Accessibility statement

Accessibility statement: The OpenSTEM Labs

The Open University is committed to making its websites and mobile applications accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This accessibility statement applies to The OpenSTEM Labs website  to which the statement applies.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use our websites and mobile apps, and accessibility is an essential part of our mission. On our Accessibility hub, you'll find everything you need to answer any questions you have about accessibility, whether you're a student or a member of staff.

To adapt the content to your needs or preferences you should be able to: 

• Change colours, contrasts levels and fonts.

• Resize text up to 200% without impact on the functionality of the website. 

• Zoom in up to 400% without loss of information or functionality.  

• Navigate the website using just a keyboard. 

  • tab to ‘Skip to content’ links at the top of the page to jump over repetitive information to the main content. 

  • tab through the content; the current location will be indicated by a clear visual change. 

  • control the embedded media player to play audio and video materials. 

• Use a screen reader (e.g., JAWs, NVDA) to: 

  • listen to the content of web pages and use any functionality on the page. 

  • list the headings and subheadings in the page and then jump to their location on the page. 

  • bring up a list of meaningful links on the page. 

• Use transcripts or closed captions with most audio and video materials. 

• Download learning materials in alternative formats (e.g. Word document, PDF, ePub). 

• If you have a print disability we provide SensusAccess to students, which is an automated service that converts files from one format to another, for example, PDF to text, audio, Word or Braille. 

• AbilityNet also provides advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

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

Group label not associated with radio buttons 

The radio buttons in the filters sort by section are not associated with their corresponding group label. As a result, on tabbing to the radio buttons using a screen reader, the screen reader reads out only the individual labels associated with the radio buttons, and not the group label of the related radio buttons. This impacts screen reader and other assistive technology users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A). This issue will be resolved by April 2026.

Group label not associated with check boxes

Check boxes in the filter section are not associated with their corresponding group label. As a result, on tabbing to the check boxes using a screen reader, the screen reader reads out only the individual labels associated with the check boxes, and not the group label of the related check boxes. This impacts screen reader and other assistive technology users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A). This issue will be resolved by April 2026. 

Date selection status is not announced 

When a date is selected in the booking system, the button associated with the date does not indicate the selection status. This impacts screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A). This issue will be resolved by April 2026. 

Announcement of row and column numbers

When tabbing through the date buttons on the booking page, the row and column numbers of the table are announced by the screen reader along with the dates, making it very verbose. This impacts screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A). This issue will be resolved by April 2026.

Accessing the time selection area is not intuitive

On the booking page, once a date is selected, focus does not automatically move to the time selection area. This impacts keyboard-only and screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A). This issue will be resolved by April 2026.

Booking confirmation message is not automatically announced by screen readers

Although the confirmation message is displayed on the page, it is not automatically announced by screen readers. This impacts screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA). This issue will be resolved by April 2026.

Once a date is chosen, other dates remain visible

On the booking system, once a date is chosen, other dates continue to remain visible before the time selection options appear. This impacts all users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1: Info and Relationships (Level A). This issue will be resolved by April 2026.

The Book Time modal is not correctly marked up

The modal used for booking time is not correctly identified. This impacts screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 3.2.4 Consistent Identification (level AA). This issue will be resolved by April 2026. 

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This website was last tested on 3 March 2025. The website was formally audited on 7 August 2023, however, regularly undergoes accessibility testing.

The testing was carried out by the Accessibility and Usability Evaluation Team at The Open University.

Testing was carried out to ensure compliance with the WCAG 2.2 Success Criteria. The sample used for testing consisted of key pages from the OpenSTEM Labs website. Manual testing was carried out on the sample pages, and this included a review using the NVDA screen reader for Windows and Colour Contrast Analyser among other tools. 

Feedback and contact information

If you find that a certain section of our website is not accessible and you can’t get access to the information that you need please use the Open University Accessibility Feedback Form to request support and we will ensure that you are provided with the information you require. You will need to provide your contact details and Personal Identifier if you are a student so we can get back to you. You should expect to hear back from us within 5 working days.  

The OU is very experienced in meeting accessibility needs for our students. In many cases we are able to provide module and other study support materials in alternative formats for students who indicate a need for this when completing a Disability Support Form 

In addition, some module materials are available in different formats and can be downloaded from module websites. Students can contact their Student Support Team for advice.

If you are a student, or someone who has had contact with the University before, and have a complaint about the accessibility of our websites, you should raise a complaint via the complaints and appeals process.

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 are based in the UK, and you're not hapy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).