Assessing digital library accessibility: Compliance and violations

Abstract

It is widely recognized that digital libraries (DLs) should be accessible for all types of users. However, there is a gap in assessing how well DLs support blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. This study evaluated the accessibility of DLs based on the DL Accessibility and Usability Guidelines (DLAUG). A total of 31 DL experts–comprising experienced DL developers–were recruited to assess five DLs representing diverse types. Multiple data collection methods, particularly expert assessments, were employed to gather data. The findings identified 22 types of violations corresponding to various help-seeking situations encountered by BVI users. These violations were classified into the following seven categories: feature labeling issues, inadequate help information, inappropriate design of features, incompatibility, lack of features, metadata issues, and multimedia issues. The significance of the study lies in its evaluation of the current compliance status of DLs, its identification of unique violations compared with other information retrieval (IR) systems, and its recommendations for improving the current DL designs to better support BVI users.