Andalusian Universities: web accessibility ranking

Universities should be an example for society. Eliminating barriers and protecting the user are legal obligations, but the reality is that the ‘knowledge chairs’ are far from fulfilling them. The room for improvement, for most of them, is very wide, which shows that they still have pending issues. What are your mistakes? We analyze the details in this ranking of the universities of Andalusia.

On the other hand, correctly managing cookies and guaranteeing access for people with disabilities is, in addition to a business opportunity, a priority. There is no turning back, we have to choose between adapting to move forward or giving up on the future.

Ranking of web accessibility in Andalusian universities:

By law, according to RD 1112/2018, universities must have a level of conformity AA from June 23, 2021. That is, those that do not yet have it are already late and are obliged to solve it as soon as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to consult the requirements of WCAG 2.1 and take into account the accessibility statement.

What level of web accessibility does each university in Andalusia have? Scores, levels, statements…, this is the situation currently.

University of Granada: it is the best university in Andalusia in terms of web accessibility with an average score of 9.00, an AA adequacy level and a partially compliant compliance situation. Likewise, the accessibility declaration exists, but it does not specify which elements are not accessible and it has been obsolete for two years. You are on the right track, but you have to improve those details.

University of Cádiz: its level is AA, according to RD 1112/2018, with an average score of 8.79 and is partially compliant. You must update the accessibility statement with information referring to 2021. The direction is positive, although this aspect must be resolved.

University of Almería: its level of adequacy is AA. In addition, its score is 8.71, which positions it as the third best accessible institution on the list. Regarding the web accessibility declaration, we observe that it is correct. Even so, the website still has room for improvement.

University of Jaén: it has fourth place on the list. It presents a level of conformity AA with a score of 8.67 and partial conformity. The accessibility statement is correct and updated according to the 2023 information.

University of Huelva: there is still plenty of room for improvement. It has a score of 7.14, so the website is partially compliant. However, its level of adequacy is not valid. On the other hand, its accessibility statement is correct and up to date. In short, at an accessible level it can be improved.

University of Córdoba: its condition is somewhat worse than what we found at the university of Huelva. The level of adequacy is invalid and the situation is non-compliant with an average score of 6.77. Although it does present the web accessibility declaration, relevant information is missing and it is not updated. Therefore, it still has a lot to change.

Pablo de Olavide University: requires profound changes. On the one hand, the level of adequacy is not valid and its non-conformity situation has a score of 6.67. The accessibility declaration does not comply with the European model, it is not updated and the last revision dates back to 2012.

University of Seville: another institution that is obliged to modify its accessibility policy without delay. Its level of adequacy is invalid, while the compliance situation is non-compliant and has a score of 6.45. The accessibility statement is also not included. The non-compliance is very noticeable.

University of Málaga: it is the worst positioned university in Andalusia in the ranking. It has the lowest score (6.21) in the community, its situation is non-compliant and the web accessibility statement is not appreciated. You have the widest room for improvement to adapt your website.

Note: Compliance status is based on the number of error-free pages. There may be a high score because the same errors are repeated on most of the website’s pages.

Ranking of cookies in Andalusian universities:

User protection is a practice that is already fully established in legal regulations, but the truth is that institutions have not yet adjusted. If the path to achieving unanimity around web accessibility is long, it is longer to do so around cookies.

How to comply with the cookie policy? It is advisable to consult the European Directive that regulates it, but fundamentally you must take into account the property, the objective and the expiration date. What is the situation of the main universities in Andalusia in cookie management? This is the ranking.

University of Almería: The management and policy are correct and it fits perfectly with what is required since we can see that it requests authorization from the user accordingly and offers information about the property or purpose. Consequently, the analysis is very positive in this sense.

University of Jaén: requests authorization and the cookie page contains the appropriate information. In addition, it is one of the portals that has more detailed information about the cookie policies that are being applied.

University of Cádiz: the analysis of cookies is also favorable for the University of Cadiz. However, the cookie information it offers is poor. Therefore, it is necessary to implement some improvements to achieve fullness in this aspect.

University of Granada: the main error we found regarding the cookie policy occurs because it does not detail which cookies the portal poses, so it is necessary to correct these defects.

University of Huelva: it has the same defects as the University of Granada website. In this case, we see that politics is conspicuous by its absence, so it is advisable to include it.

University of Seville: there are defects in the management because the warning banner does not offer the possibility of rejecting them, and, in addition, cookies are activated automatically. In addition, no information is provided regarding the cookie policy. Much to improve.

University of Córdoba: it has everything to do in the field of cookies. In fact, both management and politics are non-existent. They should incorporate the request for user permissions as soon as possible, as well as the cookie information.

University of Málaga: very similar to the university of Córdoba. Without a doubt, you must begin to implement cookie management and policy to guarantee the user a correct experience on your website.

Pablo de Olavide University: it has several problems to solve. Cookie management does not exist despite the fact that they are used by Google and Facebook, both with a marked commercial nature. It is a very negative point.