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SAGE e-Journals

Summary

This report reflects the findings of a high-level assessment of the SAGE e-journal Platform for its conformance with the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). 

There are some WCAG 2.1 compliance issues with SAGE e-journal Platform particularly around screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation. These can be serious issues that may significantly affect the ability of users with physical and visual impairments to navigate the site successfully. Below are the most critical issues to address to improve system compliance. 

There are very few WCAG 2.1 compliance issues with the SAGE platform except for the bug noted below. This bug can negatively impact the user’s experience and significantly impact the ability of users with physical and visual impairments to navigate the site successfully. The other top findings noted are minor overall.

Top 3 Issues

  1. Keyboard Navigation: There is a major bug that breaks the experience and makes it inaccessible for a keyboard user. When a user tries to tab past the last tile of the pagination on the results page, the focus is lost and will not move forward or back, making the entire page inaccessible without reloading it. This should be a priority to fix, because it stops the user from being able to progress or go back without completely reloading or switching the page. 
  2. Compatibility: There are a few issues surrounding compatibility, in particular with ARIA and unique ID’s. These can cause issues with screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and the overall navigability of the site if not addressed. When authoring for ARIA be sure to reference the WAI-ARIA Best Practices from W3. 
  3. Color Contrast: There are some minor issues with color contrast on the search results page that should be relatively easy to fix.