Assessment Report | LEAP

Assessment Information
eResource Title	Vendor	Overall Grade
SocIndex	EBSCO	A-

Key Findings

Strengths

All text and images meet contrast requirements
All images contain a textual alternative
Information is preserved at different screen resolutions

Weaknesses

Some information is distorted when zoomed in at 200%

Images

Positioning of Images

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?	Always		No Images

Functional images embedded in the background

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are there functional images embedded in the background?	Never		No Images

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		No Images

Alt Text

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Always		No Images
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Sometimes	On results screens, the cloud-save symbol has no descriptive text.	No Images
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Always		No Images

Content Scaling

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off?	Always		No Images
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%?	Sometimes	Symbols and brand marks appear blurry. Graphics framed by darker outlines are somewhat more recognizable, while others resemble vague coloured forms with much of their detail gone. The query and clear controls, by contrast, stay distinct.	No Images
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%?	Never		No Images

Colour and Contrast

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1?	Always		No Images

Colour

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents?	Not Applicable	Chart-style visuals show up only in platform records and resemble detailed picture files, without accompanying written alternatives.	No Images
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)?	Always		No Images
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action?	Not Applicable	colour does not appear to be the sole indicator of any action, since available actions are communicated through labels, icons, or button text.	No Images

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		No Images

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		No Images
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate?	Always		No Images
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)?	Always		No Images
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation?	Always		No Images

Dynamic content

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can users pause carousel movement?	Not Applicable	no auto-rotating slideshow or moving banner was observed, so there is nothing requiring a pause control.	No Images
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard?	Not Applicable	no carousel component was present during testing, so there were no slide controls or item-to-item interactions to assess for keyboard access.	No Images

Liquid layout

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap?	Always		No Images
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions?	Always		No Images
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions?	Always		No Images

Key Findings

Strengths

The platform’s layout and navigation is consistent across all pages
User input fields contain labels and clear instructions to help users successfully complete the form
Page content has appropriate headers and is tagged appropriately

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		No Images
Do user input fields contain labels in addition to overall instructions mentioned above?	Always		No Images
Are descriptions for fields and boxes easy to understand?	Always		No Images
Are labels placed above the user input fields and clearly associated with each field?	Always		No Images
Are text cues for coloured form control labels available?	Not Applicable	input names were not distinguished solely by hue, so added written clarification was unnecessary.	No Images
Are other visual indicators provided consistently, such as an asterisk for required form fields?	Not Applicable	the forms reviewed did not use mandatory-entry markers, so no consistent secondary indicator...such as a star symbol...was needed.	No Images

Error Prevention

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are user input fields either reversible, checked, or confirmed? One of the three is acceptable.	Always		No Images

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		No Images
Do alert messages clearly indicate the field in which the error has occurred and a description of the error and the fix?	Always		No Images
Is the user able to easily access the user input field to correct the error?	Always		No Images
Is the user able to resubmit the form and re-validate their submission?	Always		No Images
Do error reports follow a logical reading and navigation order?	Always		No Images

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		No Images

Functionality of Interactive Elements

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are icons such as to save, download, or print consistent across the site?	Always		No Images
Is alternative text clear and consistent for each icon type?	Always		No Images
Are actions consistently labelled across the site? For example, the “search” button is always labeled “search”.	Always		No Images
Are icons that have adjacent links consistent?	Always		No Images
Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text alone?	Always		No Images

Consistent Navigation

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the eresource have a consistent layout and navigation across all pages?	Always		No Images
Are search fields located in the same places throughout the website?	Always		No Images
Do other features occur in the same place throughout the website?	Always		No Images
Are links, buttons, images, and other components that are used repeatedly throughout a website labeled consistently?	Always		No Images

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	Certain selections appear outside the current browser view: media playback, web-storage authentication, and portable-document export launch in separate browser contexts.	No Images
Does the database avoid launching pop-up windows automatically when the database is loaded?	Always	Separate browser panels appear solely upon manual activation of the associated control.	No Images
Where pop-ups occur, are users able to postpone or suppress any pop-ups?	Never		No Images
Does the database avoid launching pages in a new browser window with the usual browser controls missing?	Never	Fresh browser views...used for media playback or cloud-account authentication—provided no navigational controls, showing solely a URL field.	No Images

