Accessibility and Disability Services in Virginia’s Four-Year Academic Libraries: A Content Analysis of Library Webpages

Abstract

Academic libraries serve a wide range of students, faculty, and staff with diverse needs for library accessibility, including people with temporary and chronic disabilities. The social model of disability frames an approach to library support for this population that is grounded in social justice and the library's role in minimizing barriers to library access. Promoting accessible library services and spaces via the library's website is an important component. This study analyzed the library websites of forty Virginia four-year academic institutions to identify current practices in the state for including an accessibility or disability services webpage or online policy statement. This content was found on eleven library websites. Naming conventions, location in the site architecture, and an analysis of content were explored. Based on this analysis, the authors conclude with two sets of recommendations for libraries wishing to edit or create their own accessibility services page for their website.

What Information Are We Providing to Users with Disabilities? An Analysis of ARL Libraries’ Accessibility Webpages

“…While the findings of this study clearly indicate shortfalls in online documentation of content on accessibility webpages, which were largely consistent with deficits found by Vaughan and Warlick (2020), 37 what is less clear is the reason for these shortfalls. In some cases, it is possible that the omitted content indicates a genuine lack of available services or resources.…”

Accessible services in academic libraries: a content analysis of library accessibility webpages in the United States

“…Clearly and comprehensively communicating the existence and availability of library services and resources is an aspirational function of user-oriented design for libraries' websites generally and for accessibility pages more specifically, as these are important access points and information hubs for users with disabilities. A small number of studies have analyzed the content of US libraries' accessibility pages at the national (Cassner et al, 2011;Power and LeBeau, 2009) and state levels (Vaughan and Warlick, 2020). Power and LeBeau (2009) investigated database-related services and accommodations for users with visual disabilities by analyzing library accessibility and database pages (e.g.…”

“…In cases where libraries' websites did not have a readily findable, dedicated accessibility page, the researchers used search functions and reference services to find, verify and analyze the information available on the libraries' websites (Cassner et al, 2011). Vaughan and Warlick (2020) performed a content analysis of the accessibility pages for 40 four-year Virginia colleges and universities within the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) consortium, consisting of a mix of public doctorate-granting institutions, public four-year comprehensive institutions and private institutions. This study, which investigated the content relating to services, as well as accessibility statements, language and page architecture, proposed several best practices (Vaughan and Warlick, 2020).…”

“…Vaughan and Warlick (2020) performed a content analysis of the accessibility pages for 40 four-year Virginia colleges and universities within the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) consortium, consisting of a mix of public doctorate-granting institutions, public four-year comprehensive institutions and private institutions. This study, which investigated the content relating to services, as well as accessibility statements, language and page architecture, proposed several best practices (Vaughan and Warlick, 2020). A particularly surprising finding of this state-level study is that only 11 of 40 institutions (27.5%) were observed to have a library accessibility page (Vaughan and Warlick, 2020).…”

“…This study, which investigated the content relating to services, as well as accessibility statements, language and page architecture, proposed several best practices (Vaughan and Warlick, 2020). A particularly surprising finding of this state-level study is that only 11 of 40 institutions (27.5%) were observed to have a library accessibility page (Vaughan and Warlick, 2020). This is in stark contrast to Cassner et al's (2011) investigation of ARL libraries websites in the USA, which identified accessibility pages on approximately 88% of institutions in their sample, reported nearly a decade prior.…”