This report reflects the findings of a high-level assessment of HeinOnline for its conformance with the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). There are some WCAG 2.1 compliance issues with HeinOnline particularly around screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation. These can be serious issues that may significantly affect the ability of users with physical and visual impairments to navigate the site successfully. Below are the most critical issues to address to improve system compliance.
Top 3 Issues
- Compatibility: The most critical issue with the site currently is compatibility with ARIA, labels, and unique ID’s. All these issues can cause significant issues with screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and the overall navigability of the site if not addressed. When authoring for ARIA be sure to reference the WAI-ARIA Best Practices from W3.
- Keyboard Navigation: Another major issue to address is keyboard navigation. All the pages reviewed had issues with keyboard focus not being clearly visible to the user. This makes it very difficult to navigate the site if a user needs keyboard assistance, as well as impacting screen reader functionality, particularly if an invisible or disabled element receives focus.
- Contrast/Alt Text: There are some minor issues with color contrast and image alt text that is present across