Archival Access

Link: Archival Access Report (Google Site)

Project Title: Archival Access: A Report on Digital Accessibility in Archives and Special Collections

Project Description: Challenges to accessing archival collections are always at the forefront of archivists' minds. As the digital landscape becomes increasingly prevalent in the functions of our society, archives and special collections utilize digital tools to increase their collection presence online. This report and survey aimed to assess how archives and special collections may or may not be ensuring web accessibility to their collections.

Methods: The following methods were employed to conduct research for this report: 1) Literature review from archival theory scholarship, web accessibility activists, guidelines and standards. 2) Evaluated online access portals for archival and special collections using WebAIM’s WAVE, a tool for identifying potential accessibility issues on web pages. The evaluation drew from a small sampling across different types of archives as defined by the Society of American Archivists. 3) Accompanying this report is a survey that asked nine questions about web and PDF accessibility in Archives and/or Special Collections sent out on the Code4lib listserv and following Society for American Archivist section lists: College & University Archives, Public Library & Special Collections, Accessibility and Disability, and Museum Archives.

My Role: I am the single author of this work.

Learning Outcome Achieved: Ethical/Creative/Critical practice

Rationale: This report and survey were conducted in Spring 2020 as Pratt Institute transitioned to online classes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As remote learning has continued and the demand for online access has increased so does the urgency of implementing web accessibility policies in libraries and archives. A nine-question survey assessed the compliance of web accessibility standards in archives and special collections’ online access portals. I presented an overview of the 32 survey responses highlighting the complex challenges professionals face in addressing web accessibility, including the lack of an institution-wide web accessibility policy or oversight of content management system implementation. This report demonstrates the need for elevating web accessibility standards as a main function of archival work alongside public programming and outreach to address the larger umbrella of access for all users, including those who identify with a disability.