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Are urban public libraries websites accessible to Americans with Disabilities?

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Abstract

This paper examines to what extent the 129 members of the Urban Public Libraries Council meet the Section 508 standards for accessibility under the Rehabilitation Act, the minimum acceptable standard for accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Using an HTML evaluation tool, WAVE, the HTML coding of the libraries’ homepages was evaluated according to the Section 508 criteria for accessibility. After one-to-one deep examination to determine the accessibility of the library websites, the results tended to mirror other studies showing that most library websites have some coding deficiencies that limit the accessibility of the websites. Notably, only 7 of the 122 libraries that were surveyed had no Section 508 errors present with their homepages.

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Notes

  1. https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards/section-508-standards.

  2. http://webaim.org/techniques/javascript/eventhandlers.

  3. http://www.colapublib.org/.

  4. http://www.hayward-ca.gov/public-library.

References

  1. United States Department of Labor: Disability Resources. http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm. Last modified 2015

  2. United States Access Bureau: Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology. https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards/section-508-standards. Accessed Jan 2016

  3. United States Census Bureau: QuickFacts Beta. http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045214/00. Accessed Jan 2016

  4. WebAIM.org: Section 508 Checklist. http://webaim.org/standards/508/checklist. Accessed Jan 2016

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yan Quan Liu.

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Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (XLSX 82 kb)

Appendices

Appendix 1: Key terms and definitions

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act—prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by government agencies or those that receive funding

508

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act—contains the requirements websites need to meet in order to be considered accessible. It is a federal standard

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—guidelines published by the World Wide Web Consortium for accessibility

WAI

Web Accessibility Initiative—World Wide Web Consortium’s initiative to improve web accessibility

W3C

World Wide Web Consortium—international community where the members work to develop web standards

EDGE

EDGE Initiative—a coalition working toward providing all people with open access to information

WAVE

Web Accessibility Evaluator—a tool that evaluates the HTML coding of websites against accessibility criteria to identify errors

