An Evaluation of Finding Aid Accessibility for Screen Readers

Authors

  • Kristina L. Southwell University of Oklahoma
  • Jacquelyn Slater University of Oklahoma

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v32i3.3423

Abstract

Since the passage of the American Disabilities Act in 1990 and the coincident  growth of the Internet, academic libraries have worked to provide electronic resources and services that are accessible to all patrons. Special collections are increasingly being added to these Web-based library resources, and they must meet the same accessibility standards. The recent popularity surge of Web 2.0 technology, social media sites, and mobile devices has brought greater awareness about the challenges faced by those who use assistive technology for visual disabilities. This study examines the screen reader accessibility of online special collections finding aids at 68 public U.S. colleges and universities in the Association of Research Libraries.

Author Biographies

Kristina L. Southwell, University of Oklahoma

Kristina L. Southwell is Associate Professor of Bibliography and Assistant Curator at the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma.

Jacquelyn Slater, University of Oklahoma

Jacquelyn Slater is Assistant Professor of Bibliography and Librarian at the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma.

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Published

2013-09-15

How to Cite

Southwell, K. L., & Slater, J. (2013). An Evaluation of Finding Aid Accessibility for Screen Readers. Information Technology and Libraries, 32(3), 34–46. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v32i3.3423

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Articles