UCL Accessibility Statement for Manifold

This accessibility statement applies to manifolddigital.art

This website is run by artist Emma Smith commissioned by UCL Public Art. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

• change colours, contrast levels and fonts
• zoom in up to 300% 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 (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand. AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible. You can see a full list of any issues we currently know about in the non-accessible content section of this statement.

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille:

• Email public.art@ucl.ac.uk

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in 3 working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact: public.art@ucl.ac.uk

Read tips on contacting organisation about inaccessible websites.

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).

If you are in Northern Ireland and are not happy with how we respond to your complaint you can contact the Equalities Commission for Northern Ireland who are responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’) in Northern Ireland.

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Find out how to contact us .

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

UCL 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, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Compost mode. Manifold is an artwork, and as part of this we have created a feature on the website called “compost mode”: the contents of the page ‘fall’ and interact with one-another under simulated gravity, in line with the artwork’s themes of decomposition and renewal. This is a deliberate part of the work and while it is active, some accessibility requirements are not met:

• on the homepage, page scrolling is suspended, so content beyond the visible screen cannot be reached (WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard); on event pages the text remains scrollable, but the fallen images stay fixed on screen and may cover parts of it (WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow)
• moving the keyboard focus through the fallen content can cause it to shift unexpectedly (WCAG 3.2.1 On Focus)
• text on the fallen cards can overlap the Manifold title and other cards, and while overlapping may not meet the minimum contrast ratio (WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast Minimum) or reflow requirements (WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow)

Rather than remove it, we have provided user controls to adapt these settings:

• compost mode never starts by itself if your device is set to reduce motion — the page stays as a still grid unless you choose otherwise
• the Compost / Grid switch at the top right of the page turns it off at any time, and everything returns to an ordered, readable grid
• pressing the Escape key also exits compost mode from anywhere on the page
• your choice is remembered on your device as you move between pages, so if you switch compost off it stays off (if your device is set to reduce motion, compost mode is never restored automatically either – each page starts still)
• all content that takes part in the animation is fully readable in the grid view, so nothing is available only through the moving version

The Manifold title. The large Manifold lettering sits behind the page as part of the visual identity of the artwork, and other content may overlap it. The same word is provided to screen readers as the page heading, so no information is lost.

Images. Images of events and works carry text descriptions for screen reader users, and the details they illustrate are also given as text on each listing. Descriptions are written as new images are added; if you find one missing or unhelpful, please tell us using the contact routes above.

The responsive typeface. The headline typeface changes shape in response to live weather data. This is part of the artwork; the movement is slow and does not affect body text. It can be turned off entirely, and adjusted by hand, from the type controls on the Manifold page — “Turn off” holds the type still and your choice is remembered on your device.

If you find an issue that we have yet to identify, please contact us using one of the routes described in the ‘Reporting accessibility problems with this website’ section of this statement.

Disproportionate burden

We have not currently made any claims of disproportionate burden.

Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

Booking for events is handled by external websites, whose accessibility we do not control.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 11/08/2026. It was last reviewed on 25/08/2026, following remediation work on the issues raised in UCL’s internal review.

It was also internally reviewed by UCL’s digital accessibility team.