Purpose
This toolkit is for librarians and academic IT professionals new to accessibility in libraries and who are looking for guidance on where to begin. It is also for people looking for resources on specific aspects of accessibility work. Please feel free to offer feedback or suggestions.
Originally created based on needs identified in responses to a joint Orbis Cascade Alliance/Northwest Academic Computing Consortium accessibility survey from Summer 2019, the Accessibility Standing Group (ASG) reviewed and updated the toolkit in 2022-2023, followed by updates for testing tools and techniques in 2024-2025.
We offer the following pages to help you get started with accessibility:
- Accessibility Basics: Starting point that can help you get an introduction to digital accessibility and help you navigate the toolkit. Recommend scanning through to get a sense of different concerns.
- Accessibility Standards and Legislation: Where to find federal and state requirements for digital accessibility.
- Getting Started with Accessibility Testing: Collects resources and tools for both automated and manual accessibility testing; includes both core concepts that are relevant across formats and recommendations for specific content types (web content, word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.).
- Digital Accessibility Advocacy, Policies, and Statements: Links to policies, statements, and guides at the university, library, and digital repository level, as well as to guidance on what to include in a statement.
- Content Providers, Electronic Resources, and Digital Accessibility: Licensing language and platform expectations for vendor products. Includes discussion of vendor-produced voluntary product accessibility templates (VPATs).
- Training and Accessibility Networks: Resources for training, list serves, conferences, and general information to help you connect and stay informed.
Creators and Editors
Members of the Accessibility Standing Group (ASG) created and continue to revise this toolkit to maintain relevance and currency.