Web accessibility at academic libraries: standards, legislation, and enforcement

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the standards, guidelines, and laws which affect web accessibility for academic library web sites in the USA as well as an explanation of the mechanism by which accessibility is enforced.

Along with the current W3C standards, the current Federal codes and regulations were examined, and in the case of codes and regulations, reaffirmed by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

Despite the absence of an explicit connection between Section 504 and Section 508, public and private academic colleges and universities libraries must provide accessible web sites, as guaranteed by the “effective communication” standard found in Section 504 as interpreted by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, as well as Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Having the authority to withhold Federal funding, the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has successfully mandated accessible academic web sites where a complaint has been submitted.

The research will provide academic library web developers with a comprehensive legal and practical framework and rationale for providing an accessible library web site for all.

The research provides a comprehensive view of web accessibility standards and laws as they apply to academic libraries.