Accessibility

Web Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement applies to the LSTM website, managed by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine at the following URL https://lstmed.ac.uk/.

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

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • view the website in both portrait and landscape orientation on mobile
  • navigate most of the website with keyboard only
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

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

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:

  • Some heading elements are not semantically marked up, or heading structure is inconsistent with the visual layout.
  • Some interactive elements do not have a visible focus indicator, or focus is not managed correctly when content updates.
  • Some form fields do not have a permanent visible label or use the autocomplete attribute for personal information fields.
  • Some interactive components are missing appropriate accessible names, roles, or states.

A full listing of known issues is available below under non-accessible content.

Feedback and contact information

Whilst LSTM strives to adhere to the accepted guidelines and standards for accessibility and usability, it is not always possible to do so in all areas of the website.

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read formatting, audio recording or braille, please contact accessibility@lstmed.ac.uk.

We’ll consider your request and aim to get back to you in 7 working days.

If you are an LSTM student with existing arrangements or reasonable adjustments, please contact the Student Advice and Welfare team: SAW@lstmed.ac.uk.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact accessibility@lstmed.ac.uk. We will acknowledge your query within 7 working days.

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’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS): https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com.

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

LSTM is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below. An independent audit was carried out in March 2026. All high priority issues identified have been resolved. We are actively working through the remaining medium priority issues identified.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations:

Page and content structure : Some text displayed visually as a heading is not marked up semantically for assistive technology, and some elements use heading semantics where they do not function as headings. Heading structure on some pages is inconsistent with the visual layout. Some list elements are malformed or use list semantics inappropriately. On some pages, the reading order does not accurately represent the meaningful visual structure. (WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.3.1, 1.3.2)

Colour and contrast : There is insufficient contrast between some regular text and its background. Some custom focus indicators do not meet the required contrast ratio against their background. (WCAG 2.1 success criteria 1.4.3, 1.4.11)

Keyboard navigation and focus management : The skip link on some pages does not move focus to the correct location. Some same-page links do not move focus when activated. Focus is not always managed correctly when content updates dynamically, when elements are activated, or when navigating between interactive components. Some inoperable interactive elements incorrectly receive keyboard focus. Some interactive elements do not have a visible focus indicator. (WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.1.1, 2.4.1, 2.4.3, 2.4.7)

Interactive components and ARIA : Some interactive elements have accessible names that do not match or include their visible label. Some elements have inappropriate or overridden accessible names. Some interactive components are missing programmatic identification of their current state, such as current page, disabled state, or checked state. Dynamic search results are not programmatically identified for assistive technology users. (WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.5.3, 4.1.2, 4.1.3)

PDF files

Some documents on this website may not currently meet accessibility standards, including PDF files. We are reviewing these and you can request an alternative version if required. Please contact accessibility@lstmed.ac.uk if you require further support.

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

LSTM’s website may include content that is not within the scope of accessibility regulations. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Live video
  • PDFs and Microsoft Office files published before 23 September 2018 that are not necessary for a service
  • Pre-recorded audio and video published before 23 September 2020
  • Heritage collections from the LSTM Archive such as documents and scanned artefacts
  • Maps
  • Third-party content which is outside of LSTM’s control

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

In March 2026, we commissioned an independent audit of this website against the W3C WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, covering both desktop and mobile. All high priority issues identified have been resolved. We are actively working through the remaining medium priority issues as part of an ongoing programme of improvement, prioritising those with the greatest impact on users.

Our remediation programme is targeting full compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA, and we are commissioning supplementary testing against WCAG 2.2 criteria as part of this work. We expect to complete this programme in the first half of 2026.

We will ensure that documents and in-scope content is made accessible upon creation, and will provide guidance and training to LSTM staff to assist in following accessibility standards.

This statement was prepared in March 2026.