Presentation Type
Lightning Talk
Date
2025-11-20
Description
In July 2024, a new accessibility law in Colorado took effect, which requires state and government agencies—including libraries—to make their digital content accessible to users with disabilities. Recognizing that digital accessibility is both a legal obligation and a fundamental part of equitable access to information, the Strauss Library at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus developed a step-by-step remediation plan to bring its institutional repository into compliance. The project began by rewriting outdated accessibility policies, then transitioned towards assessing collections, setting priorities, and developing workflows to remediate inaccessible files. This presentation will outline the strategic approach the library adopted despite limited staff time and expertise. It will also share the challenges encountered and successes achieved as well as highlight lessons learned. Attendees will take away practical strategies that can be adapted by other organizations seeking to strengthen accessibility in their own digital repositories, regardless of size or resources.
Keywords
MIRL Symposium, 2025 MIRL Symposium, lightning talk
Rights and Permissions
Copyright © 2025 The Author.
Repository Citation
Riley, Laura and Micho, Lori, "Clearing the Hurdles: Strategies for Accessibility Remediation in a Digital Repository" (2025). Medical Institutional Repositories in Libraries (MIRL) Symposium. 20.
https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/mirl/2025/program/20
Clearing the Hurdles: Strategies for Accessibility Remediation in a Digital Repository
In July 2024, a new accessibility law in Colorado took effect, which requires state and government agencies—including libraries—to make their digital content accessible to users with disabilities. Recognizing that digital accessibility is both a legal obligation and a fundamental part of equitable access to information, the Strauss Library at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus developed a step-by-step remediation plan to bring its institutional repository into compliance. The project began by rewriting outdated accessibility policies, then transitioned towards assessing collections, setting priorities, and developing workflows to remediate inaccessible files. This presentation will outline the strategic approach the library adopted despite limited staff time and expertise. It will also share the challenges encountered and successes achieved as well as highlight lessons learned. Attendees will take away practical strategies that can be adapted by other organizations seeking to strengthen accessibility in their own digital repositories, regardless of size or resources.