessibility Statement is provided by the London School of Economics and Political Science in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the Accessibility Regulations). The School seeks to ensure that people are treated equitably, regardless of age, disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or personal circumstances.  

Priority 3 of the LSE 2030 Strategy is to “Develop LSE for everyone”. An accessible VLE is an essential part of this strategy. 

About LSE Moodle 

LSE Moodle, is LSE’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and is hosted and managed by the LSE Eden Centre Digital Education. LSE is currently using Moodle 4.1 with a bespoke theme that has been developed by an external contractor.  Moodle hosts teaching and learning resources and activities and is built by the Moodle project, which is led and coordinated by Moodle HQ. Moodle HQ is financially supported by a network of over 80 Moodle Partner service companies worldwide. Moodle HQ's goal is for Moodle to be fully accessible and usable for all users regardless of ability and is built in accordance with the  WCAG 2.2 guidelines.  

LSE aims to ensure that teaching, learning and assessment resources built in and/or uploaded to Moodle are fully accessible to all users.  

Using Moodle 

The following sections identify the main accessibility features that you should be able to use in Moodle. 

View Moodle pages in your preferred way 

You can change colours, contrast levels and fonts and zoom into pages up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen. This has been tested in multiple browsers using the native zoom function and the extensions High Contrast, Colour Enhancer and Midnight Lizard. 

Navigate Moodle and its content using your preferred method 

Navigation using Headings 

Moodle has an inbuilt headings structure that should enable screen readers and other assistive technologies to list and navigate to headings and sub-headings. 

Navigation by Links 

Moodle has many in-built links that are used for navigation purposes. These have meaningful names indicating their purpose and destination. Users of assistive technology such as screen readers should be able to access a list of all the links on a page and understand their purpose from the link text. 

Navigation by Keyboard 

Moodle has been designed to enable navigation around most of the site using just a keyboard. All components on a Moodle page should be focusable with the keyboard (available in the tab sequence) and should allow the focus to be moved away using only the keyboard. 

Navigation by voice 

Moodle is navigable using Dragon speech recognition software when using the Windows operating system and by using Voice Control on MacOS. 

Listen to content using your preferred technology 

Text-to-speech 

Users should be able to listen to content selected with the mouse or keyboard using text to speech browser plugins or other assistive technologies. 

Screen readers 

Users should be able to listen to and navigate around Moodle using a screen reader. Moodle uses standard ARIA structures and officially supports a range of screen readers NVDA Screen Reader (Windows), JAWS Screen Reader (Windows), Chromevox Screen Reader (Linux, Chrome OS, Windows, Mac OS X), Orca Screen Reader (Linux) 

Using your preferred assistive technology 

• My Computer My Way guide provided by AbilityNet – make your device easier to use if you have a disability. 

• DTS Assistive Web Service – DTS  web page on assistive technology at LSE. 

• Windows Accessibility Features – Overview of accessibility tools in Windows 11. 

• Apple Accessibility Features – Overview of Apple accessibility tools. 

• LSE’s Disability and Mental Health Service – Overview of the support available at LSE  

Assessing accessibility of the LSE Moodle platform 

The accessibility of the LSE Moodle platform is considered at two levels: system level and content level. 

System level accessibility definition 

The LSE Moodle platform is a complex system with many bespoke and customised parts. Its code is always evolving. From time to time, new modules (e.g. plugins, code patches) are added to the system and others are removed. When considering accessibility at system level we refer to the core Moodle application user interface including all plug-ins and the LSE Moodle theme. 

The Moodle development community supported by the Moodle Accessibility Collaboration Group maintains a detailed list of known accessibility bugs and issues with the Moodle platform. This is subject to continuous change and updating and we will update this accessibility statement annually to include up to date information. 

Please contact eden.digital@lse.ac.uk if you have any questions about Moodle system accessibility. 