Headers

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is page content subdivided hierarchically into appropriate headings and tagged appropriately?	Always		No Images
Are headings concise and clear, and accurately reflect the content under that heading?	Always		No Images

Menus

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do database page menus have a reasonable number of navigation items and drop-down options?	Always		No Images
Does the main navigation and drop-downs contain a reasonable number of menu items?	Always		No Images
Can all menus and submenus be accessed with screen readers and via keyboard navigation?	Always		No Images

Change of context

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the “results” page or item record view avoid opening in a new tab without a warning?	Sometimes	Most selections loaded within the existing browser view, yet certain media entries launched another browser page without notice.	No Images
Is there an "update now" button that requests a refresh of content rather than automatically updating the content?	Never	Choosing a refinement caused the displayed results to refresh immediately.	No Images
Does the database avoid automatic redirection?	Always		No Images

Change of Context: Focus

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the form refrain from submitting automatically when a component receives focus?	Always		No Images
Does the database avoid launching new windows when a component receives focus?	Always		No Images
Does the database avoid change of focus when a component receives focus?	Always		No Images
Are you able to tab through a page using keyboard navigation without the keyboard focus moving away from the control?	Always		No Images

Key Findings

Strengths

All interactive functionality works consistently for users who are navigating a site via keyboard
Screen readers accurately capture information presented in tables

Navigation Links

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text, or from the link text together with its surrounding context?	Always		No Images

Keyboard Navigation

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can keyboard focus be moved to all page elements?	Always		No Images
If moving keyboard focus away from a component requires more than arrow or tab keys, is this clearly indicated on the page?	Always		No Images
Is default keyboard navigation order logical and intuitive, following the visual flow of the page as described above?	Always		No Images
When using a keyboard to navigate the interface, is the keyboard focus indicator visible?	Always		No Images
Does all interactive functionality work via keyboard, and does it behave consistently and as expected?	Always		No Images
Does focus order move sequentially across form fields?	Always		No Images

Skip Links

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are there skip links (either visible or invisible)?	Sometimes	Navigation-jump shortcuts are available within listing screens and record-view sections.	No Images
Are skip links visible or invisible?	Always	Invisible	No Images
Are skip links (visible or invisible) positioned prominently near the beginning of the page?	Always	Relevant screens place bypass shortcuts in upper-left corner, yet keyboard traversal reaches those controls only after crossing every other element first.	No Images
Are skip links labelled properly?	Always		No Images
Are skip links accessible via keyboard?	Always	whenever those bypass shortcuts are present, tabbing can reach and activate them without requiring a pointer.	No Images
Do anchors (link destinations) appear at the beginning of the relevant content?	Always		No Images
Do skip navigation controls appear in the same place on every page?	Always	Not sitewide; however, whenever included, their placement remains consistent.	No Images

Tables

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the reader capture accurate information as it appears in the table and the columns and rows?	Sometimes	Parts of the descriptive metadata, such as creator names, are omitted.	No Images

Frames

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the screen reader successfully navigate from one frame to another?	Sometimes	Partly. Assistive software transitioned between panes, but substantial portions of listings and record content went unvoiced. In search displays, creator metadata was absent; within expanded entries, only headings and hyperlinks were announced, while most surrounding material...including content reached through the zoom-symbol control...remained silent.	No Images
Does each frame have a meaningful title that tells the user the purpose of the frame?	Always		No Images
When navigating the page using keyboard navigation, is the user able to navigate effectively from one frame to the next?	Always	Yes, movement by keystroke reached every pane, though the sequence was unconventional. On listing and detail views arranged in three vertical sections, focus began in the center area, shifted afterward to the left side, and finished in the right area.	No Images

Key Findings

Weaknesses

PDFs are searchable but not tagged
Videos have captions but not audio descriptions/transcripts

