Accessibility

Last updated: May 1, 2026

Accessibility Statement

As part of our commitment to open access, we of the Penn State University Libraries Open Publishing program believe that knowledge should be freely available and accessible to all. Accessibility is a core component of equitable open scholarship and one of Open Publishing's governing values. By removing barriers to access, we help the research we publish reach a broader, more inclusive, and more diverse scholarly audience.

At the university level, Penn State is committed to accessibility, through Policy AD69, to ensuring that people with disabilities have an opportunity equal to that of their nondisabled peers to participate in the University's programs, benefits, and services, including those delivered through electronic and information technology.

In addition to our own commitment, accessibility is a legal requirement. In accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state and local government entities—including public universities like Penn State that receive federal funding—are required to ensure that their digital services, including websites and online content, are accessible to individuals with disabilities. A 2024 update to the ADA regulations clarified that this meant following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A and AA for all web content and digital documents.

The work we are doing

Open Publishing is actively working to improve our digital accessibility. This includes:

  • Updating journal websites to improve digital accessibility.
  • Performing ongoing maintenance and improvements for sites and content.
  • Ensuring newly published content is accessible, or when unable, ensuring an accessible alternative is published alongside content.
  • Planning the remediation of backlist content.

Readers may see these changes affect journal websites, content, and other features as we make changes.

Requesting accessible formats

If you would like to request alternative versions for current or archived content, please fill out the libraries Request Accommodation (Accessibility Help) form. For all other inquiries, please reach out to the Open Publishing team at openjournals@psu.edu.

How to share feedback

We welcome feedback on how to improve the accessibility of our sites and content. If you discover a web page or application that is not accessible or does not conform to the University’s Accessibility Policy (AD69), please contact Open Publishing team at openjournals@psu.edu. Please describe the problem, including the web address or URL of the web page or application. You may also call the University Help Desk at 814-865-HELP (4357).