Moodle Plugins 

At LSE, we use third party plug-ins with Moodle to enhance the platform for learning, teaching and assessment. The most widely used plugins are Echo 360, H5P, Leganto, Zoom and Turnitin. Each of these have their own accessibility statements which you can view on their websites: 

• Echo 360 Accessibility 

• H5P Accessibility 

• Turnitin Accessibility 

• Zoom 

For information regarding all the plugins used on LSE Moodle, and links to their accessibility statements, see List of Currently Enabled Third-Party Moodle Plug-ins. 

Content level accessibility definition 

At LSE, course editors (academic teams and professional services staff) build and upload the content to individual Moodle pages for Programmes, Departments and Courses. These teaching, learning and assessment resources include: Lecture Slides and Notes, Assignment briefs, Audio and Video resources. When considering content level accessibility, we include all content contributed to the Moodle platform by course editors. 

Although our aim is for teaching, learning and assessment resources built in and/or uploaded to Moodle to be fully accessible to all users, it is not possible to guarantee this. Consequently, it is impossible to say with 100% confidence if every part of LSE Moodle is accessible or not. In this respect, accessibility is a process of continuous improvement in response to our users and the wider technical environment.  

Third party content 

We do not have control over or responsibility for external web resources or journal articles which academic staff may link to. However, it is still important to report issues to your lecturers so they can tell the provider of these resources or journals and/or provide suitable alternatives. 

Non-accessible content 

Technical information about the LSE Moodle Platform accessibility 

LSE is committed to making its LSE Moodle VLE 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. 

How we tested this website 

At the time of writing, LSE Moodle has been audited for accessibility using manual and with semi-automated tests. 

We attempted to assess the accessibility of 

• The Moodle platform itself. 

• The content within and uploaded to Moodle by the academic teams who use them for learning, teaching and assessment.  

Moodle system level issues 

In addition to issues tracked by the Moodle development community (see system level accessibility definition) we have identified the issues detailed below. 

Issues when viewing Moodle 

Colour contrast 

Issue: Not all text across the website may meet the contrast minimum of 4.5:1. This may make some text difficult to read for some users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast). 

Why the issue occurs: Our current Moodle theme includes some buttons that do not meet the minimum contrast required.  

What we are doing about it: We are developing a new Moodle theme, where we will fix the contrast issues.  

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Links only indicated by colour 

Issue: Links are only identified using colour alone. This may make them difficult to identify for some users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color). 

Why the issue occurs: Our current Moodle theme does not underline links unless hovered.  

What we are doing about it: We are developing a new Moodle theme, where we will fix the underlining of links.  

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Content reflowing when zooming to 400% 

Issue: Some content may be harder to view due to the way content reflows when zooming the page to 400% zoom. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow). 

Why the issue occurs: Our current Moodle theme hides and/or restructures some content when the page is zoomed in to 400% zoom.

What we are doing about it: We are developing a new Moodle theme where we will address this issue. 

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Content obscured when applying custom styles 

Issue: Some content may be truncated or cut off when applying custom CSS to the page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.12 (Text Spacing). 

Why the issue occurs: Topic cards are not responsive to their title’s length in courses with a ‘Grid format’ layout. 

What we are doing about it: We are raising this issue with Moodle and reviewing the use of the ‘grid format’ layout ahead of our Moodle 4.5 upgrade.  

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Persistent text labels 

Issue: Text labels that are displayed on hover within the sidebar are unable to be dismissed using the escape key and may overlap other content on the page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.13 (Content on Hover or Focus). 

Why the issue occurs: This is an issue specific to our current Moodle theme. 

What we are doing about it: We are developing a new Moodle theme, where we will fix the persistent text labels.  

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Issues with links and buttons 

Redundant links 

Issue: Some redundant links may be present on Moodle, where the same link is repeated twice in a row resulting in repetition. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). 

Why the issue occurs: This is an issue specific to our current Moodle version. 

What we are doing about it: We are upgrading to Moodle 4.5.  

What to do in the meantime: There is no workaround for the redundant links. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Empty links 

Issue: Some empty links are present on Moodle. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose). 

Why the issue occurs: All pages on Moodle contain a hidden footer with empty links, the Poodll button in the Assigment activity lacks an accessible label, and course images that are linked have no alt text. 

