Library website accessibility: a case study

Ailsa Parker, Whitireia Community Polytechnic

Abstract

Libraries devote considerable time and expense to ensuring that disabled users can physically access the library. Is the same amount of thought, however, going into Web page development. Do sites provide support for technologies such as audio readers? Are they compliant with the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative standards? This presentation discusses Bobby, a free software that can quickly check for compliance; shares research results of testing the Web pages of New Zealand polytechnic libraries with Bobby; and compares the results with overseas research.