IGI Global

***Below is a summary of UARC's accessibility evaluation. For the full report, click the pdf link in the menu on the right.*** 

MSU Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (MSU UARC) conducted a high-level accessibility evaluation of the IGI Global platform to evaluate its conformance with WCAG 2.1 AA Criteria. This evaluation did not include all functionality or content of the site or all WCAG 2.1 AA Success Criteria.

During this evaluation, a number of issues were found that will make the site impossible to use for many individuals with disabilities and will make some site content difficult to use for many others.

Critically, no means to pause, stop, or hide the rotator on the Home page is provided, and rotator content is read out by screen readers whenever it changes, regardless of the current reading or focus location. Rotators that cannot be stopped create significant issues for individuals with cognitive and visual impairments, as well as for screen reader users, and content being unexpectedly read out creates further problems for screen reader users.

Keyboard users, including screen reader users and users with dexterity impairments, will find it impossible to access or use some site content. A variety of content throughout the site cannot be reached or operated via keyboard, making it impossible to use for those that rely on keyboard access. Focus order is incorrect in some places, increasing the difficulty of using the site with a keyboard, and many interactive elements lack a sufficiently visible focus indicator, making it difficult for many keyboard-only users to effectively use them, as they cannot determine when they have reached the correct element.

Individuals with visual impairments, including those that rely on screen readers, will also have problems using the site. Some content is not read out correctly and structural information (e.g., headings, lists) is not appropriately conveyed to users, making it difficult or impossible to understand content and organization in places. Some form inputs are not appropriately labeled, making those inputs difficult or impossible to use for those that rely on screen readers. Custom elements do not correctly announce themselves to screen readers, making them difficult to understand and use. Many images have inappropriate alternative text, significantly impacting users with visual impairments.

The PDF has not been tagged for accessibility and no structural information is provided to assistive technologies, making it extremely difficult to use and navigate for users with disabilities. Additionally, no title or language is provided to assistive technologies.

Other issues were found that will make it difficult for users with a variety of disabilities to effectively use the system, including insufficient color contrast for text and meaningful visual elements, insufficient link context, and images of text being used instead of styled text.

To improve access for users with disabilities, MSU UARC recommends a full WCAG 2.1 AA evaluation and that the problems discovered be remediated.