Q. What are the accessibility challenges for blind or low vision students doing research?

Blind college students may encounter several accessibility challenges while finding sources for a research paper which can take significantly more time and effort than is deemed typical.

• Search Engines and Library Catalogs: Online search tools for academic libraries or databases can have cluttered interfaces, poorly labeled buttons, or inaccessible dropdown menus, making it difficult to perform searches efficiently. Refining search results by subject, date, or format often requires interacting with widgets or visual filters that are not screen-reader friendly. Quickly skimming through abstracts or previews to determine if a source is relevant may not be feasible, requiring full access to each document.
• Accessing Print and Digital Materials: Many academic articles are provided in PDF format, but some are scanned as images without proper text recognition (OCR), making them unreadable by screen readers. Some library resources, including eBooks or proprietary databases, have navigation structures or interactive elements that are not accessible to screen readers. Physical books, journals, or magazines need to be converted into accessible formats, which can take time.
• Data Visualizations and Complex Tables: Graphs, charts, and images in research articles may lack alt text or detailed descriptions, hindering comprehension. Academic works often include dense tables that are difficult to navigate without visual input.
• Note-taking: Managing notes while simultaneously reading or listening to sources can be cumbersome, especially if switching between applications or documents is required. Long articles or books can be difficult to navigate without accessible headings or bookmarks.
• Collaborative Research: Collaborative research projects may involve shared documents, tools, or platforms that are not optimized for accessibility. Team members might share inaccessible files or expect quick input on visually-based content.

This content was authored by Kathleen DeNicola at Western's Disability Access Center. A complete guide in Word format on using JAWS to apply APA style is here.