Assessment Report | LEAP

Assessment Information
eResource Title	Vendor	Overall Grade
Canadian Points of View	EBSCO	B+

Images

Positioning of Images

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?	Always

Functional images embedded in the background

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are there functional images embedded in the background?	Never

Presence of Icons

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc?	Always	The icons are in the standard areas for EBSCO host databases. PDF and HTML are on the left side and Cite, Save, Print, Export, Create Note, Permalink, Add to folder, Google Drive—under Tools on the right side.

Alt Text

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Always	All informational images have alt text.
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Always	All functional images have alt text.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Always	Images have alt text.

Content Scaling

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off?	Always	All the main and important features of the page are intact when zoomed in at 200%. However, on the right side there is a bit of cut off of the tools column. Yet it is still readable. There is a vertical scroll bar at the bottom.
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%?	Never	Images, both photos and icons are not very clear at 200%. Images appear grainy.
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%?	Sometimes	On some pages sampled where the text is not centred, the horizontal line is not minimized at 200%

Colour and Contrast

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1?	Always	At first glance, every page is 8:5:1 contrast ratio. The text is always above the 3:1 ratio. However, every page sampled had contrast errors for very low contrast between text and background colours.

Colour

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents?	Always
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)?	Always
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action?	Never

Text to speech

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options?	Always	All articles have a read aloud option.

Clustered Links

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily?	Always	Although the font size for the text is small.
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate?	Always
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)?	Always	All the links that were checked worked. No dead links or buttons detected.
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation?	Always

Dynamic content

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can users pause carousel movement?	Not Applicable	There are no moving carousels. However, there is a gallery that the user can click through.
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard?	Not Applicable	There is a gallery, but not moving carousel.

Liquid layout

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap?	Always
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions?	Always
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions?	Sometimes	Pages do not resize at different resolution. So the reading is not preserved without having to move the horizontal bar at all resolution, particularly at 800 x 600.

Labels and Instructions for Interactive Elements

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are user input fields accompanied by clear instructions on what the user needs to do to successfully complete the form?	Always	The main search bar that is in the header on each webpage has placeholder text that explains what users are supposed to do. There is also a question mark (?) icon beside the search button that the user can click to get help with how to search. In the advance search options, there are not placeholder or labels in the input fields but titles that stand for instructions above, below or to the side of the fields.
Do user input fields contain labels in addition to overall instructions mentioned above?	Always
Are descriptions for fields and boxes easy to understand?	Always
Are labels placed above the user input fields and clearly associated with each field?	Always
Are text cues for coloured form control labels available?	Not Applicable	There is no required field for the user to fill out. However, if a user hits the search button leaving the field blank or puts in terms that gets no results—user will be asked in red text to enter search terms or no results were found.
Are other visual indicators provided consistently, such as an asterisk for required form fields?	Not Applicable	There are no required fields to fill out.

Error Prevention

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are user input fields either reversible, checked, or confirmed? One of the three is acceptable.	Always	The input fields are reversible. Search History allows users to rerun or edit their search. However, the user must click on it.

Error Reports

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are alert messages clearly visible to the user, either at the top of the form field, inline, or through a dialog box?	Always	If users make mistakes with their search terms or leave the field blank, alert message will appear below the main search bar. A box will also appear with helpful tips.
Do alert messages clearly indicate the field in which the error has occurred and a description of the error and the fix?	Always
Is the user able to easily access the user input field to correct the error?	Always
Is the user able to resubmit the form and re-validate their submission?	Always	The only form that appears in this database is for signing in. If users put in the wrong details, they will be prompted to resubmit. However, students signing in through their institution account should not have to sign in directly to EBSCO Host login page.
Do error reports follow a logical reading and navigation order?	Always

Search function spell-check

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
When a user spells a word incorrectly, does the search function offer spelling suggestions or synonyms?	Always	When users type in a few letters in the search field, they are given suggestions of possible terms. This also offers spelling suggestions and sometimes synonyms. Though it depends on what the user is searching.

Functionality of Interactive Elements

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are icons such as to save, download, or print consistent across the site?	Always	Most of the icons are found on the right side of the page when a user pulls up the article. PDF download and HTML link are on the left side. There is a question mark (?) icon that signifies search help beside the search button in the header on every page.
Is alternative text clear and consistent for each icon type?	Always	The alternative text is clear and consistent for all icon types.
Are actions consistently labelled across the site? For example, the “search” button is always labeled “search”.	Always	The search button is always located in the header and remains there no matter what link or page the user clicks.
Are icons that have adjacent links consistent?	Always
Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text alone?	Always	Each icon has corresponding text beside it, with the exception of the question mark (?) by the search button which indicates searching help options.

