Accessibility
Accessibility Options
The accessibility options may be accessed from the Accessibility Menu at the top of each page.
Text
The Reading Options bar lets you customise how text is displayed. It is available on text-heavy pages and targets large areas of text, such as journal articles, rather than surrounding page elements, so the reading area stays focused.
Accessibility Mode
Accessibility Mode is a user-enabled theme built from the ground up to be accessible. The current themes are built on older technologies, and it is not possible to make them fully accessible without substantial changes. It will take time to move all existing presses onto the new accessible theme, so in the short term we are offering Accessibility Mode for any user who needs those features.
Preference Storage
If you are logged in, your preferences for both the Reading Options bar and Accessibility Mode are saved to your account and applied on every visit. If you are not logged in, preferences are stored for your current session and may need to be re-entered if your session expires, you clear cookies, or you switch devices.
Janeway
This site is built on Janeway, a web-based platform for publishing journals, preprints, conference proceedings, and books.
Janeway is in the second part of a three phase accessibility improvement plan. The first phase focused on the pages that can be viewed without needing an account (we call this the "Front of House"). This included an overhaul of our tables, landmarks and headings, a new alt-text system, and developing an accessibility mode. We are now in Phase 2 where we are updating the account-only pages (the "Back Office"). In Phase 3 we intend to develop tools for improving the accessiblity of user content.
Janeway conformance data is stored within the codebase, so that its history can be tracked. We audit our platform on a rolling-basis with a combination of manual- and automated-testing alongside reviewing the codebase. The primary purpose of each audit is to identify accessibility improvements and specify them for development. We audit against WCAG 2.2 AA standard, and each success criterion is crosslinked to any work that needs to be done on Github.
Full details of the work done and that planned are in the Janeway Accessibility Project. (external link, opens in new tab).
WCAG 2.2 Level A
| ID | Success Criterion | Conformance | Remarks | Audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 | Non-text Content | Supports | Editors can set alt text for uploaded images, and JATS alt-text is used for every image. Images in author-supplied HTML galleys depend on the supplied content. The default CAPTCHA is a text question; reCAPTCHA and hCaptcha rely on the vendor's alternatives. | 5568, September 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.2.1 | Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | Not applicable | None | 5085, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.2.2 | Captions (Prerecorded) | Not applicable | None | 5086, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.2.3 | Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) | Not applicable | None | 5087, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.3.1 | Info and Relationships | Partially supports | Some pages are inconsistently structured, from templates and author-supplied JATS. Tables and headings in editor-supplied content depend on the content. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.3.2 | Meaningful Sequence | Supports | None | 5051, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.3.3 | Sensory Characteristics | Supports | None | 5105, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.1 | Use of Color | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.2 | Audio Control | Not applicable | None | 5090, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.1.1 | Keyboard | Supports | Wide galley tables can be reached and scrolled with the keyboard. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.1.2 | No Keyboard Trap | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.1.4 | Character Key Shortcuts | Supports | MathJax's formula explorer uses single-key commands only while a formula has focus. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.2.1 | Timing Adjustable | Supports | The carousel can be paused. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.2.2 | Pause, Stop, Hide | Supports | The carousel moves on every 5 seconds and has pause and play buttons. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.3.1 | Three Flashes or Below Threshold | Supports | None | 5147, February 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.1 | Bypass Blocks | Supports | The article print view is a print layout without the site's navigation. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.2 | Page Titled | Supports | None | 5563, September 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.3 | Focus Order | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.4 | Link Purpose (In Context) | Partially supports | Most links are clear in context. Some are not, from XML processing and user-supplied link text. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.5.1 | Pointer Gestures | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.5.2 | Pointer Cancellation | Not applicable | None | 5092, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.5.3 | Label in Name | Partially supports | Some labels only in English. Labels are contextual, not all include name. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.5.4 | Motion Actuation | Not applicable | None | 5093, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.1.1 | Language of Page | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.2.1 | On Focus | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.2.2 | On Input | Supports | Changing language has its own submit button. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.2.6 | Consistent Help | Supports | The article print view is a print layout without the site's navigation. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.3.1 | Error Identification | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.3.2 | Labels or Instructions | Partially supports | visible instruction, not all marked up correctly | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.3.7 | Redundant Entry | Not applicable | None | 5096, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 4.1.2 | Name, Role, Value | Partially supports | Most ARIA and form checks pass. A few form controls lack labels. Media in editor-supplied content depends on the content. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
WCAG 2.2 Level AA
| ID | Success Criterion | Conformance | Remarks | Audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2.4 | Captions (Live) | Not applicable | None | 5088, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.2.5 | Audio Description (Prerecorded) | Not applicable | None | 5089, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.3.4 | Orientation | Supports | Automated checks found no orientation lock. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.3.5 | Identify Input Purpose | Supports | The contact form's email field identifies its purpose. Sign-in and registration are assessed with the back office. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.3 | Contrast (Minimum) | Supports | The default palettes meet contrast. Colours a journal sets itself depend on the journal. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.4 | Resize Text | Supports | Automated checks at 200% text found no loss of content. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.5 | Images of Text | Supports | None | 5099, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.10 | Reflow | Supports | Banner images are cropped to fit at 320px; they are decorative. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.11 | Non-text Contrast | Supports | The default palettes meet contrast. Colours a journal sets itself depend on the journal. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.12 | Text Spacing | Supports | Formulas keep their own line spacing, so they stay readable with increased text spacing. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 1.4.13 | Content on Hover or Focus | Supports | Menus open on click, not hover. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.5 | Multiple Ways | Supports | The article print view is a print layout without the site's navigation. | 5503, September 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.6 | Headings and Labels | Partially supports | Headings and labels are mostly consistent. A handful of pages have heading or label failures. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.7 | Focus Visible | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.4.11 | Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.5.7 | Dragging Movements | Not applicable | None | 5094, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 2.5.8 | Target Size (Minimum) | Supports | Automated checks found no targets under 24px. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.1.2 | Language of Parts | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.2.3 | Consistent Navigation | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.2.4 | Consistent Identification | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.3.3 | Error Suggestion | Supports | None | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.3.4 | Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) | Not applicable | None | 5095, January 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 3.3.8 | Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | Not applicable | Sign-in and registration are Janeway's shared account pages, assessed with the back office. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |
| 4.1.3 | Status Messages | Supports | Messages are announced to screen readers. | 5617, October 2026 (external link, opens in new tab). |