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Accessibility

We want everyone to be able to hear and read our stories, however they use the web. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA on this website and in the Dial-A-Story widget that libraries add to their own websites.

What we’ve done

  • This website. In October 2026 we tested every page against WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA with automated checks and fixed what they found. Every page also works on a phone-sized screen without scrolling sideways.
  • The Dial-A-Story widget. In October 2026 we:
    • set the widget’s language (English or Spanish), so screen readers read it in the right voice
    • made the widget a labeled region with a heading, so screen-reader users can find it
    • kept keyboard focus in place when you open and close the player
    • changed colors so text meets a 4.5:1 contrast ratio in every widget theme
    • added a “Read the transcript” link for stories that have a transcript
  • Testing. Automated accessibility tests run on the widget every time we change it. We also test it with VoiceOver on iPad and with a keyboard alone, and check it zoomed in, on narrow screens and with extra text spacing.
  • Switchboard. In October 2026 we reviewed Switchboard, the site library staff use to manage their service, against WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA and fixed what we found. Every task now works with a keyboard, including the schedule calendar. Dialogs keep keyboard focus, form fields are labeled, charts have data tables, pages work on a phone-sized screen, and the help videos have captions.

What isn’t there yet

  • Transcripts for library recordings. Storytime Commons stories come with a full, word-for-word transcript. A story a library records and uploads itself has a transcript only if the library adds one, and a few older Commons stories don’t have one yet.
  • The audio player. The widget uses your browser’s built-in player, so its controls look and work a little differently from one browser to the next.
  • The rest of your library’s page. The widget sits on your library’s website, so that page’s own headings, language and layout are up to the library.
  • Switchboard with screen readers. We’ve tested Switchboard with automated checks and a keyboard, but not yet with a screen reader.

Accessibility Conformance Report

Our Accessibility Conformance Report for the Dial-A-Story widget (PDF, 8 pages, 190 KB) goes through every WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA criterion and says whether the widget meets it, how we tested it and what we haven’t tested yet. It’s dated October 16, 2026, and uses the VPAT® 2.5 template. Switchboard will get a report of its own. If you need the report in another format, ask us.

Tell us about a problem

If something on this website or in a Dial-A-Story widget doesn’t work for you, please tell us. It helps to include the page address or your library’s name, what you were trying to do, and the device, browser or assistive technology you use.

We last updated this page in October 2026.