What we are doing about it: We are reporting the issue to Moodle so the hidden footer can be removed, we are reporting the issue to Poodl to fix the button, and we are developing a new Moodle theme where linked course images have a meaningful alt text.  

What to do in the meantime: There is no workaround for the empty links. If you experience barriers using Poodll, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Links not accessible by tabbing 

Issue: Links within Moodle’s top navigation bar are not accessible by tabbing with a keyboard as expected. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard). 

Why the issue occurs: This is an issue specific to our current Moodle theme and how the navigation bar is structured. 

What we are doing about it: We are developing a new Moodle theme, where we will fix the navigation bar’s structure.  

What to do in the meantime: Please use arrow keys instead of tab to navigate the elements in the navigation bar.  

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

File upload with Dragon Naturally Speaking 

Issue: Files are unable to be uploaded whist navigating using Dragon Naturally Speaking. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: this issue is a known ongoing issue with the Dragon Naturally Speaking software and affects any website with file upload.  

What we are doing about it: this is outside our control but we are regularly monitoring Nuance to check if the issue has been fixed. 

What to do in the meantime: Navigate the activity by voice, for example “press Tab”. 

We plan to resolve this by:  As this is outside of our control, we cannot provide a resolution timeline. 

Issues with keyboard navigation 

Illogical tabbing order 

Issue: The tab focus order of the navigation sidebar is not always logical: if the sidebar is not expanded, the icons appear at the end of the focus order. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order). 

Why the issue occurs: This is an issue specific to our current Moodle theme. 

What we are doing about it: We are developing a new Moodle theme, where we will fix the tab focus order for the navigation sidebar.  

What to do in the meantime: To bring the sidebar navigation’s icon to the top of the tabbing order, please click on the ‘hamburger’ button to expand the sidebar. 

We plan to resolve this by: September 2025.  

Access keys or single character shortcuts 

Issue: Access keys or single character shortcuts are present on the website which may interfere with shortcuts for assistive technologies. This does not fail any particular success criteria but we want to address it as it can create barriers for our users. 

Why the issue occurs: In the Assignment activity, there are access keys for teachers grading submissions. 

What we are doing about it: We are raising this issue with Moodle so a more accessible solution can be found. 

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: August 2026 

Issues with screen readers 

Lists announced incorrectly by screen readers 

Issue: Some list elements may contain inappropriate elements that may result in the list announcing incorrectly when focused by the screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships). 

Why the issue occurs: This issue affects courses with a ‘collapsible topics’ layout, which includes HTML syntax errors.  

What we are doing about it: We are raising this issue with Moodle and reviewing the use of the ‘collapsible topics’ layout ahead of our Moodle 4.5 upgrade.  

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: August 2026 

Iframe without a title 

Issue: The Yuja Panorama report lacks a suitable title to describe its iframe. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: Yuja Panorama’s report page sits within an iframe but has no declared title. 

What we are doing about it: We have raised the issue with Yuja Panorama.  

What to do in the meantime: If you encounter barriers due to this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: August 2025 

Visual names not matching accessible name 

Issue: The visual name of interactive elements may not match the accessible name. This may result in some speech recognition software being unable to interact with the element by saying the visual name. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name). 

Why the issue occurs: Filter functions and links to courses in ‘My courses’ have a different name than the one displayed. “Flag this question” links in Quiz activities also have a different name than the one displayed.  

What we are doing about it: We are reporting these issues to Moodle so the accessible names of the elements match the visual name.  

What to do in the meantime: use your speech recognition software’s “show links”, “show numbers” or “show grid” commands.  

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

Hidden focusable elements 

Issue: Some elements that have been marked using aria-hidden contain focusable elements which may not be focusable using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: The side navigation bar and the ‘Clear my choice’ button in Quiz activities are marked using aria-hidden. Although we have not encountered barriers during our testing, there may be for some users. 

What we are doing about it: We are reporting these issues to Moodle so the relevant elements can be modified.  

