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Private post-secondary library websites and the ADA: compliancy and COVID-19
Open accessAbstract
This study explores whether US post-secondary institutions (PPI) follow philosophies to foster inclusive communities, providing resources for those individuals with disabilities thrive socially, personally, and academically, while there have been no thorough studies conducted to determine web accessibility of the nation's top-ranked PPI library webpages. Additionally, this study pioneers in comparison with the accessibility of PPI's library homepages fighting COVID-19. The study evaluated the library homepages of the premium PPIs based on Money.com's 2019 list of "The Best Colleges in America" via the WAVE web accessibility evaluation tool. The outcomes determined that most of the library homepages analyzed were littered with numerous errors, and the shift to online-based research in learning had no significant impact on the number of errors WAVE detected. The disconcerting findings of this study demonstrate the overall failure to recognize the importance of web accessibility or perhaps even the indifference toward accessibility on the part of the PPI community.
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Numerous accessibility barriers in academic library websites (e.g., poor color contrast, missing alternative text, unlabeled form controls, inaccessible navigation structures) are not one-off technical errors but design decisions made without accessibility as a central requirement.
“Likewise, research studies of academic library websites have shown that numerous accessibility barriers (e.g., poor color contrast, missing alternative text, unlabeled form controls, and inaccessible navigation structures) are not one-off technical errors but design decisions made without accessibility as a central requirement (Bielefield et al., 2021).”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredRepair attempts after launch are typically uneven, inadequate, or deprioritized, underscoring the argument for building accessibility into design workflows upstream rather than as a downstream corrective activity.
“This study also highlights that repair attempts after launch are typically uneven, inadequate, or deprioritized, underscoring the argument for building accessibility into design workflows upstream rather than as a downstream corrective activity (Bielefield et al., 2021).”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
The Results and discussion section (page unavailable) reports uneven change between December 2019 and October 2020: 38 library homepages had fewer Section 508 errors, 28 had more, and 32 had no change. The Conclusion says most libraries did not consciously remediate accessibility errors. The paper does not examine repair attempts after launch or argue for integrating accessibility into upstream design workflows; its Recommendations instead describe evaluating and correcting existing webpages as a satisfactory option. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAutomated audits of library websites reveal that fixing things is not sufficient to overcome systemic accessibility deficiencies.
“Automated audits of library websites reveal that fixing things is not sufficient to overcome systemic accessibility deficiencies.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
The Research design and methods section describes automated checks of library homepages, and the Results and discussion section reports widespread accessibility errors. The Conclusion also calls for greater awareness. But the paper does not find that fixing errors is insufficient; its Recommendations describe evaluating and correcting errors as a satisfactory option. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAccessibility has been a goal of libraries for many years, but hurdles remain on academic library websites and digital platforms, including inadequate color contrast, the lack of alternate text, and inaccessible forms and documents.
“Accessibility has been a goal of libraries for many years, but hurdles remain on academic library websites and digital platforms, including inadequate color contrast, the lack of alternate text, and inaccessible forms and documents.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
The Results and discussion report low contrast, missing alternative text, and missing or unclear form labels on private post-secondary library homepages. The Literature review also describes a longstanding effort to improve library web accessibility. The paper does not establish that documents are inaccessible, and its findings concern library homepages rather than digital platforms generally. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMany accessibility errors are very easy and inexpensive to fix during the design and initial implementation stages.
“Many of these errors are very easy and inexpensive to fix during the design and initial implementation stages.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
The Recommendations section says that creating and maintaining accessible webpages need not be time-consuming or expensive. The Results and discussion section calls increasing text-background contrast a simple remedy for the most frequent error. The paper does not establish that many errors are easy to fix specifically during the design and initial implementation stages; page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
More than 45 library websites had issues with contrast, notably between text and background.
“For instance, more than 45 websites had issues with contrast, notably between text and background.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
Most library homepages had a significant number of accessibility concerns, demonstrating that compliance with accessibility requirements is a widespread problem.
“Most library homepages had a significant number of accessibility concerns, demonstrating that compliance with accessibility requirements is a widespread problem.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
Many library homepages lacked basic accessibility elements (e.g., alternate language for photos, well-formed form components), reducing usability for users who rely on assistive devices.
“Moreover, many homepages lacked basic accessibility elements (e.g., alternate language for photos, well-formed form components) that further reduced usability for users who rely on assistive devices.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
Severe disruptions such as the rapid move to online services during the COVID-19 pandemic have not consistently resulted in meaningful accessibility improvements.
“Longitudinal studies show support that severe disruptions, such as the rapid move to online services during the COVID-19 pandemic, have not consistently resulted in meaningful accessibility improvements.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
Bielefield et al. (2021) studied private college library websites and showed persistent inequities in ADA conformance across institutions.
“Bielefield et al. (2021) present a study of the accessibility compliance of private college library websites and show persistent inequities in ADA conformance across institutions.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
Web accessibility is most effective when integrated into the earliest stages of digital design, rather than retroactively fixed through remediation.
“A key topic in the web accessibility literature is that web accessibility is most effective when integrated into the earliest stages of digital design, rather than retroactively fixed through remediation.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
The Recommendations section (page unavailable) discusses creating and maintaining accessible webpages and says evaluating and correcting errors is a satisfactory option. It does not compare accessibility built into the earliest design stages with later remediation. Searches for early design and retroactive correction found no passage making that comparison. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPost-construction evaluation and remediation efforts typically do not provide substantial or permanent gains.
