Accessibility

What we aim for

This catalogue is built to WCAG 2.1 at level AA. That is a target we work to rather than a certificate anyone has issued us, and the list below says plainly which parts we have tested and which we have not.

What it does

• Every page can be worked entirely from the keyboard, and a skip link goes straight to the main content.
• Nothing is said with colour alone. A status carries its word as well as its colour, so a red badge always also reads "On loan".
• Anything that happens without a page reload is announced to screen readers, including search results, loans recorded and errors.
• Every form field has a label attached to it, and a failed check says what to do rather than only that something is wrong.
• Text reflows to a phone without a horizontal scrollbar, and wide tables scroll inside their own frame rather than pushing the page sideways.
• Every image carries alternative text, and covers that fail to load fall back to the call number rather than an empty box.

Where it falls short

Saying nothing here would be the least useful thing we could do.

• It has been tested with keyboard navigation and with automated checks on every pull request. It has not been tested by someone who uses a screen reader daily, which is the only test that really settles the question.
• Book covers come from Open Library and carry only the title as alternative text. We do not describe the artwork.
• Some colour pairings meet AA but not AAA.

Tell us

If something here keeps you from finding or borrowing a book, the library staff at the circulation desk can take the request in person, and it should be reported so the page can be fixed rather than worked around.