This accessibility statement applies to the University of Essex Online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE, the Learning Platform) accessed via this website: https://www.my-course.co.uk/. The VLE is run by Kaplan Open Learning. Please note that the VLE suite of tools is made up of a range of integrated platforms, each of which have their own accessibility statements. We recommend that you navigate to the websites of those third party platforms in order to familiarise yourself with their accessibility standards.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use our website and we have therefore worked to ensure that it is compliant with the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 Level AA. We keep the site under review to improve both its accessibility and useability.
We have built our website to be accessibility with common assistive technologies and different ways of using websites. This means you can:
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
We also use plain English principles to make our content clear and easy to understand.
The VLE platform is a complex system with many parts. Its code is always evolving. Modules can be enabled and disabled. The interface can be heavily customised using themes and thousands of settings. As such, it is impossible to say with 100% certainty whether the VLE or any site based on the VLE is fully accessible or not. For example we know that our website has the following issues:
However, we can confirm that the vast majority of the content on our website is compliant with the European Accessibility Act and WCAG version 2.1 Level AA.
Where content is not compliant, this is usually legacy content (content uploaded prior to 28 June 2025) and we are working on ensuring that any legacy content that is vital to the services that we provide is updated in order to be compliant with those standards. Any new content that is published centrally will meet our accessibility standards and we will support our content creators to use accessibility checkers prior to upload.
Accessibility is not a state, it is a process of continuous improvement in response to our users and the wider technical environment and we are regularly monitoring our platform and website in order to maintain its continued compliance.
We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you need information on the Learning Platform, please contact the Student Support Team.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility request or believe that we are not meeting the requirements of the European Accessibility Act, you have the right to escalate your concern.
You may contact the relevant national authority or enforcement body in your country, which is responsible for monitoring compliance with accessibility obligations under the European Accessibility Act.
For information on how to proceed or to find the appropriate contact point in your country, you can visit the official EU page on accessibility rights and national enforcement bodies: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility.
We are committed to improving accessibility across our websites and Learning Platforms. We are conducting a thorough accessibility review and implementing any necessary changes to our Learning Platforms and websites. An accessibility working group has been established to ensure continuous improvement.
This statement was prepared on 20th February 2022. It was last updated on 23rd June 2025.