Universal Accessibility Interest Group (ACRL - Association of College and Research Libraries) Community
Introductions to Web Accessibility:
Video clips of people using & explaining screen readers:
Surfing with a Screen Reader The video is for sale, but there is a free clip at bottom of page
Accessibility: Introduction to the Screen Reader from the University of Wisconsin Division of Information Technology.
Automated accessibility checker for webpages:
WAVE Accessibility Checker
“WAVE is… used to aid humans in the web accessibility evaluation process. Rather than providing a complex technical report, WAVE shows the original web page with embedded icons and indicators that reveal the accessibility of that page.” People who do not have experience with web coding can share the results of the accessibility checker with IT staff.
Automated Checkers for colorblindness accessibility:
Accessibility Tips for Libguides:
This Accessibility Tips for Libguides is written for Syracuse University librarians; but, most of it could be useful for others. Includes links on how to make pdfs accessible and resources for doing your own captioning.
Information about accessibility of databases and other vendor resources:
Schmetzke, Axle. Accessibility of Online Library Catalogs, Indexes and Databases, and Other Library/Information Resources. This is a bibliography that includes a section on “Research Studies” and a section on “Vendor provided information”
Schmetzke, Axle. Web access in the campus and library environment This is an extensive guide to resources.
Screen Reading and Library Resources. Suffolk University Library's list of accessible databases.
Jennifer Tatomir, Joan C. Durrance, (2010) "Overcoming the information gap: Measuring the accessibility of library databases to adaptive technology users", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 28 Iss: 4, pp.577 - 594
Screen Reader User Guides for Library Databases:
Jaws Screen Reader User Guides for Library Databases from Penn State. While it could be challenging for a screen reader user to switch to a window for these guides while using a database (or to memorize the guide before using the database), the guides could be very helpful for screen reader users and librarians to learn to navigate while using Jaws. If possible, the screen reader user might navigate the guide on a separate device from the device used for navigating the database.
Web Accessibility Technical Standards:
Section 508 Standards. § 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
Policy on Web Accessibility:
Frequently Asked Questions About the June 29, 2010, Dear Colleague Letter
This is a joint letter from the US Department of Justice and the Office of Civil Rights
QUOTE: “Does the DCL [Dear Colleague Letter] apply to all school operations and all faculty and staff?
A: Yes. All school operations are subject to the nondiscrimination requirements of Section 504 and the ADA. Thus, all faculty and staff must comply with these requirements…. The law applies to all faculty and staff, not just a Section 504 or ADA coordinator or staff members designated to assist students with disabilities. All faculty and staff must comply with the nondiscrimination requirements of Section 504 and the ADA in their professional interactions with students, because these interactions are part of the operations of the school. So, for example, if an adjunct faculty member denies a student who is blind an equal opportunity to participate in a course by assigning inaccessible course content, the school can be held legally responsible for the faculty member’s actions. Therefore, schools should provide, and faculty and staff should participate in, professional development about accessibility and emerging technology, and about the role of faculty and staff in helping the school to comply with disability discrimination laws.”
University of Montana Accessibility Resolution Agreement (March 19, 2014)
Settlement Agreement Between the United States of America, Louisiana Tech University, and the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (July 23, 2013)
NFB and Penn State Accessibility Complaint Resolved (Oct 11, 2011) Summary from UIC.
Advanced Notice of Public Rulemaking: “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities and Public Accommodations” (July 2010) Summary: This “ANPRM on web accessibility and DOJ settlements … in recent years indicate that DOJ is likely to derive its regulatory standards for web accessibility, whenever they are published, from the Rehabilitation Act Section 508 technology accessibility standards federal agencies and contractors must meet and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).” (This summary is from an Educause blog)
Access IT. “Web Accessibility and Individuals with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education: The Legal Issues.” University of Washington. Accessed June 10, 2011.
Report of the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities
This independent Commission was established by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.
QUOTES: “every postsecondary institution should offer a mandatory system-wide orientation for faculty, staff, teaching assistants and administrators concerning strategies for ensuring accessibility in all aspects of the education enterprise, including readings, courseware and instructional technology, assessments and instructor-made materials.” Page 79
“The transition to AIM [Accessible Instructional Materials] needs to be supported by training of students and support for students who are not adept in the use of digital technologies.” Page 52
Providenti, Michael and Robert Zai III. (2007). “Web accessibility at academic libraries: standards, legislation, and enforcement.” Library Hi Tech, 25 (4) 494.
Web Accessibility and the Law: Recent Legal Developments and Advocacy Strategies. 2005 Conference Proceedings.
A friendly reminder that the Universal Accessibility IG meeting will be on
Date and time: Monday, January 27, 2014, 8:30am - 10am
Location: Pensylvannia Converence Center 110 A
This is a joint meeting sponsored by LITA Accessibility IG and ACRL Universal Accessibility IG. Adina from ACRL will moderate the discussions.
Everybody is welcome! Please share this information with anybody who you think might be interested in attending the meeting as well.
