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Accessibility Whitepaper

Last Updated: July 30, 2025

Stacks is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. We believe knowledge is power—and that starts with access. Our goal is to provide a digital library experience that is inclusive, usable, and equitable for everyone.

This whitepaper outlines our approach to digital accessibility, including our standards, testing methods, governance model, training, and commitment to continuous improvement. It aligns with global benchmarks such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and EN 301 549.

Table of Contents

What is an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)?

An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) is a document based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®), which provides a standardized summary of how a product supports accessibility requirements. The VPAT was developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) to support accessibility evaluations across international standards.

Stacks uses the VPAT 2.5 INT template to assess and report on conformance. Our product is substantially conformant with WCAG 2.1 AA, which aligns with — and in many cases voluntarily exceeds — global benchmarks such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and EN 301 549.

You can download our latest ACR at the bottom of this article. 

Compliance Roadmap

Stacks continually works to improve the accessibility and usability of our platform. While our product substantially meets WCAG 2.1 level AA, we aim to align with WCAG 2.2 Level AA in future releases. These standards guide our design, development, and testing processes to help ensure access for individuals using assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and other assistive technology devices.

To support accessibility, Stacks:

  • Integrates accessibility into our product lifecycle

  • Expands test coverage for WCAG 2.2 using automated and manual tools

  • Conducts usability audits with assistive technology users

  • Maintains ongoing training for developers, designers, and content creators

  • Partners with third-party auditors to validate conformance and support improvements

Design and Development Process

Accessibility is embedded from the start and integrated throughout the product lifecycle:

  • Design: Inclusive design principles guide our UX/UI work. Designers annotate wireframes and prototypes for contrast, labeling, focus order, and keyboard operability.

  • Development: Developers use semantic HTML, ARIA where appropriate, and automated accessibility linters to catch issues early in the build process.

  • QA & Release: Accessibility checks are part of our quality assurance process, with regression testing applied to new features and updates.

Testing

Evaluation Methods

Our accessibility evaluations utilize a combination of automated testing tools (e.g., axe-core rules, Accessibility Insights, Color Contrast Analyzer etc. ) and manual testing methods, including keyboard-only navigation and assistive technologies such as JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver. We also consult with native screen reader users during usability testing to validate real-world effectiveness.

Test Environments

Stacks is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

  • JAWS (2024.2411.16) with Chrome on Windows

  • NVDA (2024.4.2) with Chrome on Windows

  • VoiceOver (macOS 13.2.1) with Safari on macOS

Accessibility Test Plan

We track progress with our accessibility plan by integrating accessibility into our sprint cycles. There is ongoing WCAG 2.2 AA internal manual and automated testing, and issues are tracked and prioritized based on: conformance levels (A or AA), User impact, and legal risk.

Progress is monitored using an internal dashboard that tracks resolution status, time to fix, and regression test results. Critical issues are resolved within the sprint before release.

Accessibility Training

All product team members receive onboarding and role-specific accessibility training, covering topics such as: WCAG principles, assistive technology testing, and inclusive design and development best practices. Training is refreshed annually and includes live workshops, updated internal documentation, and guidance aligned with W3C best practices.

Legal Requirements

Stacks proactively monitors accessibility-related legal requirements across regions and closely monitors evolving US and EU requirements, including updates to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, EN 301 549, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA), ensuring our products comply with current and upcoming standards.

Third-Party Evaluation

We work with independent accessibility consultants to conduct formal audits of the Stacks platform. These third-party evaluations help validate our internal testing efforts and provide transparency.

A summary of findings and conformance levels is included in our published ACR. We typically update our Accessibility statements yearly, or in the case of a large update.

Accessibility Team

Accessibility at Stacks is led by an in-house accessibility specialist, supported by our broader product team and legal counsel through our parent organization, EBSCO. Cross-functional collaboration ensures that accessibility is considered at every step of the product lifecycle.

Governance Model

Accessibility governance is overseen by our internal lead in close partnership with EBSCO’s accessibility and legal teams. Responsibilities include:

  • Maintaining accessibility standards and documentation

  • Providing team-wide training and support

  • Conducting internal audits and remediation tracking

  • Ensuring accountability across design, development, QA, and content creation

Accessibility Statement

Click here to access Stacks' full accessibility statement. 

 

 

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