About This Project
Research Guides Pa11y is a bookmarklet that helps LibGuide owners create accessible and inclusive guides for all users, including those who rely on screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Built for the University of Michigan Library, this tool helps anyone managing LibGuides quickly spot and fix accessibility issues, offering clear, actionable guidance aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Technology
The tool is built on two complementary testing layers:
- Industry-Standard Foundation: Uses axe-core, the same accessibility testing engine trusted by Google, Microsoft, and accessibility professionals worldwide
- Custom LibGuides Intelligence: Specialized checks designed specifically for common LibGuides accessibility issues, including empty box titles, URL-only links, poor alt text quality, problematic table structures, duplicate IDs from pasted content, and layout table detection
This dual-layer approach catches both standard WCAG violations and LibGuides-specific patterns that generic tools miss, with remediation instructions tailored to the LibGuides CMS interface.
Privacy & Security
All scanning happens entirely in your browser. No data is transmitted to external servers, ensuring complete privacy for your content and users.
Open Source
This project is free and open source. View the code, report issues, or contribute on GitHub.
How to Use
Installation
Installing the Bookmarklet
- Make sure your browser's bookmarks bar is visible (press
Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Cmd+Shift+B on Mac)
- Navigate to the "About" tab and find the gold button labeled "Research Guides Pa11y"
- Click and drag this button to your bookmarks bar
- The bookmarklet is now installed and ready to use
Scanning a LibGuide
1
Navigate to a LibGuide
Open any LibGuides page you want to scan. You can test with one of these examples:
2
Click the bookmarklet
Simply click the "Research Guides Pa11y" button you installed in your bookmarks bar.
3
Review the results
A sidebar will appear on the right side of the page showing your accessibility score and a detailed list of issues found.
4
Fix the issues
Each issue includes plain-language instructions specific to LibGuides. Click "Show on Page" to highlight the problematic element.
Note: This tool must be run on a live LibGuides page. It will not work on blank browser tabs, browser settings pages, or some administrative interfaces.
Features
What the Tool Checks
Images
Identifies missing or generic alt text, decorative images without null alt attributes, and image quality issues.
Headings
Verifies proper hierarchical structure (H1, H2, H3) and ensures no heading levels are skipped.
Links
Checks for descriptive link text and flags generic phrases like "click here" or bare URLs.
Color Contrast
Ensures text meets WCAG 2.1 AA requirements (minimum 4.5:1 ratio) for readability.
Forms
Verifies that all input fields have proper labels for screen reader users.
WCAG 2.1 AA
Comprehensive compliance checks against current accessibility standards.
Key Capabilities
- Accessibility Score: Get an immediate visual rating of your page's accessibility quality
- Plain Language Explanations: Issues are described simply without technical jargon
- LibGuides-Specific Fixes: Step-by-step instructions tailored to the LibGuides CMS interface
- Visual Highlighting: Click "Show on Page" to instantly locate problematic elements
- Fast Results: Complete scans generated in seconds
- Privacy-First: All processing happens locally in your browser
- Always Free: No costs, subscriptions, or usage limits
Automated Detection: This tool automatically catches approximately 60% of WCAG issues. Complex issues like meaningful image descriptions, logical reading order, and content structure still require human review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing happens when I click the bookmarklet. What's wrong?
Ensure you are on a live LibGuides page (such as a guide's main page or individual box page). The LibGuides A11y Insights cannot run on blank browser tabs, browser settings pages, or certain protected administrative interfaces. Also, verify that JavaScript is enabled in your browser.
How accurate is this tool?
Research Guides Pa11y uses the axe-core engine, which is the industry standard used by Google, Microsoft, and other major organizations. It automatically detects approximately 60% of WCAG 2.1 AA violations. Some accessibility issues—such as meaningful image descriptions, logical content order, and appropriate heading usage—still require human judgment and manual review.
Does this work on all LibGuides platforms?
Yes, this tool is designed to work on any LibGuides instance (LibGuides CMS version 2 and later). The tool adapts to different LibGuides configurations and customizations.
Is my content data being sent anywhere?
No. All scanning happens entirely within your browser. No content, scan results, or usage data is transmitted to external servers. Your privacy and the privacy of your LibGuides content is completely protected.
Can I use this tool on other websites besides LibGuides?
While the tool will technically run on any webpage, the remediation instructions are specifically written for the LibGuides CMS. For general accessibility testing on other sites, consider using browser extensions like axe DevTools or WAVE.
How do I report a bug or request a feature?
You can report issues or suggest improvements by submitting feedback through our
Google Form, emailing
padhma@umich.edu, or opening an issue on the project’s GitHub repository.
What browsers are supported?
This tool works on all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Internet Explorer is not supported.