You’re invited to a Universal Accessibility Interest Group virtual discussion meeting
Jan 16th 3-4:00pm EST
The numbers you will use to call in are:
( on campus ) 2-9755
( International ) 1-315-442-9755
( toll free ) 1-866-683-3261. ( you can call the toll free or 442 number from home )
- Each participant may call in from any telephone at their location.
- When the first person calls in, the line will continuously ring until another person calls in.
Then they will automatically connect in and you will be able to speak.
- If there are any participants calling in internationally, they will have to use the 442 number provided above.
- You may have up to 30 participants on the call.
IF ANY PARTICIPANT PRESSES THEIR HOLD/FLASH KEY ON THEIR PHONES DURING THE CALL, THIS WILL RESULT IN GIVING ANY OTHER FUTURE CALLERS A BUSY SIGNAL, THEREFORE LOCKING THEM OUT OF THE CALL***
Callers cannot be transferred into a meet me conference call…. If a caller is transferred into the call they will receive a rapid busy signal. The caller needs to dial directly into the call.
-Updates about LUA website [http://www.uniaccessig.org/universal/ ] and moving it to a blog
-Updates about accessibility of remote access to meetings at conferences
-General discussion of any accessibility topics
Please let Adina Mulliken (firstname.lastname@example.org) know if you would like to add items to the agenda.
Notes for ACRL & LITA Universal Accessibility Interest Group meeting Monday, 7/1/2013 8:30-10am, ALA Annual, Chicago
Attendees: Christina Golm, Jeffrey Archer, Ranti Junus (LITA Chair and recorder), Helen Gbala, Mirielle Djenno, Lily Sacharow, Emily Kelly, Yao Ding, Alec McFarlane, Adina Mulliken (recorder), Debra Riley-Huff via Skype (ACRL Convener).
-Discussion of Libraries for Universal Accessibility (LUA) website and how to contribute to it.
- Next virtual meeting: July 8th, 3-5 EDT
RUSA Education committee has 78 webinars this year
LITA Education committee also wants to do a webinar
Discussion of other accessibility related groups within ALA. There's an LSPSS-ASCLA mailing list. We talked about history of various Universal Accessibility IGs from ASCAL, ACRL, and LITA
Companies that get involved in accessibility collaboration: EBSCO and Elsevier. Work with folks at UIUC.
Jeffrey’s library is working on language about accessibility for licenses. The Report of the ARL Joint Task Force on Services to Patrons with Print Disabilitieshttp://www.arl.org/focus-areas/copyright-ip/2342-report-of-the-arl-joint-task-force-on-services-to-patrons-with-print-disabilities-nov-2-2012 has recommended language. Additional examples of license language are here http://connect.ala.org/node/99084
Digital Accessibility Expo is a conference in the spring. http://tigger.uic.edu/depts/oaa/disability_resources/dae2012/index.html
Emily has experience that some students prefer Hal over Jaws.
Lily‘s library has included outreach to teach faculty how to do captioning in their digital projects. They offer captioning workshops.
On "universal access" --> push the accessibility first, not as an after thought
Possible content for LUA: cheat sheet.
Deaf community whose ASL as 1st language to them might not always understand the language used for captioning. They would prefer live sign language. Alec explained that he is advocating for a Deaf Cultural Library, modeled after Libraries for the Blind, that would have resources such as videos with live captioning.
Definition of "deaf": all level of hearing disability, just as Libraries for the Blind include all levels of low vision and blindness.
On "universal accessibly": think this as more than for those with disability. Example: ramp works not only for wheel chair, but also for parents with stroller, those with walkers or crutch, etc.
Notes from Libraries for Universal Accessibility (LUA) conference call 7/8/13
Attendees: Debra Riley-Huff, Adina Mulliken (recorder), Laura Lillard, Melissa Cardenas-Dow, Amy Wilms (sp?), Jim Tobias, John Siegal, Karen Russ (sp?), Jane Vincent, Doug Joubert, Mireille Djenno, Alec McFarlane.
The call began with introductions.
Adina gave an overview of the site.
Melissa is interested to promote the site among APALA and instruction librarians’ groups she is involved with.
We are at a point of looking for volunteers to contribute content to the site.
Someone suggested a template for reviewing resources along the lines of the Charleston review.
John and Karen have a Libguide about what their library does for accessibility that they could contribute, as well as a guide about database accessibility that their librarians use that they can post.
Alec has a guide to library accessibility for people who are Deaf that he can post.
There was discussion about balancing the value of doing reviews that are as useful as possible with the amount of time and expertise volunteers may have available to contribute reviews.
The site currently says “Volunteer reviewers will have varying levels of experience regarding accessibility, and are not expected to be experts. …. Some volunteer reviewers will contribute their experience of usability of a resource as a person with a disability and others will contribute from the point of view of a person without a disability…. When reading reviews on this site, please use your judgment and additional information about technical standards and policy requirements to supplement your understanding.”
John and Karen will create a listserv for people involved in LUA .