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Accessibility

Institutions2 min read

A tool for every commencing student has to work for every commencing student. This page sets out how First Six approaches accessibility — useful for the disability, equity, and IT teams who need to assess it.

Built in, not bolted on

Accessibility is part of the product, not an add-on:

  • Student-controlled display — every student can set larger text, higher contrast, and reduced motion, and choose light or dark mode. These are in the app's settings, not buried. The student-facing guide is settings and accessibility.
  • Semantic, keyboard-friendly interface — proper labels and roles on controls, a sensible tab order, and standard keyboard interactions, so assistive technology has something meaningful to work with.
  • Contrast and legibility — the brand accent is checked for contrast on both light and dark backgrounds, and state changes are announced for screen readers.
The formal statement is in the app

There is an accessibility statement available in the product itself, describing our commitment and the standards we hold ourselves to. Ask during onboarding if your procurement process needs it as a standalone document.

Why it matters for retention

The students most at risk of disengaging in the first six weeks include those for whom a clumsy interface is one more barrier. An accessible tool isn't a compliance checkbox here — it's core to the job the product exists to do.

What we'd ask of you

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. The content your team authors — briefings, resources, announcements — should follow the same principles: clear language, meaningful link text, and not relying on colour alone to carry meaning.

Common questions

Do you have a VPAT or conformance report?

Accessibility is built into the product and there's an in-app statement. For a formal conformance document to support procurement, raise it during onboarding and we'll work through your requirements.

Can students change text size and contrast themselves?

Yes — text size, high contrast, reduced motion, and theme are all student controls in settings, saved to their account across devices.

Does the app work with screen readers?

It's built with semantic HTML, labelled controls, and announced state changes so assistive technology can navigate it.

Settings and accessibilityMake First Six comfortable to use — your preferred name, dark mode, bigger text, higher contrast, and reduced motion.Onboarding, step by stepWhat rolling out First Six actually involves — who needs to be at the table, the sequence, and the pre-launch checklist.What we collect, and what we don'tThe data First Six holds, what students can see about themselves, and the special handling that wellbeing data gets.
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