Accessibility statement

This accessibility statement covers all resources provided through nimbl, Anspear's system for mobile learning on smartphones, tablets and the web. These resources can be accessed through the nimbl and Anspear apps for Android and Apple devices, other apps branded to our partner organisations, and their accompanying web portals that run in web browsers.

We at Anspear recognise the importance of making sure that our resources are accessible to as many people as possible. Primarily text-based resources such as our mobile learning materials can present difficulties to users with visual impairment, dyslexia and other conditions, so we make every effort to help learners to overcome these barriers where possible.

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

How accessible is the App?

Features that help to make nimbl more accessible include:

  • text-to-speech compatibility (see below)
  • keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility for our courses in on the web
  • the option to increase text size (using an option in Settings on Android, by turning iPhones horizontally, by zooming in on the web – the text will not flow off screen)
  • dual text/audio activities in many publications
  • colour contrast and clarity, which we always take into account when designing the content of learning resources.

We know some parts of the App are not fully accessible:

  • the experience of navigating the course library using a keyboard in the the web service could be improved
  • the labelling of some form inputs and buttons around the course library could be improved for the benefit of screen readers
  • when using the mobile apps for Android and iOS, there’s a limit to how far you can increase text size
  • some image descriptions may be missing
  • some video content may not be provided with a text alternative

Text to speech

The primary way in which we make our resources accessible is by ensuring that they are compatible with the text-to-speech facilities that are commonly available on the relevant platforms:

  • Web browsers: All major web browsers including Safari, Firefox and Chrome have text-to-speech functions or add-ons (eg Chrome Speak for Chrome, Text to Voice for Firefox, integrated software in Safari). Our mobile resources are compatible with all of these extensions.
  • Android: The TalkBack screen reader included on Android devices (version 5 or later) is compatible with our resources. (Go to Settings/Accessibility and enable TalkBack.)
  • Apple devices: The built-in screen reader VoiceOver on iPads and iPhones is compatible with our resources. (Available from the Accessibility menu in General settings.)

Feedback and contact information

If you need the reading and learning resources contained within the App in a different format such as PDF or Word document, please contact:

  • email support@anspear.com
  • call 01223 350555

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 2 days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this App

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:

  • email support@anspear.com
  • call 01223 350555


Technical information about the app’s accessibility

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

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

Images

Some images do not have a text alternative, so people using a screen reader cannot access the information. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).

We plan to add text alternatives for all remaining images by September 2025. When we publish new content we’ll make sure our use of images meets accessibility standards.

Video

While many of the externally-hosted videos provided in our courses have closed captions or transcripts, some of our videos may not. We aim to be able to provide transcripts for the remaining videos by September 2025.

Navigation

We acknowledge that the experience of navigating the web service using a keyboard could be improved and some areas of the course library may be difficult to access. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criteria 2.1.1 (keyboard) and 2.4.7 (focus visible).

It may not always be possible to determine the purpose of each link of the course library programmatically or by the link text alone. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 2.4.4 (link purpose).

We plan to add ARIA landmarks and labels to the course library as well as the course content by September 2025, at the same time as ensuring that keyboard focus is always visible on every component in the course library. These will address all the navigation issues listed above.

Compatibility with existing and future screen readers

It may not be possible to programmatically determine the name and role of every user interface component. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value).

We plan to add more ARIA landmarks and labels by September 2025 to ensure that every interface component has its role stated for the benefit of screen readers.

Disproportionate burden

When using the mobile apps for iOS and Android it is not possible to increase text size by as much as 200%. It is, however, possible to increase text size by some degrees, manually (Android) or by rotating the device to landscape. The increased text size depends on available screen width.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 22 March 2022. It was last reviewed on 31 March 2024.