What to do in the meantime: If you experience barriers because of this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

Incorrect aria 

Issue: Some elements may not be using aria attribute correctly, which may result in some content announcing unexpectedly by the screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: Topics in courses with a ‘collapsed topics’ format use the wrong aria role attribute, so do item cards in ‘Recently accessed items’, as well as the search box in grading page in Assignment activities. 

What we are doing about it: We are reporting these issues to Moodle so the relevant elements can be modified.  

What to do in the meantime: If you experience barriers because of this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

Buttons and mobile screen readers   

Issue: some decorative images may be focused and announced whilst navigating using mobile screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: Moodle has some buttons with icons in them that are not built robustly. 

What we are doing about it: We are reporting these issues to Moodle so the relevant elements can be modified.  

What to do in the meantime: If you experience barriers because of this issue, please email the Digital Education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

Edit mode and iOS VoiceOver 

Issue: The “edit mode” slider in the header is focused twice when navigating with iOS VoiceOver. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: iOS VoiceOver reads the “Edit mode” label and then announces the slider as “Edit mode tic box”. 

What we are doing about it: We are reporting this issues to Moodle so the “edit mode” label is announced only once. 

What to do in the meantime: There is no work around this issue. 

We plan to resolve this by: August 2026 

Dropdowns and screen readers 

Issue: When drop downs are focused by a screen reader, the currently selected value is not announced by the screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: Dropdowns across Moodle do not announce their state, only the fact that it is a dropdown.  

What we are doing about it: We are raising this issue with Moodle so they can fix the dropdown element. 

What to do in the meantime: When interacting a dropdown while using a screen reader, please expand the dropdown and navigate the options. The screen reader will announce which of the options is currently selected. 

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

JAWS repeats information 

Issue: JAWS screen reader repeats certain elements multiple times, which can be confusing and disorienting. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value). 

Why the issue occurs: When viewing comments in the Assignment activity, the word “comment” is announced as many times as there are comments, and when viewing the grader report, links to graded activities are read multiple times. 

What we are doing about it: We are raising this issue with Moodle so they can fix the affected elements. 

What to do in the meantime: There is no workaround for the comments issue in Assignment submissions. If you use JAWS, please avoid using the grader report, please email your department or course convenor if you need information regarding your grades. 

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

Error and new state messages not announced to screen readers 

Issue: Some error messages are not announced as they are presented by the screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.3 (Status Messages). 

Why the issue occurs: In Quiz activities, immediate feedback received is not announced. In editing mode, when moving an element within the course topics, the move being completed is not announced. 

What we are doing about it: We are raising this issue with Moodle so they can fix the affected elements. 

What to do in the meantime: If you are a screen reader user and you are completing a quiz, please note that when you click “Check” to check your answer the page will reload and the feedback will be located after the question you just checked. 

We plan to resolve this by: Resolving this issue is out of our control and we cannot offer a resolution timeline. 

Content level issues 

Moodle pages at LSE are populated by Moodle users including academic teams, professional services staff, and sometimes students. LSE is a big and diverse community and not everyone is aware on how to make Moodle content accessible.  

What we are doing about it:  

• Enhancing our guidance and provision of staff training. 

• Raising awareness around digital accessibility. 

• Providing and promoting the use of Moodle course accessibility checklists. 

• Researching tools and techniques for staff and students to add captions and audio descriptions to their videos. 

• Conducting regular audits of Moodle courses.  

Although our aim is for teaching, learning and assessment resources built in and/or uploaded to Moodle to be fully accessible to all users, it is not possible to guarantee this. Consequently, it is impossible to say with 100% confidence if every part of LSE Moodle is accessible or not. In this respect, accessibility is a process of continuous improvement in response to our users and the wider technical environment.  

Issues with Text 

• Some content added to Moodle courses is not structured with appropriate Headings to aid navigation for screen readers. 

• Some hyperlink text doesn’t make sense when read on its own (for example, ‘click here’).  

• Some resources/files uploaded to Moodle courses do not have meaningful names to aid navigation and discovery of content (e.g. PowerPoints simply named “Slides.ppt” providing no indication of the topic or information covered). 

