Making Education Websites More Inclusive
posted 17th September 2026
Making Education Websites More Inclusive
For prospective students, parents, and current students, a school, college or university website is often the first place they go for information.
They use it to explore courses, find application information, read about student support, check important dates, and download documents.
An accessible website helps ensure that the information can be accessed, understood, and used by as many people as possible.
Accessibility is more than a compliance requirement
For many education organisations, digital accessibility is also a legal consideration.
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require public-sector websites and apps to meet accessibility requirements. Public-sector websites are expected to meet WCAG 2.2 AA and publish an accessibility statement.
These requirements sit alongside the Equality Act 2010, which protects disabled people from discrimination and places duties on organisations to make reasonable adjustments where appropriate.
How can schools, colleges, and universities make their websites more accessible?
1. Make text easy to read
Large blocks of text, small fonts, and complicated layouts can make websites difficult to navigate.
Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and straightforward language. Make sure text has sufficient colour contrast and can be enlarged without affecting the usability of the page.
Accessibility tools such as AccessAngel can give visitors additional control over their experience, allowing them to adjust font size, spacing, and colours to suit their preferences.
2. Give people different ways to consume content
Not everyone reads information in the same way.
Some visitors may benefit from having content read aloud, while others may prefer a simplified reading view or need to reduce visual distractions.
AccessAngel includes features such as text-to-speech, reading enhancements, screen masking, and zoom, allowing users to customise how they interact with website content.
AccessAngel also offers translation in over 100 languages, helping visitors access online information in their preferred language.
3. Accessibility when creating PDFs
Education websites often contain prospectuses, application forms, course guides, and other downloadable documents.
If you need to include PDFs, make sure they are created with accessibility in mind. AccessAngel's PDF reader allows users to use the toolbar features to help them interact with content.
4. Consider neurodiversity
A website can be technically accessible while still feeling overwhelming to some users.
Busy layouts, unnecessary animations, excessive information, and inconsistent navigation can make it harder for people to find and process information.
Simple, consistent design, and giving users the ability to customise their experience with AccessAngel’s simplify page feature can help create a more comfortable digital environment.
Make your website work for more people
Accessibility doesn't have to mean completely redesigning your website. Small changes, combined with giving users more control over how they access content, can make a meaningful difference.
AccessAngel provides an additional layer of support, allowing visitors to adjust, simplify, translate, and interact with digital content in a way that works for them.
Contact us to find out how AccessAngel can help make your website more inclusive.