Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
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 listing pages (including news) contain icon-only buttons that have no visible label, aria-label, aria-labelledby, or title attribute. Screen reader users cannot determine the purpose of these buttons.
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. Insufficient colour contrast — red brand text
Text elements using the brand red colour (#e41f13) fail minimum contrast requirements when displayed on light backgrounds:
· Red text on a light grey background (#f5f5f5) achieves a contrast ratio of 4.27:1, just below the 4.5:1 threshold required for normal-sized text.
· Red text on a light green-grey background (#e6ebe3) achieves a contrast ratio of 3.85:1.
These issues affect multiple 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.
3. Links without discernible text
A number of links across the site — including news card links and social media links — use only an SVG icon or an empty <span class="sr-only"> as their content. Where no accessible text is provided, these links have no accessible name. Screen reader users cannot determine the destination or purpose of these links.
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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Form inputs without labels
One or more form fields across the site do not have an associated visible label or accessible name. Users of screen readers cannot determine the purpose of these fields without independently identifying the surrounding context.
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.
7. 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.
8. Navigation menus and expandable content not keyboard accessible
Several areas of the site cannot be reached or used with keyboard navigation alone. The Tab key skips past all navigation dropdowns on the Home Page (including "About", "Our Colleges", and "Guide to Information"), and pressing Enter or Space does not open these menus. On the Contact Us page, Tab navigation reaches only the page header and footer — college address sections and expandable content blocks cannot be reached or operated via keyboard. The Strategy & Values page has the same issue with its expandable sections. Dropdowns opened via mouse on the Contact page cannot be closed using the Escape key.
This fails WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A).
We plan to fix this in a future scheduled website release.
9. 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.
10. Hover-triggered navigation content cannot be dismissed
Navigation dropdowns that appear on mouse hover 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.
11. 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 dark green radio button controls is not sufficiently distinct; a red 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.
12. Images without meaningful alternative text
A number of images across the site do not have an alt attribute where one is needed, or have alt text that is present but not meaningful — for example, images labelled with generic values such as "NewcastleCollege1". 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.
13. 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.
