Accessibility Statement for West College Scotlands DLS Moodle (Online Learning Platform)

This accessibility statement applies to West College Scotland’s DLS Moodle, which uses Moodle 4.1.4 LTS and the standard Boost‑based theme used by the platform.

West College Scotland is committed to ensuring that our online learning platforms and course materials are accessible, in line with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR) and WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Accessibility is essential for some but useful for all, and we continually work to improve the usability and inclusivity of our online environments.

How accessible DLS Moodle is
We know that some parts of DLS Moodle are not fully accessible. These include:

  • Some pages with low colour contrast
  • Interactive elements that may not be fully keyboard accessible
  • Images uploaded without alternative text
  • Videos or audio without captions or transcripts
  • Documents (PDF, Word, PowerPoint) that may not be fully accessible depending on how they were created

Because DLS Moodle contains content added by staff, accessibility can vary between courses.

Accessibility of Rise 360 content
Some DLS courses use Articulate Rise 360 for interactive learning content. Rise 360 supports many accessibility features but has known limitations, including:

  • Drag‑and‑drop interactions not accessible to keyboard or screen‑reader users
  • Inability to switch screen‑reader language within multilingual content
  • Video player does not support audio descriptions
  • Audio‑only blocks cannot display captions (transcripts must be provided)
  • Small target sizes for certain controls (e.g., expand/collapse)
  • Exported PDFs are not accessible and lose structural information

How we address this

  • We avoid using inaccessible interactions
  • We provide transcripts, described video, or alternative versions where needed
  • We offer accessible equivalents for activities and documents
  • Students can request alternatives if they encounter barriers

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

  • Applying Moodle updates that introduce accessibility improvements (appropriate to 4.1 LTS)
  • Encouraging staff to check their content using tools on the main College Moodle (e.g., Anthology Ally) before uploading to DLS
  • Encouraging staff to use the Microsoft Accessibility Checker before uploading files
  • Using DLS Moodle’s TinyMCE Accessibility Checker and ATbar to support accessible content creation

Contact us for support
If you need help accessing course materials, please contact your lecturer or the Online Learning team in the first instance.
Each DLS Moodle course should clearly state:

  • Who your contact is with a link to contact them

If the contact cannot resolve the issue, or if you still cannot access the content, please contact:
onlinelearning@wcs.ac.uk
Online Learning Team, West College Scotland

We aim to respond within 21 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems
If you find an accessibility problem with DLS Moodle or any learning materials not covered in this accessibility statement, please let us know so we can include it in our ongoing improvement planning.

If the issue relates to course content, your lecturer should be your first point of contact. For issues affecting DLS Moodle itself or accessibility compliance, please use the contact details above.

If you believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements, please contact:
Quality@wcs.ac.uk
0300 600 6060

If you wish to raise a formal concern or complaint, please complete the online complaints form on the West College Scotland website or email Quality@wcs.ac.uk. We will support you through the College complaints procedure.

If you are not satisfied with how we respond, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for further advice.
Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)
www.equalityadvisoryservice.com

PSBAR compliance is monitored by the UK Government’s Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO).

Compliance status
DLS Moodle is partially compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA due to the issues listed above.

Disproportionate burden
At present, we are not claiming disproportionate burden for core DLS Moodle functionality. Some legacy or commercial learning materials may require significant remediation; where immediate fixes are not feasible, we will provide accessible alternatives on request while continuing to improve materials over time.

Some older documents created before September 2020 may be exempt from the regulations, but we will update these when requested.

How we tested DLS Moodle
External assessment: Moodle (core platform functionality) was assessed as part of the college’s most recent external accessibility evaluation.
Automated checks: DLS Moodle does not run Anthology Ally automatically, but staff may use Ally on the main College Moodle to check content before uploading.
Ad‑hoc manual checks: We carry out occasional keyboard‑only spot checks on selected pages and activities.
Authoring support tools: The TinyMCE Accessibility Checker and ATbar are enabled on DLS Moodle.
We encourage staff to use the Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker before uploading materials to DLS Moodle.

We plan to strengthen our testing approach over time (see “What we’re doing to improve accessibility”).

Statement details
This statement was prepared on 04 February 2026.
It will be reviewed annually or following significant DLS Moodle updates.


Last modified: Wednesday, 4 February 2026, 5:25 PM