Accessibility in the Library

The Fresno State Library is committed to providing content and systems that are accessible for all students, faculty, and staff to use.

• In library-owned content we work continuously to improve the user experience and to meet accessibility standards outlined in WCAG 2.2, Level AA and California Government Code, sections 7405 and 11135.
• For vendor-provided services and content, we have an ongoing review of our systems and have organized these pages to help users learn which systems are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

While we strive to acquire systems, web services and applications that are fully accessible, some vendors are in the middle of upgrading their platforms for full compliance; and others are fully compliant to the best of our knowledge. To support understanding and communication regarding these resources and tools, where possible we have sought out and linked each vendor's Accessibility Statement and Voluntary Product Assessment Template (VPAT) for your review.

IMPORTANT: The information contained on these pages may not be as up-to-date as what is available on the vendors' websites. We recommend looking at the vendor website directly if you have any questions on a product. Other sources of general accessibility information and assistance can be found at the campus page: accessibility.fresnostate.edu

About Voluntary Provider Accessibility Templates

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a standardized document template provided by a vendor showing how their information technology product meets the accessibility requirements for electronic technologies detailed in Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Companies are typically required to provide a VPAT when seeking a U.S. government contract. However, many vendors provide these documents to their customers seeking to comply with ADA law and web accessibility principles.

Since VPATs are voluntary, each document can vary widely in how much information it supplies. Some companies give a general accessibility statement as an alternative for, or in supplement to, a VPAT.

More resources:

• Learn more about VPATs from Information Technology Industry Council.

About Accessibility Conformance Reports

An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) is very similar in purpose to, and sometimes includes, a VPAT but goes into much more detail regarding the capabilities of the product.  It is an actual, completed report filled in with a specific product’s accessibility test results, findings, and explanations.

Additionally, a robust ACR will include a section for "Remarks and Explanations" where developers outline existing workarounds, bugs, or future plans to fix accessibility gaps.

More resources:

• Learn more about ACRs from Section508.gov.