Assessing the Library Homepages of COPLAC Institutions for Section 508 Accessibility Errors: Who's Accessible,Who's Not,and How the Online WebXACT Assessment Tool Can Help

ABSTRACT

The Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) libraries websites were assessed for Section 508 errors using the online WebXACT tool. Only three of the twenty-one institutions (14%) had zero accessibility errors. Eighty-six percent of the COPLAC institutions had an average of 1.24 errors. Section 508 compliance is required for institutions receiving federal funding. While this study shows the need to correct the existing errors, the low error rate shows that COPLAC institutions have generally been conscious of accessibility standards and are working toward achieving fully accessible websites. Studies of the connections between average accessibility errors and the geographic locations of these institutions, the amount of federal funding received, and size were inconclusive. The main aim of the study is to demonstrate the need to check library websites using the free WebXACT tool. This tool offers suggestions for accessibility that should serve to decrease the number of pages that are inaccessible to patrons.