Accessibility Information by User Type

Information for Blind Users

We test our interface and content with the following screen reader/browser combinations:

• Desktop: Chrome + JAWS
• Desktop: Edge + NVDA
• Desktop: Firefox + NVDA
• Desktop: Safari (latest) + VoiceOver
• Mobile Apple devices: Safari + VoiceOver
• Mobile Android devices: Chrome + TalkBack

Other accessibility functions such as keyboard operability, color contrast, etc. are tested in all browsers.

Most full book downloads require Adobe Digital Editions reader. Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) can be used with Voiceover, NVDA, and JAWS, and offers other accessibility features such as high contrast mode and full keyboard support. There is more information available on commands for screen readers in the help book that downloads by default with ADE 4.5.

The EBSCO Mobile App can be used to read eBooks online for Android and iOS mobile devices and download eBooks on iOS devices. The app does not require the user to have an Adobe ID to open the DRM-protected eBooks they’ve downloaded. The app is tested with VoiceOver on iOS devices and TalkBack on Android devices. We recommend using the EBSCO Mobile App over the Adobe Digital Editions for reading EBSCO eBooks as the eBook reader in the EBSCO Mobile App was built with accessibility in mind from the start.

Information for Low Vision Users

• The online book viewer for EBSCO eBooks allows users to Zoom in on content beyond 400%. The viewer has been tested with screen magnifiers such as ZoomText and MAGic.
• EPUB content is “reflowable” (meaning it adjusts to the screen size/zoom level) and works particularly well for users with vision impairments
• All other EBSCO interfaces have a responsive design that allows users with vision impairments to zoom in up to 200% without loss of functionality
• EBSCO’s company-wide design standards include requirements for minimum color contrast
• EBSCO’s eBook viewer has been tested with color inversion tools

Information for Color Vision-Impaired Users

• EBSCO’s company-wide design standards include requirements for minimum color contrast, including for color vision impairments
• EBSCO eBooks’ software development process uses tools to validate color contrast

Information for users who rely on the keyboard

EBSCO eBooks contains a Skip to Main Content link at the top of the eBook viewer page, which allows keyboard users to skip redundant navigation links. To access this, use the tab key from the top of the page. The Skip to Main Content link will come into view. Activating this link sends focus to the eBook viewer region, where a keyboard user can scroll content with the down arrows or easily reach the page navigation tools with the tab key.

Information for Users with Dyslexia

• EBSCO interfaces use web fonts that are known to work well for dyslexic users
• EBSCO eBooks works in a limited capacity with Text to Speech tools. Known limitations exist for books with copy/paste restricted by the publisher, where the Text to Speech tool requires selecting text. There are also known limitations with DRM-protected content. DRM readers such as Adobe Digital Editions may not work well with Text to Speech tools when content is downloaded. EBSCO recommends using downloaded chapters or page ranges, which are DRM-free. Longer-term there are plans to integrate Text to Speech functionality natively within the eBook viewer.
• Downloaded Books in EPUB format allow for changing fonts (using third party tools) that are optimized for dyslexia

Information for Deaf Users

• EBSCO eBooks does not contain audio or video content so deaf users have access to the full range of content included in any EBSCO eBook

eBook formats

EBSCO's online reader provides books in two formats, PDF and EPUB. Many books are available in both formats, while others are available only in one format.

• PDF format books have distinct pages, which allow for page-level citations. They have a fixed page size that may not work well on all devices or screen sizes/zoom levels. PDF eBooks are compatible with screen readers using an ASCII text layer.

• EPUB books automatically resize to fit your screen, and are composed of HTML. This format inherently works well with screen readers as it was designed for accessibility and navigation. Most EPUBs contain heading levels that can be used to navigate within the content. EBSCO supports and makes both EPUB2 and EPUB3 when provided by the publisher and they are available for online reading and downloading offline.

  • EPUBs which include a good heading structure and logical reading order enable users to understand the structure of the eBook, anticipate where they will go next when navigating with assistive technology, as well as efficiently jump between sections of the eBook to find what is relevant to them.

Books may also be downloaded in PDF and EPUB format:

• Most full book downloads require Adobe Digital Editions reader, which is available for desktop or mobile. These files have the .acsm extension and when opened in ADE will launch the DRM-protected PDF or EPUB file. iOS users can use the EBSCO Mobile app to download DRM-protected and DRM-free eBooks.
• DRM-free downloads can be read using any PDF or EPUB reader. DRM-free files have the extension .pdf or .epub
  • To read a DRM-free EPUB file on a desktop, you can use Adobe Digital Editions or the new Thorium Reader (Thorium is highly accessible).
  • To read a DRM-free EPUB file on your mobile device, there are many compatible apps, including the EBSCO mobile app, iBooks, Google Play Books, Bluefire Reader, Aldiko, etc.
• Partial book downloads (pages, chapters) are DRM-free and may be read using any PDF reader tool