eBook Accessibility - Getting Started
Some eBook platforms have in-built accessibility options. These may allow you to change the text size, background and font colour for example, or may otherwise be adapted for use with screen reading or read aloud software. These can benefit all staff or students regardless of whether you have a visual impairment or any special accessibility requirements.
Before you begin we recommend that you:
- Use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. This is freely available and on all Library PCs. Microsoft Edge is our recommended tool for reading online format and downloaded PDF eBooks aloud, and changing the background colour and text size of online format eBooks.
- Install Adobe Reader if using your own computer. This is freely available and on all Library PCs. Adobe Reader is our recommended tool for changing the background colour and text size of downloaded PDF eBooks.
- Install Adobe Digital Editions if using your own computer. This is freely available and on all Library PCs. Adobe Digital Editions is our recommended tool for opening downloaded EPUB eBooks.
eBook Accessibility - Our Platforms in Depth
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access Bloomsbury eBooks. |
|
Full Text Download? |
Yes |
Unlimited chapter downloads as PDFs. Whole-book downloads unavailable |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search within the content of a Bloomsbury eBook using the "Search within this book" box under the e-book toolbar. The results will be presented underneath, divided according to the table of contents. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
Bloomsbury Collections does not provide an inbuilt Read Aloud or Narration function |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
Yes |
Unlimited printing from chapters simply by selecting the desired text online. Unlimited printing of downloaded whole-book and chapter PDFs |
|
Magnification? |
No |
Magnification is only possible through a user's web browser. The site has been tested with 200% browser zoom to ensure that text still renders correctly and legibly, without losing any of the site’s functionality or navigation. |
|
Change Text Font? |
No |
It is not possible to change the font type or size unless your web browser is equipped with special functionality or plugins that could make such changes to any other web page |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
It is not possible to change the page background colour or tone unless your web browser is equipped with special functionality or plugins that could make such changes to any other web page |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access Cambridge Core eBooks. |
|
Full Text Download? |
Yes |
Unlimited whole-book and chapter downloads as PDFs |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search within the content of a Cambridge e-book using the "Search in this box" box on the right-hand side of the title banner to type in keywords and phrases. A results page will then appear. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
Cambridge Core does not provide an inbuilt Read Aloud or Narration function. Instead, the platform recommends using text to speech tools to read out website content in both PDF and HTML format. These are built into some browsers but are also available as a plug-in |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
Yes |
Unlimited printing from chapters simply by selecting the desired text online. Unlimited printing of downloaded whole-book and chapter PDFs |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
With Cambridge Core eBooks is possible to zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen |
|
Change Text Font? |
No |
It is not possible to change the font type or size unless your web browser is equipped with special functionality or plugins that could make such changes to any other web page |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
It is not possible to change the page background colour or tone unless your web browser is equipped with special functionality or plugins that could make such changes to any other web page |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access Ebsco eBooks. |
|
Full Text Download?
|
Yes |
Whole Book – Available in most cases. 24-hour downloads as secure PDFs or EPUB files. . You will need to sign in to your EBSCOhost account (or create an EBSCOhost account) and have Adobe Digital Editions installed on your device to open the file.
|
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search for keywords within the content of an EBSCO e-book using the "Search Within" feature in the top right hand corner. Your keyword matches will be displayed below the search box. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
EBSCOhost does not provide an inbuilt Read Aloud or Narration function. We recommend downloading key chapters and opening them with your preferred text-to-speech tool, or copying the text from the online reader into a text-to-speech tool |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
No |
Users are permitted to print 10% of the text (individual pages or a range) or one chapter at their discretion. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
The EBSCOhost online reader allows users to zoom content beyond 200% |
|
Change Text Font? |
No |
EBSCO interfaces use web fonts that are known to work well for dyslexic users. However, it is not possible to change the font type or size within an EBSCO e-book |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
It is not possible to change the page/background colour within EBSCOhost, however, EBSCO's company-wide design standards include requirements for minimum colour contrast |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
Switching to Text Only Mode
If Text Only Mode is activated, eBooks are also available to read online in text HTML format which offers accessibility options and allows you to use the software easily with extensions and other assistive software.
