Our Commitment
Akron-Summit County Public Library is committed to providing a website that is accessible to all members of the community. We are actively working to improve website accessibility and usability on an ongoing basis.
Measures to Support Accessibility
The Akron-Summit County Public Library integrates accessibility into our procurement processes, internal policies, and staff training. We support an inclusive environment through the following measures:
- Digital Governance: We perform regular manual and automated accessibility audits of our website to identify and remediate barriers.
- Sensory Inclusion: Our library system is the first in the country to be designated as a sensory-inclusive space for those on the autism spectrum, dementia, PTSD, and related conditions.
- Community Partnerships: We are a proud partner of The Accessibility Library, a resource center dedicated to enhancing accessibility at cultural events and community gatherings.
- Assistive Technology: In the Accessibility Zone @ Main, we provide direct access to a Braille Embossing Station, Large Print Keyboards, Magnisight CCTV, and we connect customers with the NLS Talking Book program.
- Training: Our web development and content teams receive ongoing training in digital accessibility best practices to ensure new content meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Accessibility Standards
The Akron-Summit County Public Library has adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, Level AA as its digital accessibility standard. These guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and describe best practices for making web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. The library is working to fully conform with these guidelines to make its website and digital offerings accessible to everyone.
Although we aim for full compliance, some parts of the website may not yet fully meet these standards. We are actively identifying and addressing accessibility issues and are continually implementing solutions to improve accessibility and usability for everyone.
Accessibility Tools and Features
Our website provides accessibility tools from EqualWeb. The accessibility widget has features such as text enlargement, color-contrast adjustments, navigation aids, and other usability enhancements.
While the widget can support many users, it may not meet all accessibility needs or fully address every barrier. We recognize that true accessibility is achieved through robust underlying code. We are committed to remediating our core website structure to ensure compatibility with native assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
Third-Party Content
Some areas of our website may include content provided by third-party providers. While we encourage vendors and partners to provide accessible content, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party materials that are not fully under our control.
Known Limitations
- Digital Archives & Historical Collections
The Issue: Many of our older digitized items (such as historical photographs and scanned manuscripts) lack descriptive alternative text or OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
The Reason: These items were digitized using legacy technology prior to current accessibility standards.
The Workaround: If you need a description or transcription of a specific historical document, please email
- PDF Documents & Legacy Forms
The Issue: Some older PDF documents, particularly archival reports or complex forms, may not be fully optimized for screen reader navigation (missing tags or incorrect reading order).
The Reason: Converting high volumes of legacy PDFs is an ongoing manual process.
The Workaround: We can provide the information in a different format (such as a Word document or physical print) upon request.
- Online Catalog & Third-Party Databases
The Issue: Some aspects of our search catalog and certain research databases provided by external vendors may not fully support keyboard-only navigation or may have low color contrast.
The Reason: These platforms are developed by third-party vendors. We are actively advocating for improvements and reviewing VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) during our procurement process.
The Workaround: Our reference librarians are available via phone at 330.643.9000 to assist with searches and resource retrieval.
- Video Content
The Issue: Some older video recordings on our website or social media may lack synchronized closed captioning or audio descriptions.
The Reason: These were produced before current captioning workflows were implemented.
The Workaround: We are working to caption new content. If you need a transcript for an older video, please let us know.
Ongoing Efforts
Accessibility is an ongoing effort. We regularly review our website using automated tools and manual testing. As part of our commitment, we will assess new content, monitor accessibility issues, address barriers as they are identified, and make updates to improve accessibility and provide an inclusive digital experience.
Need Assistance?
If you experience difficulty accessing any part of our website, please let us know so we can assist you and work to resolve the issue.
When contacting us, please include:
- The webpage URL where you experienced difficulty
- A description of the issue
- The type of assistive technology you were using (if applicable)
Contact for Accessibility Support
- Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Phone: 330.643.9000
- Mailing Address: 60 South Main Street, Akron, Ohio 44236
We aim to respond to accessibility feedback and requests for assistance in a timely manner.
