Assessment for Africa Commons by University of Toronto - Module 1: Interface Appearance

Submitted by allie.landy@ma… on
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Images are used as thumbnails for items in the database. They always appear in an organized grid away from the edge of the screen.
Are there functional images embedded in the background?
Answer: Never
Score: 2
Notes: All functional images (the website logo and item thumbnails) remain aligned when the size of text or the window is adjusted.
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Icons are typically accompanied by text on the webpage. On the page for a document, alt text for the thumbnail image is provided.
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Never
Score: 0
Notes: On the Collections, Documents, and List pages, linked thumbnail images do not have alt text. They are next to text that links to the same location. The logo has alt text, but only for the website title and not clarifying that it takes you home. Very few functional images on the the home page have alt text, but these are not the primary navigation points.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Common actions on items (View, Cite, Add to List, and Share) have an icon alongside text within a button.
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Icons are clear. Item thumbnail images on the individual item page are clear, but in the collections and documents pages where you browse items they are slightly blurry.
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: There are no colour coded graphs.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Items in the Collections and Documents list are separated by lines.
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action?
Answer: Never
Score: 0
Notes: The colour of buttons/actions is never specified in alt text.
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Most of the main webpages have a text to speech option, but some smaller pages do not.
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Some links are dead or redirect to pages that are not found, but most links are functional.
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Can users pause carousel movement?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: There is no carousel movement on the platform.
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: There is no carousel movement on the platform.
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
eResource: Africa Commons
eResource Type: Database
Vendor: Other
Institution: University of Toronto
Score: A-

Key Findings

Strengths

  • All text and images meet contrast requirements
  • Information is not distorted when zoomed in at 200%
  • Information is preserved at different screen resolutions

Weaknesses

  • Some images contain a textual alternative

Images

Positioning of Images

Question Answer Notes Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? Always Images are used as thumbnails for items in the database. They always appear in an organized grid away from the edge of the screen.

Functional images embedded in the background

Question Answer Notes Images
Are there functional images embedded in the background? Never All functional images (the website logo and item thumbnails) remain aligned when the size of text or the window is adjusted.

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 Common actions on items (View, Cite, Add to List, and Share) have an icon alongside text within a button.

Alt Text

Question Answer Notes Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Sometimes Icons are typically accompanied by text on the webpage. On the page for a document, alt text for the thumbnail image is provided.
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Never On the Collections, Documents, and List pages, linked thumbnail images do not have alt text. They are next to text that links to the same location. The logo has alt text, but only for the website title and not clarifying that it takes you home. Very few functional images on the the home page have alt text, but these are not the primary navigation points.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always

Content Scaling

Question Answer Notes Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off? Always
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%? Sometimes Icons are clear. Item thumbnail images on the individual item page are clear, but in the collections and documents pages where you browse items they are slightly blurry.
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%? Always

Colour and Contrast

Question Answer Notes Images
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1? Always

Colour

Question Answer Notes Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents? Not Applicable There are no colour coded graphs.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)? Always Items in the Collections and Documents list are separated by lines.
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action? Never The colour of buttons/actions is never specified in alt text.

Text to speech

Question Answer Notes Images
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options? Sometimes Most of the main webpages have a text to speech option, but some smaller pages do not.

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
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)? Sometimes Some links are dead or redirect to pages that are not found, but most links are functional.
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation? Always

Dynamic content

Question Answer Notes Images
Can users pause carousel movement? Not Applicable There is no carousel movement on the platform.
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard? Not Applicable There is no carousel movement on the platform.

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? Always
Previous1234Next