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Accessibility Whitepaper

Last Updated: April 15, 2025

This Accessibility Whitepaper provides insights into our accessibility policies, training programs, testing environments, and the metrics we use to track progress. It will also highlight our collaboration with third-party experts and the governance model we have in place to oversee accessibility initiatives. Through this comprehensive approach, we strive to drive continuous improvement and innovation in accessibility, ensuring that our products remain inclusive and user-friendly for all.

 

Table of Contents

Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)

Do you have an accurate Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for the version of the product(s) in this solicitation response completed using an ITI VPAT template 2.3 or higher? If so, please provide documentation.
Yes. We are currently working on a VPAT 2.5 (INTL version). Once our third-party accessibility partner completes it, the finalized document will be made publicly available.


Does the ACR indicate that your product(s) is in compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA and/or applicable sections of US Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Chapters 3, 4, 6?
Yes. The finalized ACR (VPAT 2.5 INTL) will confirm compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA, Revised Section 508, and EN 301 549.

Compliance Roadmap

While we don't have a fixed roadmap, accessibility remains a top priority. We integrate accessibility into every development cycle, ensuring that issues are identified, prioritized, and resolved iteratively. This approach helps us maintain compliance and continuously improve our product. Our VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) will provide the current status and estimated timelines for addressing any outstanding issues.

Design and Development Process

Accessibility is integrated throughout the product lifecycle, from design and development to QA and release. Designers apply inclusive design principles and annotate their designs with accessibility considerations like color contrast, focus order, and proper labeling. Developers use an accessibility linter to identify issues early and follow best practices, including semantic HTML and ARIA where appropriate. During QA, our accessibility expert conducts automated and manual testing using keyboard-only navigation and assistive technologies such as screen readers to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.

Tracking Progress

We track progress with our accessibility plan by integrating accessibility into our sprint cycles, ensuring all features are tested against WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Issues are tracked in our development planning software and prioritized based on user impact and conformance level. Our dashboard monitors metrics such as resolution status, time to resolution, and regression testing results. Additionally, we conduct internal audits to assess improvements and identify emerging accessibility gaps.

Evaluation Methods

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

Testing

Test Environments

Our test environments include various client platforms, operating systems (including mobile), browsers, assistive technologies, and their respective versions. Specifically, we use:

  • 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 operate with accessibility test plans that detail the testing scope, tools used, environments and issue-tracking protocols. The VPAT, once complete, will summarize key findings and remediations efforts.

Corrective Actions Process

Issues are logged, triaged, and tracked in our development planning software with severity labels. They are prioritized based on user impact, legal risk, and WCAG conformance level (A or AA). Critical issues are addressed within the sprint and resolved before release.

Legal Requirements

Our dedicated accessibility team stays informed of legal and regulatory changes by consulting with external vendors and legal counsel and closely monitors evolving US and EU requirements, including updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA), ensuring our products comply with current and upcoming standards.

Third-Party Certification

We've partnered with a third-party expert to ensure our VPAT is thorough and accurate. Their detailed findings will be included in the finalized report, providing you with a comprehensive attestation of our compliance.

Accessibility Policy

A formal accessibility policy is in place supported by initiatives throughout our organization. Our policy outlines our commitment to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, Section 508, and other relevant standards. Accessibility is integrated into our design and development processes. We provide ongoing staff training, conduct regular audits, assign clear roles and responsibilities, and engage with users and partners to drive continuous improvement.

Accessibility Team

We have a dedicated accessibility expert embedded in our product team, supported by a broader accessibility team within EBSCO.

How can I get direct contact information for your accessibility expert?

While we don't provide direct contact information for the individuals handling accessibility queries, our support team is ready to assist you and can escalate your questions to the Stacks team if necessary.

Accessibility Training

All designers, developers, and Quality Assurance staff undergo onboarding accessibility training tailored to their roles, covering best practices and standards. The accessibility team provides ongoing workshops and refresher sessions as technologies or regulations evolve. Training materials are based on trusted sources like W3C guidelines and supplemented with internal documentation.

Product Demonstrations

We currently do not offer product demonstrations to users of accessibility software.

Governance Model

Governance is overseen by our internal accessibility lead in collaboration with EBSCO’s accessibility and legal teams. Accessibility training is provided to all product teams, reinforcing a shared responsibility model where accessibility is embedded across roles and workflows.

Accessibility Maturity Model

We don't adhere to a formal Accessibility Maturity Model, our approach incorporates many of its key principles. We prioritize cross-functional collaboration, integrate accessibility into all workflows, and offer ongoing training and awareness programs. Accessibility is tracked using internal tools, with regular testing, monitoring, and continuous improvements.

Accessibility Statement

Stacks is a hosted subscription service that takes care of Accessibility, Compatibility, Security and all maintenance and updates with continuous improvement for the life of the contract. This enables your libraries to focus on curating content and providing services instead of battling technology.


Stacks is fully functional for visually impaired users. The Stacks platform meets, and in many ways exceeds section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards. It offers guidance and a variety of tools that empower all users creating content on the platform to align that content quickly and easily with the accepted standards. Additionally, Stacks is WCAG 2.1 Level A compliant, exceeding accessibility guidelines and supporting several features that are part of the WCAG Level AA compliance by improving page orientation and navigation in all available themes. Notable accessibility features include:

  • Introductory text and shortcuts for screen reader patrons;
  • Elimination of most tables to improve searching with screen readers or keyboard controls;
  • Help text and compliance reminders for content creators;
  • Descriptive page titles, section header tags and selected link labels;
  • Streamlined code for simpler page structures;
  • Detailed alternative text image descriptions;
  • Decreased page size and list pagination for shorter download times for all patrons;
  • Implementation of WAI ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) coding standards from W3C
    consortia that work in conjunction with HTML5’s built in accessibility features; and
    Font zoom in header.
  • Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)

The Stacks Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) provides a comprehensive overview of our product's adherence to accessibility standards offering transparency regarding how Stacks aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Use the link below to download our VPAT from March 2023.

 

 

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