Invited to dinner, but not to the table: web content accessibility evaluation for persons with disabilities

Authors	Mirabel Nain Yuh; Gloria Ndum Okwen-Akah; Melaine Nyuyfoni Nsaikila; Lynn Cockburn; Kirchuffs Atengble; Ruth Stewart; Patrick Mbah Okwen
Date published	December 14th, 2024
Source	https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/r4a/article/id/3108/

Summary

This study evaluated how accessible five major online evidence databases and their contained resources are to persons with disabilities, using WCAG-based web evaluation tools. While the databases themselves scored moderately well (around 74–87% compliance), the actual downloadable resources such as articles, reports, and data performed poorly (averaging 52%, with some as low as 12%), notably lacking features like alternative text, proper color contrasts, and accessible navigation journals.uclpress.co.uk. The authors argue that this creates a scenario of “invited to dinner, but not to the table,” as people with disabilities can reach these sites but cannot meaningfully access their content. They urge database curators, journal editors, and authors to integrate WCAG compliance into platforms and publication workflows to ensure inclusive, equitable access to evidence-based resources.