More to Do than Can Ever Be Done: Reconciling Library Online Learning Objects with WCAG 2.1 Standards for Accessibility

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a long-term trend in libraries toward the generation of online learning objects. These materials in the library space are unique compared to those generated in other fields, as libraries frequently make them available for access on their website, or through library-owned social media channels, in formats meant to be available to all. This article looks at major types of library online learning objects and surfaces the most impactful areas of work for librarians and other education professionals interested in improving accessibility and accessibility compliance. The article and discussion are meant to provide an overview of critical WCAG 2.1 standards in relation to learning object types to make the practical implementation of accessibility less overwhelming. To supplement these recommendations, the authors have provided exhaustive lists of WCAG 2.1 criteria applicable to each learning object in the Appendixes.

Keywords:

• web accessibility
• academic libraries
• online learning objects
• WCAG

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Chee

Michael Chee is the Open Education Librarian at the University of Waterloo. He holds a B.A.H. and an M.Ed. from Queen’s University, and an M.A. in History and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Western Ontario. His research interests include accessible instructional design, information literacy, and collaborative teaching.

Zia Davidian

Zia Davidian is an Assistant Librarian, Reference and Instruction, at the University of Michigan—Flint. She holds a Master of Information Studies from McGill University. Her research interests include accessibility, user experience, and information literacy.

Kari D. Weaver

Kari D. Weaver, M.L.I.S., Ed.D., is the Learning, Teaching, & Instructional Design Librarian at the University of Waterloo. She holds her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Rhode Island and her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. Her publications focus on pedagogical approaches to teaching information-seeking, critical thinking, accessibility, and student information behavior across academic disciplines.