Accessibility

Last updated: 6/9/2025

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. 

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

We are actively working to make all our current content and journal sites accessible. This includes: 

  • Remediating articles and issues to accessible versions
  • Updating journal websites for digital accessibility 
  • Ongoing maintenance and improvements for sites and content 

Our goal is to meet Level AA compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. We are working to achieve this standard for all newly published and current, active content by April 2026.  

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. Should you have trouble accessing content or the site, or want to provide general feedback, please reach out to the Open Publishing team at openjournals@psu.edu.