Turnitin accessibility statement

Turnitin is a centrally supported Computer Aided Assessments tool integrated with the Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) at Lancaster University. It is based on the commercial software application product Turnitin, provided by Turnitin LLC. This statement covers both the student facing and the assessor facing interfaces. As Turnitin is a third party piece of software we have limited control over the changes we can make to it. Turnitin provide detailed information about the Turnitin software application and its accessibility along with a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) on their website.

Detailed Turnitin accessibility information

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

  • zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen
  • navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
  • navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader

The service is primarily used to upload student assessment files for staff to review similarity with other digital content and marking this means documents and other content can be uploaded which aren’t accessible. It is therefore important for us to ensure that helpful guidance and training is available to users who create content to minimise the risk of this.

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

How accessible this service is

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

The service is used to share assessment files, similarity reports and feedback between staff and students which means that staff and students can inadvertently make changes to the system which make it less accessible. They may also upload documents and other content which isn’t accessible.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact us if you have an accessibility query including:

  • If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or Braille.
  • If you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using Turnitin
  • If you find an accessibility problem not listed on this statement
  • If you have positive feedback on the accessibility considerations made.

We’ll consider your request/comment and get back to you as soon as possible.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re 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 the requirements of the accessibility regulations, please contact us:

  • Via our online Help Centre (staff and students only)
  • Call our IT Service Desk on +44 (0)1524 510987

What to do if your problem isn’t dealt with satisfactory

If you have contacted us about an accessibility problem (e.g. because you needed information in a different format, or you think we're not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations) but you feel that this has not been dealt with satisfactorily we want to know.

The first stage would be to raise your concern informally. The aim of this stage is to achieve a quick and easy solution for you. It would be appropriate to take the concern through the relevant contact listed above for reporting an accessibility problem.

But if we do not deal with your concern satisfactorily you can take it through to a formal complaint. See our  concerns, complaints and enforcement information.

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, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)

Technical information about this websites accessibility

Lancaster University 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 2.2 AA standard

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons: Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Integration with Moodle

The embedded elements of Turnitin that appear in Moodle present no accessibility issues.

Feedback studio

This will be the most commonly used part of Turnitin for staff and students as it displays the similarity report. The following non-compliances were found during testing:

Images of text

The main feedback studio page uses images of text to display the submitted document; this text cannot be read by screen reading software. This means that if a grader adds quick marks or inline comments in feedback studio, it will be difficult for some users to see how these relate to the text of the assignment.

This is mitigated by the fact that we encourage staff to provide feedback via Moodle and we are not aware of any staff who use Turnitin for this. Turnitin are also working on a new version of feedback studio which will be fully readable by screen readers. (WCAG: 1.4.5)

Field labels

Some areas of the images of text referred to above may appear to be mislabelled form fields according to some assistive technologies, which may be confusing to some users. (WCAG: 1.3.1)

Turnitin UK website

Staff may occasionally have to use the Turnitin UK website to perform administrative task such as bulk upload of submissions in cases where they have not been automatically submitted via Moodle. The following non-compliances were found during testing:

Table heading scope

Table headers on some pages of the Turnitin UK website are missing the “scope” attribute, which will make is harder for those using assistive technology to know what the header refers to. (WCAG: 1.3.1)

Missing ARIA label IDs

Some elements may have missing ARIA label IDs which may make it difficult for users of assistive technologies to understand what those elements do. (WCAG: 1.3.1)

Duplicate IDs

The links used for choosing your language on the Turnitin UK website have duplicate IDs which can cause problems for assistive technologies when trying to interact with content. Tests show that user can select a language using a keyboard and screen reader. (WCAG: 4.1.1)

Text contrast

Some table headers do not contrast sufficiently with their backgrounds and may therefore be difficult to read for some users. (WCAG: 1.4.3)

Links with different destinations

Some links on some pages have the same text but go to different destinations, which may be confusing to people using assistive technologies to access the website. (WCAG: 2.4.4)

Forms

Some forms lack fieldset legends, and some form controls are missing labels, and some field labels do not point to the correct form controls. This could be confusing to those using assistive technologies to use the form. (WCAG: 1.3.1)

Some form controls on the calendar page do not have the necessary contrast between the border and background. This means that those with visual impairments may not be able to see them clearly. (WCAG: 1.4.11)

Screen reader links

In the list of assignments there is a button to enable the grading of an assignment without a submission. This cannot be read by screen reader or selected/clicked using a keyboard, meaning it cannot be used by via some assistive technologies. (WCAG: 4.1.2)

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We will continue to work with the supplier, Turnitin, to address the accessibility issues highlighted and deliver a solution or suitable work around. As a Turnitin is a third party system we have limited ability to make any changes ourselves.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 24 September 2024. It was last reviewed on 24 September 2024.

This website was last tested on 24 September 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The test was carried out by Lancaster University. A sample of pages were selected for testing based on the pages we would expect be most commonly used by staff and students, these were:

  • The assignment submissions page in Moodle (staff view)
  • The submission page in Moodle (student view – post-submission with Turnitin link visible)
  • The feedback studio page that appears when either staff or students click through from Moodle (staff view and student view)
  • Turnitin UK website (staff view only – students will not be directed to these pages):
  • Home page
  • Class home page
  • Assignment inbox
  • Class calendar
  • Add assignment form

Pages were tested using automatic and assisted testing via Silktide Accessibility Checker and Axe DevTools. Screenreader compatibility was tested using NVDA and Silktide’s built-in screen reader simulator.