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Accessibility statement for Library Search at Bristol

This accessibility statement applies to content on the https://bris.on.worldcat.org domain.

This website is run by the University of Bristol.

Library Search is the University of Bristol’s online library resource searching platform. It uses the software, WorldCat Discovery. This is managed by the Library and developed and hosted by OCLC.

We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings.
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen.
  • navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software.
  • listen to most of the website using a screen reader.

We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

On this page

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:

  • some pages are confusing to navigate with screen readers.
  • some pages are hard to navigate using a keyboard.
  • some older style pages lack features such as skip repetitive links or time out warnings.

Feedback and contact information

Please contact Library Services if you have an accessibility query including:

  • if you are experiencing issues with accessing information or using the website
  • if you find an accessibility issue not listed in this statement
  • if you have positive feedback on the accessibility considerations made.

For more information on accessible library services, please view our accessibility and support pages.

Support with searching

If accessibility problems are stopping you from using Library Search, we will run searches for you. Please contact us by email library-enquiries@bristol.ac.uk, Live Chat or call in to one of our libraries during staffed hours.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, email us at library-enquiries@bristol.ac.uk.

Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The University of Bristol is committed to making its Library Search pages accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Compliance status

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reason(s):

(a) non-compliance with the accessibility regulations

Magnification and visibility

  • Some selectable elements are too small, meaning people with physical disabilities may have difficulty selecting them. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.8 (target size, minimum).

User input

  • When a language is chosen in the footer menu Language dropdown, no warning is given before the page language updates. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.2 (on input).
  • There are two pages where user input could be automatically entered but is not. This means users have to remember and retype information they have entered before. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.7 (redundant entry).

Navigation

Users of screen readers will find some pages hard to use because:

  • Some element IDs are not unique
  • Some content is not included in an appropriate landmark
  • Some pages have an illogical heading structure
  • Some IDs are not unique
  • Some HTML is used to format content
  • Some ARIA attributes have incorrect reference IDs
  • Some aria roles are a poor match for content.

This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).

  • On some pages ARIA references are incorrect or WAI-ARIA labels are redundant. This will make it harder to navigate these pages using a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (non-text content).
  • Some page elements receive focus in a confusing order, making navigating the page more difficult. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3 (focus order).
  • The keyboard focus is missing or barely visible on some form elements. This makes navigating the form harder as users are unable to see which element has focus. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.7 (focus visible).

Headings and labels

  • Some page titles are not specific enough, making it harder to understand the page content from the title. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 (page titled).
  • On some forms, asterisks are used to indicate required fields without explaining this. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.2 (labels or instructions).
  • Some labels and aria-labels are not clear enough. This means the purpose of some page elements and links is unclear from the label text, particularly impacting users of screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 (link purpose in context) and 2.4.6 (headings and labels).
  • Some alternative text names do not match the visible name. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.3 (label in name).
  • Some user interface elements do not clearly share their names, roles or values with assistive technologies. This makes it harder for users of these technologies to customise their settings. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role, value).
  • The language menu in the footer does not use the lang attribute to identify each language. This means that assistive technologies will be unable to tell which language the text is written in and might give users confusing information. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.1.2 (language of parts).

Legacy pages

Some of our less visited pages are using an older template. These include the Advanced Search, Find eJournal, Saved Items and Saved Lists pages and Place Hold form. These ‘legacy’ pages are non-compliant in the following areas:

  • The live chat button is not available on legacy pages. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.6 (consistent help).
  • When users are inactive on legacy pages, they are logged out after 30 minutes with no option to extend their time. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.2.1 (timing adjustable).
  • On legacy pages it is not possible for users to skip repetitive links. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 (bypass blocks).
  • Alert messages on legacy pages are not always coded as alerts. Users of assistive technologies will not know the significance of the message. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.3 (status messages).
  • Legacy pages do not have the same layout and style as the modern pages of Library Search. This makes it confusing when you move between the two and look for familiar features. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.4 (consistent identification).

Legacy pages are being moved onto modern templates, starting with the Advanced Search page. The legacy page issues listed above will be fixed as pages are transferred to modern templates. 

(b) disproportionate burden

As identified above, there are several aspects of the library discovery service which are non-compliant with the latest accessibility guidelines.

The service is provided by a third party supplier who we are currently working with to implement the required changes. We have assessed the cost and feasibility of replacing the library discovery service with a compliant version, however such a product does not currently exist on the market and it would therefore be disproportionate to do so.

The supplier is working on making the requested changes to the timescales indicated above. Monthly fixes are being released between July 2024 and January 2025.

In the meantime, if you have any issues with accessing the library discovery service, please get in touch with our library team through our 24/7 live chat, email, or telephone.

We have carried out a disproportionate burden assessment which is summarised below:

  • This is third-party software and there is no alternative library discovery service product compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA;
  • It would be disproportionately costly to develop and implement an in-house discovery service, and we do not have the technical expertise in-house to develop such a product;
  • Our current supplier is in the process of developing and updating its service for full compliance, including with WCAG 2.2, and we expect this to be achieved more quickly and cost effectively than any other corrective measures available to us;
  • The required changes will all be implemented no later than January 2025, with several fixes having already been made.

Our full assessment can be made available on request from freedom-information@bristol.ac.uk.

(c) the content is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

At present we do not have any content that is not within the scope of the accessibility regulations. However, this may change in future.

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

Regular improvements to accessibility are planned between July 2024 and October 2024. The University of Bristol and OCLC will meet each month during this period. The University will review this statement after each meeting. The University will continue to work closely with OCLC on improving accessibility beyond this period.

OCLC is committed to enabling use of the WorldCat Discovery service by all users. Accessibility is an important consideration during our product development. Future enhancements to WorldCat Discovery include considerations for building new features that comply with accessibility guidelines. We aim to provide compliance within all newly modernized pages going forward, focusing on improving the ability to bypass blocks and the clarity of headings, labels, and page titles.

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on 12 July 2024. It was last reviewed on 4 October 2024.

This website was last tested on 17 July 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The test was carried out by OCLC using the following tools:

  • SiteImprove evaluation tool for Chrome browser
  • WAVE evaluation tool for Chrome browser
  • VoiceOver screen reader on Apple platform with Apple Safari
  • WebAim’s Contrast Checker
  • Manual code review and general product knowledge.

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