Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text, or from the link text together with its surrounding context?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: All links across search pages, item records, help pages, and login/create account pages use descriptive link text such as “Download PDF,” “View Full Text,” or “Search History.” When additional context is needed, it’s provided in the surrounding sentence or list structure. No vague links (e.g., “Click here”) were observed.
Score: 2
Notes: All links across search pages, item records, help pages, and login/create account pages use descriptive link text such as “Download PDF,” “View Full Text,” or “Search History.” When additional context is needed, it’s provided in the surrounding sentence or list structure. No vague links (e.g., “Click here”) were observed.
Can keyboard focus be moved to all page elements?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Using the Tab and arrow keys, all headers, input fields, links, and buttons were reachable by keyboard alone. No elements were skipped or inaccessible via keyboard.
Score: 2
Notes: Using the Tab and arrow keys, all headers, input fields, links, and buttons were reachable by keyboard alone. No elements were skipped or inaccessible via keyboard.
If moving keyboard focus away from a component requires more than arrow or tab keys, is this clearly indicated on the page?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: There were no cases where unusual keystrokes (beyond Tab or Arrow keys) were required. In the rare cases where extra interaction was required (e.g., opening an accordion panel), cues or visual hints were present (e.g., expand/collapse indicators).
Score: 2
Notes: There were no cases where unusual keystrokes (beyond Tab or Arrow keys) were required. In the rare cases where extra interaction was required (e.g., opening an accordion panel), cues or visual hints were present (e.g., expand/collapse indicators).
Is default keyboard navigation order logical and intuitive, following the visual flow of the page as described above?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: The keyboard focus followed a top-to-bottom, left-to-right sequence, moving from header to navigation, to content, to footer. This order was aligned with the visual layout and did not cause confusion.
Score: 2
Notes: The keyboard focus followed a top-to-bottom, left-to-right sequence, moving from header to navigation, to content, to footer. This order was aligned with the visual layout and did not cause confusion.
When using a keyboard to navigate the interface, is the keyboard focus indicator visible?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: A clear visual focus indicator (such as a border or highlight) was present for each element as it received keyboard focus. This was consistently visible on forms, buttons, and links.
Score: 2
Notes: A clear visual focus indicator (such as a border or highlight) was present for each element as it received keyboard focus. This was consistently visible on forms, buttons, and links.
Does all interactive functionality work via keyboard, and does it behave consistently and as expected?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: All tested buttons, dropdowns, checkboxes, and navigation links responded correctly to Enter, Space, or arrow keys. Behavior was predictable and consistent across pages.
Score: 2
Notes: All tested buttons, dropdowns, checkboxes, and navigation links responded correctly to Enter, Space, or arrow keys. Behavior was predictable and consistent across pages.
Does focus order move sequentially across form fields?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: In both basic and advanced search forms, focus moved logically from field to field in the expected sequence. There were no focus jumps or misplaced tab stops.
Score: 2
Notes: In both basic and advanced search forms, focus moved logically from field to field in the expected sequence. There were no focus jumps or misplaced tab stops.
Are there skip links (either visible or invisible)?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Tested using Google Chrome. A skip link became visible immediately after pressing Tab on page load. The link text appeared and received keyboard focus, confirming the presence of an invisible (on load) but keyboard-accessible skip link.
Score: 2
Notes: Tested using Google Chrome. A skip link became visible immediately after pressing Tab on page load. The link text appeared and received keyboard focus, confirming the presence of an invisible (on load) but keyboard-accessible skip link.
Are skip links visible or invisible?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Skip links are initially invisible and only become visible when reached using the Tab key—this is a standard and acceptable accessibility practice. The skip link was styled clearly with visible focus indicators once activated.
Score: 2
Notes: Skip links are initially invisible and only become visible when reached using the Tab key—this is a standard and acceptable accessibility practice. The skip link was styled clearly with visible focus indicators once activated.
Are skip links (visible or invisible) positioned prominently near the beginning of the page?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: The skip link appeared immediately after the first Tab press, indicating it is placed near the top of the document structure, before any navigation menu or content blocks.
Score: 2
Notes: The skip link appeared immediately after the first Tab press, indicating it is placed near the top of the document structure, before any navigation menu or content blocks.
Are skip links labelled properly?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: The skip link was labeled “Skip to main content”, which clearly conveys its purpose. The label is concise, meaningful, and follows accessibility best practices.
Score: 2
Notes: The skip link was labeled “Skip to main content”, which clearly conveys its purpose. The label is concise, meaningful, and follows accessibility best practices.
Are skip links accessible via keyboard?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Skip links were fully accessible using keyboard navigation. The Tab key brought focus to the link, and pressing Enter redirected focus as expected to the main content section.
Score: 2
Notes: Skip links were fully accessible using keyboard navigation. The Tab key brought focus to the link, and pressing Enter redirected focus as expected to the main content section.
Do anchors (link destinations) appear at the beginning of the relevant content?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: After activating the skip link, focus moved directly to the main content area, confirming that the anchor is positioned correctly and functionally serves its purpose.
Score: 2
Notes: After activating the skip link, focus moved directly to the main content area, confirming that the anchor is positioned correctly and functionally serves its purpose.
Does the reader capture accurate information as it appears in the table and the columns and rows?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Using Read&Write in Google Chrome, the screen reader correctly read the table row-by-row, preserving the intended reading sequence. Column headers were identified clearly, and the content in each cell was read in order without confusion.
Score: 2
Notes: Using Read&Write in Google Chrome, the screen reader correctly read the table row-by-row, preserving the intended reading sequence. Column headers were identified clearly, and the content in each cell was read in order without confusion.
Does the screen reader successfully navigate from one frame to another?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Using NVDA, frame navigation (e.g., Ctrl + Tab or frame list feature) worked as expected. The screen reader announced frame changes and shifted context accurately between content and navigation frames when present.
Score: 2
Notes: Using NVDA, frame navigation (e.g., Ctrl + Tab or frame list feature) worked as expected. The screen reader announced frame changes and shifted context accurately between content and navigation frames when present.
Does each frame have a meaningful title that tells the user the purpose of the frame?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: When navigating with a screen reader, frames were announced with meaningful titles such as “Main Content,” “Navigation Frame,” or similar. These helped clarify the purpose of each frame and improved user orientation.
Score: 2
Notes: When navigating with a screen reader, frames were announced with meaningful titles such as “Main Content,” “Navigation Frame,” or similar. These helped clarify the purpose of each frame and improved user orientation.
When navigating the page using keyboard navigation, is the user able to navigate effectively from one frame to the next?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Frames were keyboard-accessible, and users could move between them using standard keyboard navigation commands. Focus remained visible, and tab order stayed consistent across frames.
Score: 2
Notes: Frames were keyboard-accessible, and users could move between them using standard keyboard navigation commands. Focus remained visible, and tab order stayed consistent across frames.