Help make UCL’s digital estate clearer and more accessible by reviewing, deleting and improving the content you manage - with supporting resources and a free drop-in session available for all staff and students.
Overview
UCL’s refreshed brand provides the ideal opportunity to simplify, modernise and improve our digital content. As part of this work, teams across Accessibility, Sustainability, Digital Experience and UCL Libraries are launching a joint initiative - the UCL Digital Spring Clean - to help staff and students tidy up outdated files, reduce digital clutter and adopt more accessible and sustainable content practices.
The campaign runs alongside Digital Cleanup Day on 21 March , a global event encouraging individuals and organisations to reflect on the environmental and accessibility impacts of the digital content we store.
By removing the files we no longer need, and improving the way we create new content, UCL can reduce its digital footprint while making information easier to find, use and maintain.
As part of this campaign, UCL Digital Accessibility and UCL Libraries are running a free drop-in session for staff and students on 23 March from 12-3pm , offering practical support with reviewing, improving and creating accessible digital content.
Why this matters
’’A huge chunk of the data we store online is basically wasted: roughly 85 % of all stored data in organisations is "dark data" - information that’s collected and stored but never used.’’ [Digital Clean Up Day]
’’Single-use data in the digital world = Single-use plastic in the physical world’’ [Digital Clean Up Day]
The digital/tech sector accounts for approximately 2-4% of global carbon emissions. Every file stored on a server uses energy. Unnecessary documents, duplicated PDFs and outdated content all contribute to higher storage needs, increased processing and greater carbon emissions. Reducing this demand supports UCL’s wider sustainability commitments by helping lower our digital impact.
There are also significant accessibility benefits. UCL has over 180,000 PDFs in Moodle alone. Many legacy PDFs are difficult to navigate with assistive technology, especially when they contain images of text, lack proper structure or have been created by scanning. Replacing these with web-native HTML pages improves readability, works better on mobile devices and aligns with the accessible-by-default principles embedded in the new UCL brand.
Cleaning up outdated web and SharePoint content also improves the user experience for staff, students and external audiences. Removing old documents reduces confusion, ensures information is consistent and helps users locate the right guidance quickly.
What to review
As part of the UCL Digital Spring Clean, staff and students are encouraged to look at the files they manage across Websites, Moodle, SharePoint, OneDrive, departmental repositories and local devices. Priority items to remove include:
- PDFs more than three years old, unless still current or required.
- Duplicate or superseded documents.
- Scanned or image-only PDFs.
- Lecture slides or resources that are better linked from reading lists or Library holdings.
- Old drafts, unused downloads and folders with no clear purpose.
Where a PDF is unavoidable, it is important to ensure it is created from an accessible template and includes headings, alt text and proper tagging.
Better alternatives
Often, a PDF is not the best option. HTML pages in UCL’s content management system are usually more accessible, lighter to store and easier to update. They also ensure content remains consistent with the new brand.
Other good alternatives include:
- linking to UCL Library e-resources or official external guidance
- using SharePoint for collaborative documents
- keeping material in Moodle where students expect to find it
- using the new brand-aligned Word templates for documents that must be downloadable
How to get involved
Explore the Moodle services available to you, follow our guidelines for creating accessible content, carry out a digital cleanup as an individual, and attend our drop-in session.
Explore Moodle services to understand the tools and features that can support your teaching and learning activities: Moodle Health Check service
Complete a personal digital cleanup to reduce clutter and improve efficiency: Participate as an individual
Explore accessible UCL-branded templates , from report covers and PowerPoint, to posters and social media posts
Making long-term improvements
The Digital Spring Clean is an important step in embedding more sustainable and accessible digital practices across UCL. By taking small actions now - deleting unneeded files, improving accessibility and choosing the right format - we can reduce our environmental impact and improve the experience of anyone interacting with UCL’s digital content.
You can begin today by reviewing the files you no longer need. Every document you delete reduces digital waste and helps make UCL’s systems clearer, faster and more accessible for everyone.
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