Using Moodle
This Virtual Learning Environment (learning.canetwork.org.uk) is run by the Cambridge Assessment Network, Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this environment and take part in the activities. For example, you should be able to:
- Zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
- Navigate most of the Virtual Learning Environment using just a keyboard
- Listen to most of the Virtual Learning Environment using a screen reader
- Navigate most of the Virtual Learning Environment using speech recognition software.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
The accessibility of Moodle
We know that some parts of the Virtual Learning Environment are not fully accessible:
- Video content may have poor-quality or missing captions or transcripts
- Audio content may have missing captions or transcripts
- Colour contrast in link text is low
- There are documents (such as PDFs, spreadsheets, Word documents, presentations, etc.) that may not be fully accessible, e.g., to screen reader software or keyboard-only access
- Some courses may be hard to navigate
- You cannot modify the line height or spacing of text
- In places, the contrast between colours is not accessible
- Tool tips will not be read out by screen reader software
- Popup content is not read out by screen reader software
- In some parts of the system, Aria labels and headings are missing.
What to do if you can’t access parts of this Virtual Learning Environment
If you need course content in an alternative format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, you can contact thenetwork@cambridgeassessment.org.uk.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this Virtual Learning Environment. For technical or system issues, accessibility-related queries or feedback or if you find any problems that are not listed on this page, please email the Cambridge Assessment Network team via thenetwork@cambridgeassessment.org.uk.
Technical information about Moodle’s accessibility
The Cambridge Assessment Network team is committed to making the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment accessible. This website 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. The WCAG 2.1 success criterion not met by the issue is given in at the end of each line.
- It is not possible for users to modify text spacing or line height (1.4.12)
- Help information is presented in tool tips which are not read out by screen reader software (3.3.5)
- The system uses some popups which are not read out by screen reader software (1.3.1)
- The system lacks some Aria labels and headings used by screen readers (2.4.6)
- Some buttons include text without the accessible name (label, alternative text, aria-label, etc.) in the visible text (2.5.3).
Issues with PDFs and other documents
- Course creators and individuals uploading content to Moodle are responsible for the accessibility of the documents to the widest possible range of users.
- Older PDFs, PowerPoint presentations and Word documents uploaded into the system do not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be marked up so they’re accessible to a screen reader, may lack headings, or other navigation aids. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2.
- Courses that feature documents or PDFs such as historical exam papers that were not originally meant for web use are especially unlikely to have been fixed for accessibility issues.
- As per point above, some courses feature links to third-party content such as historical exam papers that were not originally meant for web use.
- Some courses have PDFs of presentation slides available that were originally meant to be delivered live with the course by the presenter. These may not be fully accessible.
- Some courses have links to documents and web pages hosted by third-parties that may not be fully accessible.
We’ve assessed the cost of fixing these issues and believe doing so now would exceed what Cambridge Assessment Network can reasonably bear, when weighed up against the benefit it would bring to people with a disability.
Issues with images, video and audio
- There are no alternative formats for some time-based media for video and audio content. This doesn’t meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.2.1.
- Some courses feature images of charts and graphs. A reasonable effort has been made to ensure these images have appropriate alt text, however this may not be enough to convey all the information present to a partially or non-sighted participant.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We are planning to review our courses using the WAVE plugin, plus:
- Evaluating accessibility plugins, which enable content creators to assess the accessibility of their content, and provide alternative formats
- Evaluating embedding SensusAccess into Moodle, which can supply alternative formats.
At regular intervals, we monitor improvements to core code, the CSS theme, and third party plugins released by developers and Moodle.org, such as during minor point and major system upgrades.
We are aware that the uploaded content is unlikely to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards in the majority of cases. Cambridge University Press & Assessment is working on methods to analyse and update content where known and feasible.
This statement was last updated on 7 July 2022.