HTML

Hyper Text Markup Language—language used to build and navigate websites

ARIA

Accessibility attributes to be used in conjunction with HTML

Appendix 2: List of libraries with compliance indicator

Library

ADA compliant

Number of 508 errors

Number of 508 alerts

Poudre River Public Library District

Y

0

12

Jacksonville Public Library

Y

0

4

West Bloomfield Township Public Library

Y

0

11

Forsyth County Public Library

Y

0

8

Metropolitan Library System

Y

0

5

Multnomah County Library

Y

0

1

Newport News Public Library System

Y

0

3

Pima County Public Library

N

4

66

Scottsdale Public Library

N

2

8

Alameda County Library

N

12

13

Berkeley Public Library

N

11

0

Carlsbad City Library

N

5

4

Contra Costa County Library

N

67

81

County of Los Angeles Public Library

N

4

3

Fresno County Public Library

N

10

2

Hayward Public Library

N

104

14

Los Angeles Public Library

N

10

5

Marin County Free Library

N

2

4

Oakland Public Library

N

8

1

Palo Alto City Library

N

18

10

Pasadena Public Library

N

5

3

Sacramento Public Library

N

3

10

San Diego County Library

N

6

2

San Diego Public Library

N

5

5

San Francisco Public Library

N

2

3

San Jose Public Library

N

1

2

Santa Clara County Library

N

10

5

Santa Monica Public Library

N

7

43

Anything Libraries

N

15

5

Aurora Public Library

N

4

7

Denver Public Library

N

75

13

Jefferson County Public Library

N

81

1

Pueblo City-County Library

N

23

2

Bridgeport Public Library

N

30

29

Hartford Public Library

N

12

10

New Haven Free Public Library

N

12

8

District of Columbia Public Library

N

3

5

Miami Dade Public Library

N

1

5

Palm Beach County Library System

N

40

3

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

N

9

4

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System

N

39

6

Chattahoochee Valley Libraries

N

13

0

DeKalb County Public Library

N

4

1

Gwinnett County Public Library

N

13

1

Live Oak Public Libraries

N

3

13

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

N

7

6

Chicago Public Library

N

5

28

Skokie Public Library

N

11

1

Allen County Public Library

N

9

3

Carmel Clay Public Library

N

12

2

Indianapolis Public Library

N

19

5

Davenport Public Library

N

3

9

Des Moines Public Library

N

5

0

Johnson County Library

N

17

12

Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

N

1

7

Lexington Public Library

N

39

2

Louisville Free Public Library

N

6

2

East Baton Rouge Parish Library

N

2

3

New Orleans Public Library

N

3

21

Portland Public Library

N

2

7

Baltimore County Public Library

N

1

2

Enoch Pratt Free Library

N

8

2

Howard County Library System

N

12

3

Montgomery County Public Libraries

N

4

4

Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

N

24

3

Boston Public Library

N

4

31

Springfield City Library

N

2

2

Detroit Public Library

N

40

2

Grand Rapids Public Library

N

14

9

Kalamazoo Public Library

N

37

4

Kent District Library

N

9

8

Hennepin County Library

N

9

12

Saint Paul Public Library

N

3

4

Kansas City Public Library

N

2

12

Mid-Continent Public Library

N

26

13

St. Louis County Library

N

3

2

St. Louis Public Library

N

13

0

Omaha Public Library

N

8

13

Las Vegas County Library District

N

2

4

Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System

N

12

5

Brooklyn Public Library

N

5

7

New York Public Library

N

40

4

Queens Library

N

12

8

Rochester Public Library

N

2

230

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

N

6

2

Durham County Library

N

5

5

Greensboro Public Library

N

4

345

Cleveland Public Library

N

5

3

Columbus Metropolitan Library

N

11

4

Cuyahoga County Public Library

N

3

9

Dayton Metro Library

N

9

27

Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

N

2

8

Stark County District Library

N

7

7

The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County

N

13

5

Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

N

30

11

Pioneer Library System

N

3

3

Tulsa City-County Library

N

101

20

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

N

6

6

Free Library of Philadelphia

N

7

3

Providence Public Library

N

9

18

Richland Library

N

11

15

Chattanooga Public Library

N

53

2

Memphis Public Library and Information Center

N

7

10

Nashville Public Library

N

12

7

Dallas Public Library

N

14

8

El Paso Public Library

N

12

1

Fort Worth Library

N

3

8

Frisco Public Library

N

2

1

Houston Public Library

N

6

8

San Antonio Public Library

N

9

2

Salt Lake City Public Library

N

10

43

Salt Lake County Library Services

N

1

6

Alexandria Library

N

11

8

Arlington Public Library

N

10

7

Loudon County Public Library

N

9

1

Richmond Public Library

N

17

9

Fort Vancouver Regional Library District

N

10

6

King County Library System

N

22

4

Pierce County Library System

N

17

15

Sno-Isle Libraries

N

1

29

Madison Public Library

N

14

33

Milwaukee Public Library

N

9

59

Appendix 3: ADA compliance by population

Library

Population served

ADA compliant

Number of 508 errors

Number of 508 alerts

Chattahoochee Valley Libraries

11,368

N

13

0

West Bloomfield Township Public Library

33,411

Y

0

11

Skokie Public Library

65,112

N

11

1

Portland Public Library

66,666

N

2

7

Palo Alto City Library

66,955

N

18

10

Kalamazoo Public Library

75,922

N

37

4

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

76,024

N

7

6

Carmel Clay Public Library

86,682

N

12

2

Santa Monica Public Library

92,987

N

7

43

Davenport Public Library

102,448

N

3

9

Carlsbad City Library

112,299

N

5

4

