Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
1. Buttons without discernible text
Pagination controls on the course search, news listing, and search results pages contain icon-only buttons (for example, page number and navigation buttons within .m-filter__pagination) that have no visible label, aria-label, aria-labelledby, or title attribute. Screen reader users cannot determine the purpose of these buttons.
This affects pages including /course-search-apply-now-step-1/, /news/, and /search/.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
2. Select element without an accessible name
A sort-order dropdown (#sortBy) on the course search and search results pages has no associated label, aria-label, or aria-labelledby attribute. Screen reader users cannot determine the purpose of this control.
This affects pages including /course-search-apply-now-step-1/ and /search/.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
3. Images without alternative text
A small number of images across the site do not have an alt attribute or have an empty alt attribute where the image conveys meaningful content. Screen reader users receive no information about what these images show.
Manual testing also identified images where alt text is present but not meaningful — for example, images labelled "Carlisle College 18", "Carlisle College Business 1", or "Shutterstock". These descriptions do not convey the content or purpose of the image to screen reader users.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
4. Insufficient colour contrast — green call-to-action buttons
Call-to-action buttons with the class .a-btn--variant-1 display white text on a green background (#95c123). The contrast ratio is 2.11:1, significantly below the required 4.5:1 threshold for normal-sized text. This issue is present on a large number of pages across the site.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
5. Links without discernible text
A number of links across the site use only an SVG icon as their visible content. Where the icon has aria-hidden="true" and no aria-label, aria-labelledby, title, or screen-reader-only text is provided, these links have no accessible name. Screen reader users cannot determine the destination or purpose of these links.
Affected elements include .a-btn.a-btn--primary links on the homepage and other listing pages that navigate to sections such as /facilities/, /support/travel-and-transport/, and /student-life/.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
6. Touch target size below minimum
A number of interactive elements across the site — including links and buttons — have a clickable/touch target area smaller than the 24×24 CSS pixel minimum required by WCAG 2.2. This can make navigation difficult for users with motor impairments on touch devices.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
7. Missing language attribute on HTML element
On a small number of pages, the <html> element does not have a lang attribute declaring the primary language of the page. Screen readers and translation tools rely on this attribute to interpret and render content correctly.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
8. Frames without titles
A small number of <iframe> elements on the site do not have a title attribute. This makes it impossible for screen reader users to identify the purpose of the embedded content before navigating into it.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
9. Viewport zoom restricted
On a small number of pages, a <meta name="viewport"> tag is configured in a way that prevents users from scaling or zooming the page. This prevents users with low vision from enlarging text and content to a readable size.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
10. Navigation menus not keyboard accessible
The main site navigation dropdowns for "Study Areas", "Careers", and "Term Dates" cannot be reached or opened using keyboard navigation alone. The Tab key skips past these items, and pressing Enter or Space does not open the dropdown menus. Once opened via mouse, the dropdowns cannot be closed using the Escape key. Users who rely on a keyboard — including screen reader users — cannot access the content within these navigation sections.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
11. Hover-triggered navigation content cannot be dismissed
Navigation dropdowns for "Study Areas" and "Careers" appear when the mouse hovers over the menu items but cannot be dismissed by pressing the Escape key while the pointer remains in that area. Users with low vision who use screen magnification, or those who trigger a dropdown inadvertently, cannot easily dismiss the content.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
12. Cookie consent banner not fully keyboard accessible
The cookie preferences panel cannot be dismissed using the Escape key and must be closed by pressing Enter on the close (×) button only.
This may involve a third-party cookie management component; we are investigating what direct control is available.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
13. Keyboard focus indicators have insufficient visibility
When navigating the site using a keyboard, the visible focus indicator is difficult to distinguish on several element types: a black outline against blue radio button controls is not sufficiently distinct; a teal border around arrow-style links is barely visible against similar background colours; and the outline on linked images is unclear when displayed over photographs. At higher zoom levels, the focus indicator on the cookie preferences panel also overlaps surrounding content.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.11 Focus Appearance (Level AA).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
14. Keyboard focus resets after pagination interaction
On the Course Search / Apply Now page, activating a paginated search result via keyboard causes focus to reset to the top of the page. The user must re-navigate through all search criteria fields before reaching the results area again, making repeated use of the search pagination impractical for keyboard-only users.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
15. Embedded video without accessible alternative
A YouTube video embedded on the home page has no audio description, transcript, or other accessible text alternative. Users who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have visual impairments may not be able to access the information conveyed in the video.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Level A) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
16. Search field relies on placeholder text only
The search field on the home page and course search field on the Course Search / Apply Now page uses placeholder text as its only visible label. Placeholder text disappears when the user begins typing, leaving no persistent visible indication of the field's purpose.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) and WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