Consistent Navigation

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the eresource have a consistent layout and navigation across all pages?	Always
Are search fields located in the same places throughout the website?	Always	The search fields are all located in the same place. The main search bar is in the header where it remains on all pages.
Do other features occur in the same place throughout the website?	Always	The navigational bar (new search, publications, subjects, images/video, index—left side and sign in, folder, preferences, help, and exit—right side) is in the top header of the database and this remains consistent across all pages. EBSCO connect, privacy policy, terms of use, copyright, cookie policy and copyright information remains in the footer of the database and this remains consistent on all pages.
Are links, buttons, images, and other components that are used repeatedly throughout a website labeled consistently?	Always	The search button is always at the top. The same icons are always on the right side of article pages and the full PDF and HTML full text is on the right side. Related items box with point, counterpoint, guide to critical analysis, images, research guides, curriculum standards are always in a box to the left of the article. Related Information box and find similar results box are on the left side under detail records.

Pop-up windows/Interruptions

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the electronic resource avoid the use of pop-up windows which open automatically in a new tab if a user clicks on a button?	Sometimes	Most of the links open in the same tab. However, there are a few instances where link open in a new tab—all the links in the footer and Curriculum Standards in the reference shelf box on the main page. The links in the related items box on article pages also open in a new window.
Does the database avoid launching pop-up windows automatically when the database is loaded?	Always	The popups only launch when the user clicks on the link.
Where pop-ups occur, are users able to postpone or suppress any pop-ups?	Never
Does the database avoid launching pages in a new browser window with the usual browser controls missing?	Never	When the popup windows launch for the related items box links there is only the address bar but no back, next or refresh buttons.

Headers

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is page content subdivided hierarchically into appropriate headings and tagged appropriately?	Always
Are headings concise and clear, and accurately reflect the content under that heading?	Always

Menus

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do database page menus have a reasonable number of navigation items and drop-down options?	Always	There are very few drop-down menu options. The main navigation bar requires users to simply click and they are taken to the page. The only drop-down menu options are on the advance search page—Limit your results, and number of pages options. There are ten main navigational links in the main header of database pages. Five on each side.
Does the main navigation and drop-downs contain a reasonable number of menu items?	Always
Can all menus and submenus be accessed with screen readers and via keyboard navigation?	Always	All menu items are accessible through keyboard and screen reader navigation. It is easy to navigate using the keyboard and the screen reader will read all links even the collapsed lists. The only areas the screen reader does not read without the mouse hovering or is the title links.

Change of context

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the “results” page or item record view avoid opening in a new tab without a warning?	Always	The results page and item record view avoid opening in a new tab. It loads in the current page.
Is there an "update now" button that requests a refresh of content rather than automatically updating the content?	Never	All changes made in the applying filters is automatically updated.
Does the database avoid automatic redirection?	Always

Change of Context: Focus

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the form refrain from submitting automatically when a component receives focus?	Always	There are few forms in this database.
Does the database avoid launching new windows when a component receives focus?	Always
Does the database avoid change of focus when a component receives focus?	Always
Are you able to tab through a page using keyboard navigation without the keyboard focus moving away from the control?	Always

Navigation Links

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text, or from the link text together with its surrounding context?	Always

Keyboard Navigation

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can keyboard focus be moved to all page elements?	Always
If moving keyboard focus away from a component requires more than arrow or tab keys, is this clearly indicated on the page?	Always
Is default keyboard navigation order logical and intuitive, following the visual flow of the page as described above?	Always	The keyboard navigation follows the flow of the columns from left to right.
When using a keyboard to navigate the interface, is the keyboard focus indicator visible?	Always	The focus is a visible grey dotted line.
Does all interactive functionality work via keyboard, and does it behave consistently and as expected?	Always
Does focus order move sequentially across form fields?	Always

Skip Links

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are there skip links (either visible or invisible)?	Sometimes	Not all pages in the database have skip links.
Are skip links visible or invisible?	Sometimes	The skip links are on the pages with articles and they are invisible. The easiest way to tell if the links are on the page is to look at the code. They It is hard to get the screen reader to find them.
Are skip links (visible or invisible) positioned prominently near the beginning of the page?	Sometimes
Are skip links labelled properly?	Always	The skip links are labelled properly on the pages they appear on. The skip links are identified as Skip to Main Content.
Are skip links accessible via keyboard?	Always	Skip links on the article pages are only accessible via keyboard.
Do anchors (link destinations) appear at the beginning of the relevant content?	Always
Do skip navigation controls appear in the same place on every page?	Sometimes	Skip links do not appear on any search pages. Mostly appear on article pages.