Berkeley Public Library

118,853

N

11

0

Hartford Public Library

124,705

N

12

10

New Haven Free Public Library

130,282

N

12

8

Pasadena Public Library

140,881

N

5

3

Dayton Metro Library

141,003

N

9

27

Frisco Public Library

145,035

N

2

1

Bridgeport Public Library

147,612

N

30

29

Alexandria Library

153,511

N

11

8

Springfield City Library

153,991

N

2

2

Hayward Public Library

154,612

N

104

14

Pueblo City-County Library

163,591

N

23

2

Fort Vancouver Regional Library District

169,294

N

10

6

Chattanooga Public Library

173,778

N

53

2

Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

178,725

N

1

7

Providence Public Library

179,154

N

9

18

Newport News Public Library System

182,965

Y

0

3

Salt Lake City Public Library

190,884

N

10

43

Poudre River Public Library District

191,399

Y

0

12

Grand Rapids Public Library

193,792

N

14

9

Des Moines Public Library

209,220

N

5

0

Rochester Public Library

209,983

N

2

230

Richmond Public Library

220,289

N

17

9

Arlington Public Library

229,164

N

10

7

Scottsdale Public Library

230,512

N

2

8

The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County

231,900

N

13

5

Live Oak Public Libraries

237,709

N

3

13

Madison Public Library

245,691

N

14

33

Marin County Free Library

261,221

N

2

4

Greensboro Public Library

282,586

N

4

345

Saint Paul Public Library

297,640

N

3

4

Durham County Library

300,952

N

5

5

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

305,412

N

6

6

Lexington Public Library

310,797

N

39

2

Howard County Library System

313,414

N

12

3

St. Louis Public Library

315,685

N

13

0

Aurora Public Library

353,108

N

4

7

Allen County Public Library

368,450

N

9

3

Forsyth County Public Library

369,019

Y

0

8

Stark County District Library

375,165

N

7

7

Loudon County Public Library

375,629

N

9

1

New Orleans Public Library

384,320

N

3

21

Pioneer Library System

384,399

N

3

3

Cleveland Public Library

389,521

N

5

3

Richland Library

407,051

N

11

15

Oakland Public Library

413,775

N

8

1

Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

433,689

N

30

11

Omaha Public Library

446,599

N

8

13

East Baton Rouge Parish Library

446,753

N

2

3

Kansas City Public Library

470,800

N

2

12

Sacramento Public Library

485,199

N

3

10

Jefferson County Public Library

565,524

N

81

1

Johnson County Library

580,159

N

17

12

Milwaukee Public Library

599,642

N

9

59

Louisville Free Public Library

612,780

N

6

2

Enoch Pratt Free Library

621,849

N

8

2

Nashville Public Library

626,663

N

12

7

Kent District Library

636,369

N

9

8

Tulsa City-County Library

639,242

N

101

20

Boston Public Library

655,884

N

4

31

Memphis Public Library and Information Center

656,861

N

7

10

Denver Public Library

663,862

N

75

13

District of Columbia Public Library

672,228

N

3

5

Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System

676,685

N

12

5

El Paso Public Library

679,036

N

12

1

Detroit Public Library

680,250

N

40

2

Sno-Isle Libraries

713,835

N

1

29

DeKalb County Public Library

734,871

N

4

1

Mid-Continent Public Library

770,000

N

26

13

Multnomah County Library

790,294

Y

0

1

Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

807,598

N

2

8

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

809,958

N

6

2

Fort Worth Library

812,238

N

3

8

Baltimore County Public Library

831,128

N

1

2

Columbus Metropolitan Library

835,957

N

11

4

Pierce County Library System

843,954

N

17

15

Indianapolis Public Library

848,788

N

19

5

San Francisco Public Library

852,469

N

2

3

Jacksonville Public Library

853,382

Y

0

4

Metropolitan Library System

855,091

Y

0

5

Gwinnett County Public Library

895,823

N

13

1

Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

909,535

N

24

3

Anythink Libraries

942,418

N

15

5

Fresno County Public Library

974,861

N

10

2

St. Louis County Library

1,003,362

N

3

2

Pima County Public Library

1,010,025

N

4

66

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System

1,010,562

N

39

6

San Jose Public Library

1,015,785

N

1

2

Montgomery County Public Libraries

1,040,116

N

4

4

Salt Lake County Library Services

1,107,314

N

1

6

Contra Costa County Library

1,126,745

N

67

81

Hennepin County Library

1,223,149

N

9

12

Cuyahoga County Public Library

1,255,921

N

3

9

Dallas Public Library

1,281,047

N

14

8

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

1,349,050

N

9

4

San Diego Public Library

1,381,069

N

5

5

Palm Beach County Library System

1,422,789

N

40

3

San Antonio Public Library

1,436,697

N

9

2

Free Library of Philadelphia

1,560,297

N

7

3

Alameda County Library

1,638,215

N

12

13

Santa Clara County Library

1,918,044

N

10

5

Las Vegas County Library District

2,114,801

N

2

4

King County Library System

2,117,125

N

22

4

Houston Public Library

2,239,558

N

6

8

Queens Library

2,339,150

N

12

8

Brooklyn Public Library

2,636,735

N

5

7

Miami Dade Public Library

2,693,117

N

1

5

Chicago Public Library

2,722,389

N

5

28

San Diego County Library

3,299,521

N

6

2

Los Angeles Public Library

3,928,864

N

10

5

New York Public Library

8,491,079

N

40

4

County of Los Angeles Public Library

10,170,292

N

4

3

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Liu, Y.Q., Bielefield, A. & McKay, P. Are urban public libraries websites accessible to Americans with Disabilities?. Univ Access Inf Soc 18, 191–206 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-017-0571-7

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