Digital accessibility in higher education
How Clarivate is helping academic libraries support research and learning for all students
In recent years, digital accessibility has evolved into a critical, student-centered imperative in higher education. As campus technology ecosystems grow increasingly complex, ensuring that every student can fully access digital resources - regardless of ability - is both a responsibility and a strategic priority.
This evolution was front and center in Navigating the Evolving Accessibility Landscape, a recent webcast hosted by Library Journal and sponsored by Clarivate. The session brought together experts from the Clarivate accessibility, product and content teams to explore how digital platforms can meet rising accessibility expectations through better metadata, more inclusive formats and cross-sector collaboration.
Technology As Enabler
From screen-reader support to AI-driven research tools, institutions are leaning on technology to enhance digital inclusion. EdTech Magazine recently reported that colleges and universities are investing in platforms and apps that provide text-to-speech options, customizable font sizes, and alternative text for images — tools that not only comply with regulations but also improve the overall learning experience for everyone.
The Clarivate product roadmap supports this shift. For example, the new Research Assistants on ProQuest and Ebook Central platforms use AI to highlight key information and are built to comply with WCAG 2.2 standards. Ebook Central now uses EPUBs as the default reading format since these HTML-based, reflowable, and responsive ebooks are more screen reader-friendly, scaleable, and adaptable to user preferences. Later this year, an Ebook Central reader app will be launched, offering offline reading with features like screen reader support, adjustable text, color contrast and more.
Metadata Matters
Accessible content is only useful if users can find it and understand how it meets their needs. This is where metadata plays a pivotal role. Behind the scenes, metadata is the bridge between accessible content and student discoverability. Clarivate is working with publishers to ensure ONIX and MARC records, especially MARC 21 fields 341 and 532, which are specifically dedicated to accessibility metadata, accurately reflect key accessibility attributes like screen reader compatibility or alt-text availability.
This kind of infrastructure development is critical. A recent blog highlighted that digital accessibility requires a comprehensive strategy: one that goes beyond visual design to include how content is structured, described, and delivered through metadata and supporting technologies. And as underscored in a recent Scholarly Kitchen article, raising awareness and usage of accessibility metadata across the supply chain is just as essential.
A Shared Responsibility
Digital accessibility doesn’t begin and end with vendors or campus IT - it’s a shared ecosystem effort. In the Navigating the Evolving Accessibility Landscape webcast, Patricia Payton, Senior Manager, Provider Relations at Clarivate, noted: “We work with publishers of all sizes - from someone who has more than 100,000 titles to those with less than 10. We need to know where they’re at in their understanding and help them succeed at their goals at their level of ability to work.”
That same collaboration applies within institutions. Librarians, IT teams, procurement officers, and academic leadership all play a role in setting expectations and working together with vendors. Open communication across the supply chain - from content creation to discovery - is critical to ensure sustainable accessibility.
Clarivate has joined efforts like the Publishing Accessibility Action Group and as an Inclusive Publishing Partner, a DAISY Consortium initiative. These partnerships help align best practices across the industry while advocating for meaningful progress.
Accessibility At Clarivate
At Clarivate, accessibility is part of a broader commitment to equitable research and learning. The company aims to ensure that every researcher, student and library user can access information without barriers, regardless of their abilities.
Accessibility is embedded into the design and development of Clarivate academic platforms, such as Web of Science, ProQuest, Ebook Central, Alma and Polaris. Feedback from the community helps guide these efforts as we work to integrate accessibility across our software development lifecycle, striving towards a born accessible approach.
To create a culture of accessibility, Clarivate is sponsoring colleagues to pursue certification through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and continuing our partnership with external industry experts to provide outside advisement. We conduct routine accessibility audits, consult teams on best practices for resolving issues and lead training for our developers and QA engineers. We’ve also use expert partners to help guide strategic enablement of accessibility in our development lifecycle.
Digital accessibility is an ongoing priority for educational institutions. Collaboration across the supply chain, involving vendors and campus stakeholders, is essential for sustainable accessibility efforts. Clarivate is deeply committed to integrating accessibility into its academic platforms, continually enhancing their usability. Through partnerships and ongoing improvements, Clarivate strives to foster an inclusive environment for researchers and learners worldwide.
Missed our Navigating the Evolving Accessibility Landscape webcast? Find the recording and other resources below:
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