Tables

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the reader capture accurate information as it appears in the table and the columns and rows?	Always

Frames

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the screen reader successfully navigate from one frame to another?	Always	Screen reader does move smoothly through each frame. However, the screen reader using keyboard navigation only focuses on the links and not the other content. To get the screen reader to read articles, the user has to drag the mouse over or highlight the text. This is the same with unlinked titles.
Does each frame have a meaningful title that tells the user the purpose of the frame?	Always
When navigating the page using keyboard navigation, is the user able to navigate effectively from one frame to the next?	Sometimes	On pages that have articles, using keyboard navigation, the user goes directly to the article column first (middle), then to the left, and over to the right, bottom, and back to the top. The keyboard navigation does not always follow the left to right column pattern.

PDFs

Searchable PDFs

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are the sampled PDFs image-only?	Not Applicable	None of the PDF’s sampled are image only.
Are the sampled PDFs locked (secured)?	Never	PDF’s are not locked.
Are the sampled PDFs fully searchable?	Always

Tagged PDFs

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are alternative descriptions provided?	Sometimes	All elements have alternative text except for figures on all five PDF documents sampled.
Is primary language specified?	Never
Is reliable character encoding provided?	Always
Are all page elements tagged?	Always	All page elements are tagged. However, tagged content and tagged pdf failed initially when conducting the accessibility check. Though, when running the autotag document option, and redoing the accessibility check – all elements are pass and are tagged.
Are list and table structure correct?	Always

Structure: Reading Order

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the Read Out Loud function read the PDF in a logical way, preserving the order of the text and various sections?	Always
Does the Read out Loud function avoid problematic elements such as excessive blank spaces read as “blank”?	Always
Are the controls consistent and effective for navigating through the document?	Always

Magnification

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
When zooming in to 250%, does all text, images, tables, and other elements appear clear and easy to read?	Always	Clarity for all elements is preserved at 250%.

Images

Positioning of Images

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?	Always	There were two images in the five PDF documents sampled. All five documents consisted of two columns and the pictures were at the top of the right column—equally spaced around the wording and accompanied caption.

Alternative Description

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Never	Informational images do not contain alt text. However, some informational images have captions provided, though does not contain a description of the image.
Do images used as titles contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Never	There is no alternative text for images in the PDF documents. However, on graph images the text will be read—but no alternative text is offered.
Do rich images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Never	There is no alternative text that describes what is displayed in graphs or diagrams.

Tables

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are tables tagged and described with in-text summaries where appropriate?	Always
Do table headers allow for easy navigation with screen readers?	Always

Additional Navigational Aids

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the bookmarks panel display bookmarks?	Always	All PDF documents sampled have bookmarks, except for graphs.
Do bookmarks link to the correct sections in the document?	Always	All bookmarks go to the correct section. Though, if the bookmarks are located in the same area, the bookmarks will not move when clicked.

Video Captions

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are videos captioned?	Never
If captions are closed, and need to be turned on by the user, is that process straightforward and intuitive?	Not Applicable	There is no closed caption option available for the videos in this database.
Are captions typo-free and grammatically correct (unless slang and grammatical errors are intentionally used in the video)?	Not Applicable	There is no closed caption option available for the videos in this database.
Does caption placement avoid blocking any important visual components necessary to understand the video?	Not Applicable	No captions.
Are the captions in sync with spoken words?	Not Applicable	No captions.
For videos that contain captions, are transcripts provided?	Not Applicable	None of the videos have captions.
For videos that do not contain captions, are transcripts provided?	Never	However, there is a description that explains the events surrounding the video clips and an image shot list.

Described Video

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do videos include described video, or if not, is there a text equivalent of the video provided on the same page or via a link?	Never	The videos contain an abstract entry that describes the event surrounding the video. There is a descriptive shot list for each frame in the video with the length of video time and source.
If the video includes described video or a text equivalent of the video, is it an accurate description of the video contents?	Never

Audio Accessibility

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is a link to a text transcript provided in reasonable proximity to the audio clip?	Never
If a transcript is provided, does it accurately capture the content of the audio?	Never

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