Accessibility Statement for LSE Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

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.

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

About LSE Moodle

LSE Moodle is LSE’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and is hosted and managed by the LSE Eden Centre’s Digital Education team. 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. Moodle 4.1 has been built in accordance with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines. The Moodle VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) provides further information on how it conforms to the 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

Navigation by links

Navigation by keyboard

Navigation by voice

Listen to content using your preferred technology

Text-to-speech

Screen readers

Using your preferred assistive technology

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

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

• Apple Accessibility Features - Overview of Apple accessibility tools.

• DTS Assistive Technologies - DTS web page on assistive technology at LSE.

• Disability and Mental Health Service - assistive technology and making your device easier to use.

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.

Moodle Plugins

At LSE, we use 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

• Gradescope Accessibility

• H5P Accessibility

• Leganto Accessibility

• Turnitin Accessibility

• Zoom Accessibility

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

Content level accessibility definition

At LSE, academic teams build the individual Programme, Departmental and Course pages and create and upload teaching, learning and assessment resources to them e.g. 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.

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.

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 and Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Issues with LSE Moodle at the system level

In addition to issues tracked by the Moodle development community (see system level accessibility definition) we have identified issues that we are aware of that are particularly relevant to the LSE Moodle platform.

• The headings structure in the Moodle quiz module impacts upon the navigability for screen reader users.

• NVDA’s element list will occasionally omit the first item from the list of landmarks in courses in Grid Format. We are working to resolve this issue. Current workarounds include navigating by headings or links instead, turning off stylesheets, switching to JAWS, or changing user view to topics format.

• The Moodle Messages platform provides no new message notifications, which negatively affects the usability of the platform for screen reader users.

Display contrast issues

• Week/Topic section headings have white text with red background.

• Turn editing on button has white text with grey background providing insufficient contrast for some users. Contrast can be adjusted using browser plugins such as the High Contrast plugin for Google Chrome.

Issues with LSE Moodle at the content level

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.

• Some audio and video materials do not have text based closed captions or transcripts.

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

Some PowerPoint, Word and PDF documents that are essential to learning, teaching and assessment 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.

• Missing headings in some Moodle created content (e.g. in descriptions for activities and resources, labels and pages) impacts upon the navigability for screen reader users.

• Some links in Moodle created content have been inadequately named (e.g. click here). Links should be descriptive and independently meaningful rather than repetitive and only meaningful in a visual context.

• Navigation by keyboard: Some Moodle courses have been set up using layouts that contain hidden and collapsed content. The hidden and collapsed content cannot be searched from the main page in which they are located. Users need to navigate to specific sections to be able to search for specific content. Although this content is accessible, Keyboard only navigation requires additional steps to reach and search the hidden and collapsed content.

Listening to content

• Some images and audio video materials have not been provided with meaningful alt-text, captions or transcriptions and are not perceivable to assistive technologies.

• All new recordings are transcribed using Automatic Speech Recognition, these transcriptions are likely to contain inaccuracies. If you require higher quality transcription or captions for recorded lectures, please get in touch with the Disability and Mental Health Service for assistance.

Other known issues

Some content created with other tools (e.g. MS Word docs, MS PowerPoint slides, PDF docs) and subsequently uploaded to Moodle are poorly formatted for accessibility purposes and are difficult to access and utilise using assistive technologies.

Disproportionate burden / Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Archived/legacy Moodle courses and content

The Accessibility Regulations do not require us to fix content within Moodle if not essential to providing our services. Consequently, although we will still make Moodle courses for previous academic sessions available to students (as part of LSE Moodle Archive) we will not retrospectively fix accessibility issues as a matter of course. We will consider specific issues on request.

We will focus our efforts on ensuring that Moodle and new content, created in and uploaded to it, is as accessible as possible.

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 should contact the academic department responsible for the course.

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).

How we tested this website

At the time of writing LSE Moodle has been accessibility tested manually and with semi-automated freely available accessibility checking tools.

Accessibility information included in this statement has been drawn from:

• Accessibility information published on Moodle Developer Resource Centre’s Accessibility page [collated May 2022]

• In-house testing included examining a random selection of pages from across the LSE’s provision using a range of accessibility evaluation tools including WAVE Evaluation Tool for Google Chrome and the NVDA screen reader. [Undertaken December 2020.]

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.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

What have we done so far? (last updated March 2024)

• Undertaken a Moodle content review

• Compiled guidance and training resources on digital accessibility for staff

• Produced a quick guide on digital accessibility essentials

• Developed a digital accessibility Moodle resource

• Delivered digital accessibility workshops for staff and academics.

• Launched Yuja Panorama, a new accessibility checker for Moodle which provides suggestions for improvements and allow students to convert content to alternative formats

• Established a Moodle Baseline for staff, including guidance on digital accessibility standards

• Produced and linked to relevant accessibility statements

In addition, the Eden Centre’s Inclusive Education team and Digital Education team are able to provide support and guidance around wider accessibility and inclusion practices.

We are working to implement the LSE Inclusive Education Action Plan which aims to improve accessibility and inclusion through a combination of provision enhanced guidance, staff training, accessible document templates, regular audits of Moodle courses and increased use of Moodle course accessibility checklists and Yuja Panorama.

Staff are encouraged to make the most of inbuilt accessibility checkers such as those included in Office 365 and only then check with Yuja Panorama when uploading to Moodle.

Future developments

• Updating and relaunching our training and guidance for staff (Summer 2024).

• We are planning to work with an external consultant to complete another accessibility audit of all of our web properties.

• In addition we will be working on an accessibility roadmap for Moodle and education technology applications in use at LSE.

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.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 07 December 2020. It was last revised March 2024.