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What First, what questions should you ask to assess the accessibility of a prospective vendor's product? The ASCLA released [https://cpl.org/wp-content/uploads/think_accessible_before_you_buy.pdf Think Accessible Before You Buy: Questions to Ask to Ensure that the Electronic Resources Your Library Plans to Purchase are Accessible] and includes introductory material explaining terminology related to electronic resources and accessibility.
Chicago Public Library===Accessibility Complaints filed against libraries==='s [https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/info/accessibility/ Bibliocommons policy] '(This list is not exhaustive and their [https://www.chipublib.org/library-policies/website-accessibility-policy/ general website accessibility policies]. does not include any academic institutions whose libraries may or may not have been included in the complaint)''
===Complaints filed against libraries===Boston Public Library, 2017 [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/01174029-a.pdf 1] and [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/01174029-b.pdf 2] (pdf)
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This page is intended to collect resources related to accessibility as and was created following a result discussion from the code4lib 2018 breakout discussions.
==Accessibility Resources==
===From C4L18C4L 18===
[https://osf.io/um7sn/ Critical Mass Accessibility] - Lightning talk given by Kate Deibel at C4L 2018; A call to create a library accessibility community.
===From C4L 19===
[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uQxxxrqPoyuizyFCW_kvVBAbG-F_Qo0uhRnNsnGiim0/edit#slide=id.p Get To Know WCAG 2.1] - An overview of WCAG 2.1 by Carli Spina
===Other resources===
[https://github.com/mgifford/a11y-courses a11y courses] - comprehensive list of trainings and courses on web accessibility
[https://github.com/brunopulis/awesome-a11y Awesome-A11Y ] - pretty comprehensive list of specifications, guides, articles, and talks.
[http://diagramcenter.org/standards-and-practices/accessible-image-sample-book.html The Accessible Image Sample Book by DIAGRAM] - Very instructive guide to make accessible images (charts, maps, diagrams) in an educational contexts. It is also available on [https://github.com/benetech/AccessibleImageSampleBook Github].
[https://pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca/pwaa/ Professional Web Accessibility Auditing Made Easy] - by Digital Education Strategies, The Chang School. A liberally CC-licensed e-book on how to assess a website for accessibility
===Accessibility and Digital Collections===
[https://www.museumsandtheweb.com/mw2001/papers/anable/anable.html Wright State's University's Guide for writing alt-text for historical art] - also could be applicable for historical images and photographs
===Assessing Third Party Vendors for Accessibility===
Before purchasing electronic resources, you should verify if they are accessible and not take the vendor's word (or VPAT).
[https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/ The University of Washington] and [https://kent.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bg9QMVI7bqyvPvL Kent State University (KSU)] require prospective vendors to complete a questionnaire. ''The questions on KSU's form can also be viewed as a [https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/file/ICT%20vendor%20form%20-%20question%20preview.pdf PDF]''
You'll also want to conduct verify the responses by manual testing based on those responses.
===Web Accessibility Policies===
Some public libraries (Sacramento, Chicago) are officially organized and structured as a government entity underneath and adopt policies of their general cityrespective municipality.
Others (NYPL) that are self -managed and adopt their own web accessibility policies. For example: Chicago Public Library's [https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/info/accessibility/ Bibliocommons policy] and their [https://www.chipublib.org/library-policies/website-accessibility-policy/ general website accessibility policies]. [https://cpl.org/aboutthelibrary/usingthelibrary/accessibility/ Cleveland Public Library's Web Accessibility Policy] [https://kcls.org/accessibility/ King County (Washington) Library System's Accessibility Policy]
[https://www.nypl.org/policies/web-mobile-accessibility NYPL Web Accessibility Policy]
[https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-settles-complaint-against-sacramento-public-library National Federation of the Blind vs. Sacramento Public Library], 2012.
Complaints were to made to the OCR, the Federal Office of Civil Rights (USA), were made in the 2010s, alleging that the referenced library's website and/or electronic resources were not 'accessible' and did not provide equal or equivalent access to all patrons. The OCR had found the complaints to have merit and began an separate investigation with each library.
In all cases listed below, the libraries wished to resolved the complaint, entered into agreements with OCR to close the investigation and improve their website's accessibility.
Chicago Public Library, 2016 [https://nfbwww2.orged.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/national05164048-federationa.pdf 1] and [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/05164048-blindb.pdf 2] (pdf) Cleveland Public Library, 2018 Detroit Public Library, 2016 [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/15164038-settlesa.pdf 1] and [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/15164038-complaint-against-sacramento-public-library National Federation of the Blind vsb. Sacramento pdf 2] (pdf) Los Angeles Public Library], 20122017 [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/09154015-a.pdf 1] and [https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/investigations/more/09154015-b.pdf 2] (pdf)
