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Accessibility

Researchers at Gottesman Libraries have access to a robust collection of online resources. Navigating the features as well as the gaps in accessibility of these resources can be a challenge. This research guide will explain how and why assistive technolog

File Formats

Electronic resources from the library will typically be offered in EPUB or PDF format. Sometimes you may see that both formats are offered. You may also see some articles offer “HTML full text.” Each format has advantages and disadvantages for all users. 

EPUB

  • This file type was designed with accessibility and navigation in mind. 
  • EPUB files have machine readable HTML embedded which can be used by screen readers.
  • The pages in an EPUB are dynamic, and the content on the page is responsive to magnification. As you increase the magnification, fewer words appear on the page. 
  • Downloaded Books in EPUB format allow for changing fonts (using third party tools) that are optimized for dyslexia.
  • Because these files are dynamic and adjust to properly fill any size screen and allow for smooth magnification, page level citations are typically not available.

HTML

  • Page level citations are not possible with HTML files.
  • They offer a built-in text-to-speech feature including an option to download the article as an MP3, allowing users to listen offline.
  • Keyboard navigation and shortcuts.
  • Users can further personalize their experience with these files, depending on the database's interface. Personalization may include selecting reading voices, speeds, page masks, and text highlighting.
  • Some databases offer language translation on HTML articles. Activating a translation removes the text-to-speech option.

PDF

  • PDFs can contain machine readable ASCII text or they can be a scanned image of text or other content.
    • If  the PDF is a scanned image, it must be processed for accessibility through descriptive tagging and Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
    • If it is embedded with ASCII, screen readers and text-to-speech tools can read it.
  • The material on the page does not dynamically change size as users zoom in or out. The static nature of the pages allows for page-level citations.