If you would like ‘Text Only Mode’ to be activated for your Ebook Central account, please follow the instructions on How To Turn Text Only Mode On (or Off) on Ebook Central.
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
No |
Access to the majority of titles is provided on a credit model. Some titles may only be accessed by one user, three users, or unlimited users depending on the specific eBook |
|
Full Text Download?
|
No |
Whole Book - Unavailable in most cases, 24-hour downloads as secure PDFs or EPUBs. Chapters - Limited chapter downloads as unsecured PDFs Adobe Digital Editions or similar required to read downloaded PDFs or EPUBs |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search for keywords and phrases using the search box labelled "Search within book" in the left-hand side panel. Your results will appear below the search box. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
Yes |
Ebook Central does not have an inbuilt Read Aloud or Narration function, but the platform is designed to work with a screen reader when Text Only Mode is enabled. How do I turn on Text Only Mode? Please note that Text Only Mode is supported on laptops and desktops only (not tablets or phones). |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
No |
You are allowed to print 10% of the book as individual pages or a page range. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes
|
There is an inbuilt zoom tool which offers 4 zoom levels - click the magnifying glass symbols on top toolbar |
|
Change Text Font? |
Yes
|
You can change the font of the Ebook Central website and the individual eBooks to OpenDyslexic. Click on the Profile menu and select Enable OpenDyslexic typeface. |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
There is no inbuilt option to change the background colour. You may be able to change background colours using your web browser. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
|
|
Full Text Download? |
Yes |
Unlimited chapter downloads as PDFs. Whole-book downloads unavailable |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search for keywords within the content of an EBSCO eBook using the "Search Within" feature in the top right-hand corner. Your keyword matches will be displayed below the search box. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
This functionality is not built into the online reader. Downloaded unsecured PDFs may be read aloud using Adobe Acrobat Reader's inbuilt Read Out Loud tool. |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
Yes |
Unlimited printing of downloaded chapter PDFs. Unavailable online. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
There is an inbuilt zoom tool - click the magnifying glass symbols on top toolbar |
|
Change Text Font? |
No |
It is not possible to change the font type or size unless your web browser is equipped with special functionality or plugins. |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
It is not possible to change the page/background colour within JSTOR eBooks. However, JSTOR aims to have sufficient colour contrast on all areas of its site. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access O'Reilly eBooks. |
|
Full Text Download?
|
No |
You can download individual chapters. To do this, right-click on the text, and choose ‘Print’ (or press Ctrl+P). From the list of printers, choose 'save as PDF' option to save a PDF file. |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search within the content of the ebook by clicking or selecting the magnifying glass icon on the right-hand side of the screen. This will expand the right-hand panel and display a search box (you can pin this panel). The results will display in a list below the search box. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
No embedded text-to-speech tool. We recommend downloading key chapters and opening them with your preferred text-to-speech tool, or copying the text from the online reader into a text-to-speech tool |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
Yes |
You can print or download a chapter by navigating to the chapter within the online reader, right-clicking on the text, and choosing ‘Print’ (or pressing Ctrl+P). From the list of printers, choose a PDF option to save a PDF file, or a printer to print it. There’s no limit on the number of chapters you can download. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
You can change the text size to small, medium or large by clicking on the Viewer Settings cog wheel on the right hand side of the screen. |
|
Change Text Font? |
Yes |
You can change the font family by selecting the Viewer Settings cog wheel. |
|
Change Background Colour? |
Yes |
Click on the Settings cog wheel icon to change the page background. There are three options: White, Sepia and Black. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
These settings apply to books downloaded with the Libby app
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
No. Unlike with other providers, eBooks need to be borrowed, and there are limited number of copies of each title. |
|
Full Text Download |
No |
|
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
In a book, tap the centre of the screen and select the search icon. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
Overdrive recommends listening to audiobooks for users who need a Read Aloud feature. |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
No |
|
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
In a book, tap the center of the screen, then |
|
Change Text Font? |
Yes |
In a book, tap the center of the screen, then |
|
Change Background Colour? |
Yes |
Under Accessibility settings on the home page, you can turn on Reduce Colour Variation, which will favour neutral colours with good contrasts. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
. From there, drag the "Text scale" slider to change the size of the text.
