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Primo Accessibility Statement

All researchers, regardless of ability, need access to scholarly information. ProQuest is committed to providing all our users with a fully accessible experience for research, teaching, and learning. 

At ProQuest, we make every effort to ensure that our platforms – including Primo – can be used by everyone. Primo is continually designed and developed to meet Level AA of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act for features and functions.

Accessibility Features and Gaps

Primo users can:

  • Navigate most of the website using just a keyboard.

  • Go directly to main content areas on the page using skip links.

  • Listen to most of the website using a screen reader.

  • Navigate most of the website using speech recognition software

  • Zoom in up to 200% using browser tools without text spilling off screen.

  • Use most of the website with devices of different screen sizes and orientations without loss of content or functionality.

There may be some parts of this website that are not fully accessible:

  • In a small number of areas, keyboard-only navigation is difficult or not possible.

  • Some interface elements and status messages cannot be fully determined programmatically.

  • There are some areas where text and icons fail to meet minimum color contrast standards.

  • Some areas do not reflow properly when the browser is zoomed or spacing is adjusted.

  • Two elements have missing or incorrect text alternatives.

  • In two instances, content appears on hover. 

If you have a disability and need to make your computer, tablet, or another device easier to use, AbilityNet is a recommended resource. We also recommend browsing free add-ons offered for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

Technical Information About This Site’s Accessibility

Primo is committed to making its website accessible in accordance with:

  • Level A and Level AA of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1)

  • Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act for features and functions

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

  • Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No.2) Accessibility Regulations 2018

Compliance Level and Report 

This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines v2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below. 

Access the full Accessibility Compliance Report (VPAT 2.4 and WCAG) for Primo. 

As part of our continuous effort to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (Level A and AA), we will soon provide a list of issues that defines our Accessibility Roadmap for 2023.

Platform Accessibility

Keyboard Access

Most of Primo can be navigated with a keyboard alone, but there are a small number of areas that are currently inaccessible or hard to use:

  • The pagination links that appear on the bottom left corner of the screen are not accessible via a keyboard.

  • In the More from the same course, More from the same collection, and Virtual Browse sections, the keyboard focus is not visible.

Screen Reader Access

Primo is designed to be used with screen readers. User interface components are given accessible names, roles, and values that can be determined and read by assistive technologies. 
Some areas may cause challenges for screen reader users:

  • In the My Library Card > Loans section, checkboxes have the state “half checked” when they are actually “checked.”

  • Email functionality: When no email address is entered in the “To” field, an error appears visually but is not announced.

  • Some page titles are not sufficiently descriptive and read-only “Discovery.” These pages include Journal Search, User Overview, User Loans, User Personal Details, My Favorites > Search History, and Citation Trail.

Responsive Design

Primo is built to be responsive, meaning you can use all of Primo’s features regardless of the device you are using, the zoom level in your browser, or the orientation (vertical or horizontal) of the device. 

There are a few areas that may cause difficulty when text is zoomed beyond 200%. Text is clipped in:

  • The Overview, Blocks + Messages, and Personal details tabs

  • The My Favorites and Search History sections

  • The PermalinkEmail, and Show all options buttons

  • The Citation Trail feature

In addition, the pagination controls are not displayed when the browser is zoomed to 400%.

Color Contrast

While most text throughout Primo meets minimum color contrast standards, there are cases where text and icons do not have enough contrast with the background color.

If color contrast is a concern for you, we recommend utilizing one of the free browser plugins that can increase text/background color contrast, such as the High Contrast extension for Google Chrome.

Accessibility Testing

The accessibility of Primo is a continual effort at ProQuest. Accessibility standards are built into our design and style guides, and included as part of requirements in our software development and quality assurance pipeline.

Primo code is checked for accessibility using a range of automated and manual checks including but not limited to: 

  • Color Contrast Analyzer provided by WebAIM

  • Deque aXe accessibility testing tool

  • High Contrast Chrome extension

  • Keyboard-access manual testing and assessment

  • WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation tool) provided by WebAIM

  • JAWS with Windows

Primo is tested on the latest versions of Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Edge, and on devices including Mac and Windows computers, and Android and iOS devices.

We do not support voiceover.

What We Are Doing to Improve Accessibility at ProQuest

Making content accessible is an ongoing effort at ProQuest. We are committed to working with the community to ensure we continue to meet our customers’ needs. A list of our ongoing efforts include:

  • The ProQuest Accessibility Council: a team of stakeholders working to increase accessibility resources and capabilities 

  • Pursuing partnerships with colleges, universities, and other institutions to assist us in reviewing and updating our accessibility standards 

  • Supporting certifications for our employees

  • Consulting with accessibility experts such as Deque 

Support and Feedback

If you have difficulty accessing specific ProQuest content or features with adaptive technology after trying the workarounds suggested in this statement, you can contact us using the links provided below. Our support services will respond within three days and are available to accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. We will work with you to identify the best option for remediation, subject to content licensing restrictions and technical capability. 

Current customers:  submit questions or issues by opening a case using the Support Portal.

Prospective customers: contact Primo_Product_Management@exlibrisgroup.com.

Preparation of This Accessibility Statement

This accessibility statement was prepared on March 22, 2021. It was last reviewed on March 22, 2021.

The website was last tested in February 2021. The test was carried out externally by Deque.

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