EBSCO and upcoming ADA Title II updates

From EBSCO:

As accessibility regulations evolve, particularly with the upcoming updates to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we understand that many of our customers—especially those in the public sector—have questions about how these changes may impact their use of EBSCO products and services. We hope this information will help to provide clarity on what Title II of the ADA entails, how it relates to digital accessibility, and how EBSCO is proactively aligning its platforms to meet and exceed these requirements, as well as information on database/content conformance.

What is Title II of the ADA?

Title II of the ADA (as described on the U.S. Department of Justice website) requires state and local governments to make sure that their services, programs, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities. Title II applies to all services, programs, or activities of state and local governments, from adoption services to zoning regulation. This includes the services, programs, and activities that state and local governments offer online and through mobile apps. ADA Title II requires conformance with WCAG 2.1 AA.EBSCO products are designed, built and tested against the higher WCAG 2.2 AA standard, Section 508 as well as the EU standard EN 301 549.

Accessibility in research platforms

There are many factors that the EBSCO team has taken into consideration regarding accessibility in the New UI. Many regions, including the United States and Europe, have enacted legislation to ensure their citizens have equitable access. EBSCO strives to meet (and exceed) all guidelines laid out in legislation and continues to develop its platforms to accommodate users of all abilities.

Accessibility documentation

EBSCO Accessibility documentation (ACR/VPATs or Accessibility Statements) are created at the platform level, not the database level. If you’re looking for an ACR, you’ll want to select the platform you’re using, which will provide the accessibility conformance of that user interface, e.g., eHost/EDS, not ‘Academic Search Premier.' EBSCO ACR/VPATs

Platform conformance

EBSCO is committed to ensuring that its research platforms (e.g., EDS, eHost, PubFinder, etc.) comply with accessibility regulations, recognizing that accessibility is not merely a legal obligation but a fundamental aspect of providing equitable access to information for all users. Our approach encompasses a comprehensive range of proactive measures designed to identify, address, and exceed accessibility standards. Here’s how we achieve this:

• Performing third-party audits by a qualified accessibility vendor
• Testing and conforming to WCAG 2.2 AA
• Updating ACR/VPATs to be reported on v2.5INT VPAT template
• Updating our accessibility statements for 2024/2025
• Updating our product roadmaps to include any non-conforming success criteria with remediation timelines
• Ongoing training for developers and product teams on accessibility standards and best practices
• EBSCO has created a process for customers to request remediated content and has invested in internal teams to ensure content is remediated and returned as efficiently as possible. For more information, please visit the Accessible Content Remediation Requests page on EBSCO Connect.
• Sharing our accessibility documentation publicly:
  • ACR/VPATs on EBSCO Connect
  • Accessibility Statements

For more information on how we build and test accessible products: Standardizing Accessibility Testing

Content/database conformance

As an aggregator of content, EBSCO is not able to guarantee that all content provided by the publisher meets standards (e.g., WCAG 2.2 AA, EN 301 549).

To serve users, EBSCO has created a process for customers to request remediated content within the content viewer. EBSCO has also invested in teams to ensure content is remediated, to the extent reasonably possible, and returned as efficiently as possible. Accessible HTML and Word formats are available, for large requests, please email accessibility@ebsco.com.

Additionally, EBSCO is actively collaborating with publishers to secure accessible content while continuously enhancing our user interfaces.

Accessibility documentation

EBSCO Accessibility documentation (ACR/VPATs or Accessibility Statements) are created at the platform level, not the database level. If you’re looking for an ACR, you’ll want to select the platform you’re using which will provide the accessibility conformance of that user interface. For eHost/EDS EBSCO ACR/VPATs

Roadmap items for accessibility – New!

Non-conforming items from ACRs will now be visible on platform roadmaps.

• WCAG 2.2 AA Conformance – 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable – Toast Messages
  • ‘Toast’ messages will meet standards by being persistent (user dismissed) and will be used for system error messages only.
  • Note: required for ADA Title II conformance - Coming April 2026
• WCAG 2.2 AA Conformance – 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)
  • Increasing the size of an interactive element within the ‘bulk actions’ toolset to 24x24 px to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards
  • Note: this is a new WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria and not required for conformance with WCAG 2.1 AA - Coming April 2026