PDFs

Searchable PDFs

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are the sampled PDFs image-only?	Never		No Images
Are the sampled PDFs locked (secured)?	Never		No Images
Are the sampled PDFs fully searchable?	Always		No Images

Tagged PDFs

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are alternative descriptions provided?	Sometimes	some alternative descriptions are present, but they are incomplete or incorrectly implemented. Figures alternate text - Failed: some figures are missing alt text. Nested alternate text - Failed: some alt text is nested in a way that assistive technology will not read. Associated with content - Passed: where alt text exists, it is linked to content properly. Other elements alternate text - Passed: non-figure elements that need alt text appear to have it.	No Images
Is primary language specified?	Never	The reports list Primary language "Failed"	No Images
Is reliable character encoding provided?	Always		No Images
Are all page elements tagged?	Sometimes	page content appears tagged, but the documents are still not fully/properly tagged overall.	No Images
Are list and table structure correct?	Sometimes	Not fully. Most table structure checks passed, but Headers "Failed".	No Images

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?	Sometimes	Standard text was read accurately. Problems arose on pages containing visuals or charts: in those cases, the assistive reader often announced only the surrounding written content while skipping the visual material, or it identified the page as blank. Because charts were not clearly announced as separate elements, it was often unclear where a heading or paragraph ended and a graphic began. Of the five articles reviewed, one was entirely inaccessible, several presented no issues, and one omitted enough content to create confusion.	No Images
Does the Read out Loud function avoid problematic elements such as excessive blank spaces read as “blank”?	Sometimes	In straightforward text sections, audio playback moves through smoothly without repeatedly announcing empty gaps, but on more complex layouts...especially pages with embedded visuals or unusual spacing...it may still voice unnecessary “blank” notices.	No Images
Are the controls consistent and effective for navigating through the document?	Always		No Images

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		No Images

Images

Positioning of Images

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?	Always		No Images

Alternative Description

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Never		No Images
Do images used as titles contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Sometimes	Where a graphic heading is paired with nearby visible wording, an adequate text alternative is effectively provided; in other cases, the image appears without equivalent descriptive text, so the title information may not be conveyed clearly.	No Images
Do rich images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Never	Complex visuals did not include meaningful descriptive text, and no equivalent written explanation was provided to convey their content.	No Images

Tables

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are tables tagged and described with in-text summaries where appropriate?	Never	The tabular content lacked structural markup, and no accompanying narrative was provided to explain key patterns or findings.	No Images
Do table headers allow for easy navigation with screen readers?	Never	Header cells were not properly identified in a way assistive technology could interpret, so row-and-column relationships were not conveyed during navigation.	No Images

Additional Navigational Aids

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the bookmarks panel display bookmarks?	Always		No Images
Do bookmarks link to the correct sections in the document?	Always		No Images

Video Captions

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are videos captioned?	Sometimes	Certain video content includes on-screen text or subtitle support, but not every clip provides captions, so availability varies across the database.	No Images
If captions are closed, and need to be turned on by the user, is that process straightforward and intuitive?	Never		No Images
Are captions typo-free and grammatically correct (unless slang and grammatical errors are intentionally used in the video)?	Always		No Images
Does caption placement avoid blocking any important visual components necessary to understand the video?	Always		No Images
Are the captions in sync with spoken words?	Always		No Images
For videos that contain captions, are transcripts provided?	Always		No Images
For videos that do not contain captions, are transcripts provided?	Never	Where captioning was absent, no separate written transcript was available as an alternative.	No Images

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	Across all clips reviewed, no audio-description feature was available.	No Images
If the video includes described video or a text equivalent of the video, is it an accurate description of the video contents?	Not Applicable	None of the videos reviewed provided audio description or a written equivalent, so there was nothing available to assess for accuracy.	No Images

Audio Accessibility

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is a link to a text transcript provided in reasonable proximity to the audio clip?	Not Applicable	No audio clips	No Images
If a transcript is provided, does it accurately capture the content of the audio?	Not Applicable	No audio clips	No Images

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