New accessibility resources for TDL-hosted journals
The TDL OJS Accessibility Working Group is pleased to share two important resources for Editorial and Management Teams of TDL-hosted journals to help ensure the digital accessibility of articles and other published content for users with disabilities.
Web Accessibility Toolkit
First, the group has published a Web Accessibility Toolkit for TDL-hosted Open Access Journals. The Toolkit is intended to support journal managers and editors using Open Journal Systems (OJS) in creating accessible websites and journal content. It includes guidance on web accessibility laws and standards, best practices for designing accessible OJS websites, suggested policies and guidance for accessible manuscript preparation, and recommended resources and evaluation tools.
Free OJS Accessibility Webinar
The group will host a webinar for journal managers and editors to learn more about how to ensure digital accessibility of their journals for users with disabilities, and to engage with academic librarians supporting journal publishing on this issue. The OJS Accessibility for Journal Managers and Editors webinar will be held on September 25, 2025 from 11am to Noon CDT. Learn more and register for the webinar.
A final rule addressing the accessibility of digital experiences under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) goes into effect on April 24, 2026. The new rule requires state and local governments to ensure that web interfaces and content comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines.
While TDL and the Public Knowledge Project work to ensure that the OJS application itself can facilitate accessible content, Journal Managers and Editors are responsible for maintaining policies and processes that ensure that content published on the site (e.g. articles in PDF or other formats, images, and tables) meets accessibility guidelines.
TDL OJS Accessibility Working Group Members include:
- Mark Baggett, Director of Digital Collections, University Libraries, Texas A&M University
- Alexa Hight, Assistant Director for Research and Data Services, Texas State University
- Susan Hoover, Metadata Services Coordinator, University of Houston
- Michelle McCrary, Head of Digital Initiatives, Sam Houston State University
- Kristi Park, Executive Director, Texas Digital Library