“The post-construction evaluation and remediation efforts typically do not provide substantial or permanent gains.”
From Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries (2026) · cites this paper as Bielefield et al., 2021
The Results and discussion section reports a 21.5% decrease in accessibility errors between 2019 and 2020, and the Conclusion says most libraries did not consciously remediate errors. Neither assesses whether post-construction evaluation and remediation typically produce substantial or permanent gains. A search for lasting improvements from remediation found no such finding in our copy; page numbers were unavailable. (LLM, conf=0.78)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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Research works printed but not linked: 20
- Anaya, T., Cassner, M., Maxey-Harris, C.: Differently able: a review of academic library websites for people with disabilities. Behav. Soc. Sci. Libr. 30(10), 33–51 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1080/01639269.2011.548722 · DOI
- Askew, B., Brown, A., Christy, M., Gomez, A., Gooch, M., Kubicki, J.M., Luster, A., Marseille, D., Paul, S., Smith, L., Tharrington, S., Thornton, A., Tyner, S., Wright, J.D., Slutskaya, S.A.: Georgia libraries respond to COVID-19 pandemic. Ga. Libr. Q. 57(3), 10 (2020)
- Bielefield, A., Liu, Y.Q., McKay, P.: Are urban public libraries websites accessible to Americans with disabilities? Univ. Access Inf. Soc. 18, 191–206 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-017-0571-7 · DOI
- Blake, S.E.: Universal access, the ADA, and your library webpage. Arkansas Libraries 57(1), 19–24 (2000)
- Burgstahler, S., Comden, D., Fraser, B.M.: Universal Access: Electronic Resources in Libraries. DO‐IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Distributed by the American Library Association (ALA), Washington (1996)
- Burns, E.: School librarians online: integrated learning beyond the school walls. Inf. Learn. Sci. 121(7/8), 631–644 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0107 · DOI
- Byerly, S., Chambers, M.B.: Usability testing and students with disabilities: achieving universal access on a library web site. In: ACRL Tenth National Conference. Denver, CO. http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/pdf/byerley.pdf (2001)
- Carter, C.J.: Providing services for students with disabilities in an academic library. Educ. Libr. 27(2), 13–18 (2004) · DOI
- Dols, R., Hulscher, L., Newberry, T., Yoon, K.: An exploratory study of library website accessibility for visually impaired users. Libr. Inf. Res. 38, 250–258 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2016.08.006 · DOI
- Dols, R., Hulscher, L., Yoon, K.: Accessibility and diversity in LIS: inclusive information architecture for library websites. Libr. Q. Inf., Commun. Policy 86(2), 213–229 (2016)
- Floyd, K.S., Santiago, J.: The state of website accessibility in higher education. In: SAIS Proceedings, 20. http://aisel.aisnet.org/sais2007/20 (2007)
- Fulton, C.: Web accessibility, libraries, and the law. Inf. Technol. Libr. 30(1), 34–43 (2011)
- Gorman, M.: Our Enduring Values: Librarianship in the 21st Century. American Library Association, Chicago (2000)
- Green, R.A., Huprich, J.: Web accessibility and accessibility instruction. J. Access Serv. 6(1–2), 116–136 (2009) · DOI
- Kim, S.H., Choi, G.W., Jung, Y.J.: Design principles for transforming making programs into online settings at public libraries. Inf. Learn. Sci. 121(7/8), 619–630 (2020) · DOI
- Lilly, E.B., Van Fleet, C.: Measuring the accessibility of public library home pages. Ref. User Serv. Q. 40(2), 156–165 (2000)
- Providenti, M.: Library web accessibility at Kentucky’s 4-year degree granting colleges and universities. D-Lib Mag. (2004). https://doi.org/10.1045/september2004-providenti · DOI
- Providenti, M., Zai III, R.: Web accessibility at Kentucky’s academic libraries. Libr. Hi Tech 25(4), 478–493 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830710840446 · DOI
- Riley-Huff, D.A.: Web accessibility and universal design: a primer on standards and best practices for libraries. Libr. Technol. Rep. 48(7), 29–35 (2012)
- Schmetzke, A.: Web accessibility at university libraries and library schools. Libr. Hi Tech 19, 35–49 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830110384584 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Accountability for Web Accessibility in Academic Libraries
Lovins, C., & Bragg, C. (2026) · International Journal of Librarianship · doi:10.23974/ijol.2026.vol11.2.590
“This study also highlights that repair attempts after launch are typically uneven, inadequate, or deprioritized, underscoring the argument for building accessibility into design workflows upstream rather than as a downstream corrective activity (Bielefield et al., 2021).”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Bielefield, A., Liu, Y. Q., & Waimon, V.
- Affiliations
- Southern Connecticut State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Yan Quan
- ORCID
- Liu, Yan Quan
- Venue
- Universal Access in the Information Society
- Published
- 2021-08-21
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 251-266
- ISSN
- 1615-5289 (ISSN-L)
- 1615-5297
- PMC
- PMC8380020
- OpenAlex
- W3195070956
- Cited by
- 6
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 0.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Universal Access in the Information Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- CSU-AAUP
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
- Social Sciences › Education › Disability Education and Employment
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disability Rights and Representation
- Keywords
- web accessibility, Americans with Disabilities Act, library websites, inclusive higher education, COVID-19 pandemic, online learning, accessibility compliance
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