Accessibility Advocate

Accessibility statement for the student experience of Symplicity Advocate

This accessibility statement applies to the student experience of the Advocate web application, which is developed by Symplicity and configured and populated with content by our clients and their constituents. We are continually improving the user experience by applying relevant accessibility standards. We are committed to:

• ensuring that this web application achieves “Level AA” conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
• striving for this web application to achieve “Level AAA” conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
• including conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 when we procure3rd-party systems or upgrades to existing systems.

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

• zoom in without the text spilling off the screen
• navigate most of the web application using just a keyboard
• listen to most of the web application using an up-to-date browser and screen reader

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

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

How accessible this web application is

We know some parts of this web application are not fully accessible:

• the calendar is not fully accessible with a keyboard and screen reader
• some PDF documents may not be easy to navigate with a screen reader

What to do if you cannot access parts of this web application

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

• Call or email the office or department in your university/organization. Contact information is usually found in the footer of the Advocate web application.

Reporting accessibility problems with this web application

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of Advocate. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact us. Our product support team will review your message and follow up via email.

Enforcement procedure

Enforcement varies by country and locality. The list below is partial.

In the United States, the Office of Civil Rights is responsible for enforcing Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In the UK, 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’).

In Northern Ireland, the Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Find out how to contact us on our web site.

Technical information about this web application’s accessibility

Symplicity is committed to making its web application accessible, in accordance with:

• the US Section 508 of the American with Disabilities Act
• the UK Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018

Compliance status

This web application is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 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

We continually prioritize accessibility improvements based on analytics and data. We try to make accessibility improvements a high priority. Usually, we are able to make accessibility improvements very quickly. Some improvements are complex and require more time for planning, development and testing.

Disproportionate burden

Calendar

The calendar does not provide markup that provides information and establishes relationships in a way that can be understood by a screen reader user. The calendar does not provide critical functionality, because it summarizes information that can be obtained accessible formats on other pages.

Generated PDFs

PDF documents are typically used for official letters and case histories. These PDFs are generated programmatically and may not be fully accessible. PDF accessibility can only be achieved by manual process on a per-document basis. In almost all cases, the information included in PDF form is available in an alternative accessible format. Going forward, we plan to make these accessible formats easier to access.

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues above. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden / undue burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations. We will re-assess this at least once per calendar year.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

We have not identified any content that is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations.

How we tested this web application

This web application was last tested on May 6, 2020. The test was carried out by a Symplicity accessibility specialist. In this test, we used critical path analysis, usage data, and our knowledge of the application architecture to determine a sample of pages to test.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

Accessibility is a consideration at every stage of our process. Accessibility training is required for every designer and developer who works on the user interface. Automated and manual evaluations are performed throughout the design, development, and quality assurance process. Remediation of accessibility issues are given a high priority, and is generally performed in a timely manner.

Our accessibility roadmap is available upon to our current and prospective clients upon request.

This statement was prepared on September 23, 2020. It was last updated May 31, 2023.