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access Oxford Law Trove eBooks. |
|
Full Text Download?
|
No |
Individual chapters can be downloaded as PDFs. Adobe Digital Editions or similar required to read downloaded PDFs or EPUBs. |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search for keywords and phrases using the search box at the top right hand side of the screen, or by clicking on Advanced Search. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
Law Trove does not currently include an embedded text-to-speech tool, although this is being considered as part of their roadmap. We recommend downloading key chapters and opening them with your preferred text-to-speech tool, or copying the text from the online reader into a text-to-speech tool |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
No |
You are allowed to print 5% of the book. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
All pages can be magnified up to 400% and the page content will reflow so that all the content is presented on the page without the need for horizontal scrolling |
|
Change Text Font? |
No |
There is no inbuilt option to change the text font. You may be able to change this using your web browser. |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
There is no inbuilt option to change the background colour. You may be able to change background colours using your web browser. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access Sage eBooks |
|
Full Text Download? |
No |
Chapters only, emailed as EPUB files. Only one chapter can be downloaded per four months. Adobe Digital Editions or similar required to read downloaded EPUBs |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search within the content of a Sage Catalyst eBook by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the left-hand side column and typing in a keyword or phrase. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
|
|
Printing? |
No |
There isn't a print option available within Sage Catalyst, however you can use the print options available within your web browser or print from a downloaded chapter. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
You can change the font size using the Settings icon on the left hand side of the screen. |
|
Change Text Font? |
Yes |
The font can be changed in the Settings menu. |
|
Change Background Colour? |
Yes |
You can change the page background colour using the Settings menu. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
Yes |
Yes - no restrictions on the number of users who can access Oxford Law Trove eBooks. |
|
Full Text Download?
|
Yes |
You can download the whole eBook in PDF for EPUB format or scroll down to the table of contents and download individual chapters. Occasionally some older titles may only be read online as an embedded PDF. |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search within the content of the eBook by clicking or selecting the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen and typing in keywords. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
No |
No embedded text-to-speech tool. We recommend downloading key chapters and opening them with your preferred text-to-speech tool, or copying the text from the online reader into a text-to-speech tool |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
Yes |
Taylor & Francis allow unlimited printing of downloaded whole-book and chapter PDFs. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
You can zoom content up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. Click or select the magnifying glass icon with a plus sign in the lens in the top menu bar. |
|
Change Text Font? |
No |
There is no inbuilt option to change the text font. You may be able to change this using your web browser. |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
There is no inbuilt option to change the background colour. You may be able to change background colours using your web browser. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |
| Ebook Feature | Yes/No | Description |
|
Unlimited Access? |
No |
Access to the majority of titles is provided on a credit model. Some titles may only be accessed by one user, three users, or unlimited users depending on the eBook |
|
Full Text Download?
|
Yes/No |
Whole Book - Some books available for 1 day download as secure PDFs or EPUBs. Chapters - Limited chapter downloads as unsecured PDFs Adobe Digital Editions or similar required to read downloaded PDFs or EPUBs |
|
Full Text Search? |
Yes |
You can search within the content of a VLeBooks e-book by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the left-hand side column and typing in a keyword or phrase. The results will appear in a list below the search box. |
|
Read Aloud? Narration? |
Yes |
The online reader has an inbuilt text-to-speech feature. Click on the microphone symbol on the top right of the screen. Narration speed can be changed in Advanced Settings. The narrator voice cannot be changed from the system default and the narration tends to stop at the end of each page. |
|
Unlimited Printing? |
No |
You can print 10% of the book as individual pages or as a page range. |
|
Magnification? |
Yes |
VLeBooks have over 20 levels of magnification using the built-in zoom function, available when reading via the platform. |
|
Change Text Font? |
Yes |
The font type cannot be changed within eBooks in PDF format, but can be changed in EPUB files via the eBook Settings icon in the top right hand corner. In EPUB files, line, character, and word spacing can also be increased. For navigating the VLE platform site, the font size can be made larger and/or changed to a Dyslexic friendly font through selecting Edit Accessibility Settings on the left side of the screen |
|
Change Background Colour? |
No |
You can change the page background colour to one of seven different dyslexia-friendly colours, using the Settings icon in the top right hand corner. |
|
Accessibility Statement |
Yes |