Issues with images, video and audio 

• Some images do not have meaningful alternative text, so people using a screen reader may be confused as to the purpose or description of the image.  

• Some content is arranged visually using data tables instead, which can cause issues for screen reader users. 

• Some audio and video materials do not have text based closed captions or transcripts and are not perceivable to assistive technologies. 

• Automated transcripts are likely to contain inaccuracies. All new recordings are transcribed using Automatic Speech Recognition.  

• Some video materials do not have an audio description track. 

Issues with content in documents e.g. PowerPoint, Word and PDF 

Some content uploaded to Moodle is created with other tools (for example PowerPoint, Word and PDF documents) and may not meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be marked up to ensure they are accessible to assistive technologies. 

Issues relating to the availability of accessible learning, teaching and assessment documents within Moodle should be raised first with the teaching team responsible for the Moodle course. If you continue to experience issues, you should contact eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

Things we cannot fix / Disproportionate burden  

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues listed below in relation to the benefits for people with disabilities, considering the frequency and duration of use, and their impact on learning and assessment. We believe that fixing these issues now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will make another assessment when we next update our accessibility statement, likely to be in 2026.  

Accurate transcripts and captions for lecture recordings 

Currently, all new lecture recordings are transcribed using Automatic Speech Recognition, which are likely to include inaccuracies.  

If you require higher quality transcription or captions for recorded lectures, please get in touch with the LSE Disability and Mental Health Service for assistance.  

Audio descriptions for pre-recorded videos 

Many of the videos on our Moodle do not include an audio-description track. 

H5P interactive content 

Some content created in H5P presents serious barriers to screen reader users, particularly around multi-language content.  

What to do if you cannot access parts of LSE Moodle 

If you need information on LSE Moodle, such as course content, in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille you can use the Yuja Panorama alternative formats. If that is not applicable, you should contact the academic department responsible for the course. 

If continue to experience issues after contacting the responsible teaching team or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact the Eden Centre Digital Education team at Eden.digital@lse.ac.uk 

Reporting accessibility problems with LSE Moodle 

Issues relating to the availability of accessible learning, teaching and assessment content within Moodle should be raised first with the teaching team responsible for the Moodle course.  

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of LSE Moodle and content available within it. If you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page, continue to experience issues after contacting the responsible teaching team or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact the Eden Centre Digital Education team at Eden.digital@lse.ac.uk 

Enforcement procedure 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Accessibility Regulations. If you’re not happy with the response contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS). 

Contacting us 

If you have any questions in relation to this accessibility statement or would like to notify us of a Moodle system level accessibility issue, you can contact the Eden Centre digital education team at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk. 

What we’re doing to improve accessibility 

What have we done so far? 

Our aim is for resources built in and/or uploaded to our LSE Moodle to be fully accessible to all users, as reflected in Priority 3 of the LSE 2030 Strategy – “Develop LSE for everyone”. Our efforts focus on: 

• Making our tools accessible. 

• Empowering our users to create accessible content. 

Our tools 

• Added Yuja Panorama, an accessibility checker to LSE Moodle 

• Undertaken a Moodle content review and Moodle audit. 

• Produced and linked to relevant accessibility statements. 

• Periodically reviewing the accessibility of our digital tools. 

Empowering the LSE community 

• Provide guidance on accessibility expectations through the provision of a Moodle Baseline for staff. 

• Compiled guidance and training resources on digital accessibility for staff, including a quick guide on digital accessibility essentials and a digital accessibility Moodle resource 

• Encourage staff to use inbuilt accessibility checkers such as those included in Office 365 and only then check with Yuja Panorama when uploading to Moodle. 

The Inclusive Education team have also produced training for academics. This includes: 

• A quick guide on digital accessibility essentials 

• A digital accessibility Moodle resource 

Future developments 

We will commission a Moodle content audit to identify common issues, create guidance and a model/framework for teams to audit their own course pages and content.

Preparation of this accessibility statement 

This statement was prepared on 07 December 2020. It was last revised July 2025 .