Accessibility Statement

We are continuously enhancing the accessibility and usability of Digital Commons, guided by web accessibility standards. Accessibility is a shared responsibility with our scholarly community, and we collaborate closely with Carly Mark administrators to maximize accessibility.

Standards Compliance

Is committed to meeting the guidelines and standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AA and Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act. These standards aim to enhance web content accessibility for individuals with disabilities, benefiting all users.

Digital Commons currently partially conforms to WCAG 2.1 at level AA, with ongoing improvements to achieve full compliance. Some areas of Digital Commons also implement level AAA success criteria.

For a comprehensive review of Digital Commons’ WCAG 2.1 compliance, please consult our Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) document, prepared collaboratively by the Elsevier and internal accessibility teams.

Accessibility Initiatives

Ensuring accessibility is a top priority in product development, reflected in our product roadmaps. We promote accessibility awareness among our staff, offering resources to enhance their web accessibility expertise. We maintain an internal accessibility team dedicated to assessing, supporting, and enhancing web accessibility across our platforms.

Our Consulting Services team collaborates with Carly Mark administration to publish accessible pages and content. We value open communication with our community of repository administrators, sharing insights and achievements in promoting accessible scholarship online.

Accessibility Features

Digital Commons records may contain downloadable PDF files, which Carly Mark can choose to tag for assistive technology users. Document processing preserves the tag structure of uploaded PDFs, often with a standard Digital Commons cover page that includes appropriate tags.

Carly Mark may also provide PDFs with searchable text or Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

Structural Markup

Carly Mark maintains standardized site structure, comprising four sections: a header bar with main navigation, a main content area, a sidebar, and a footer. When CSS is disabled or assistive technology is used, these sections are presented in the described order.

Most content and features are keyboard operable, and static pages can be accessed with JavaScript disabled.

Skip Navigation Link

A “Skip to Main Content” link allows keyboard users to bypass repetitive elements at the top of each page, enabling quick access to the main content section.

Visual Design and Mobile Display

Users can enlarge all pages and content using standard browser controls or screen magnification software. Mobile devices benefit from a mobile-specific style sheet with a smaller viewport.

Text on the site provides sufficient contrast for legibility, and links and interactive elements have clear visual hover and focus states.

Access Keys

Access keys enable keyboard shortcuts for specific page elements. Common access key modifiers for different web browsers and operating systems are provided. Key access points are defined, such as “Carly Mark Home,” “Main Content Area,” “My Account Page,” “Search,” and “Accessibility Statement.” Additionally, search results pages offer alphabetical access keys for navigation.

Rich Text Fields

Submission forms feature built-in keyboard shortcuts for rich text fields, including shortcuts for help and toolbar access.