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Ghent University Library

Accessibility

Ghent University Library is committed to making its websites accessible, in accordance with the Bestuursdecreet of 7 December 2018, which transposes European Directive 2016/2102.

This accessibility statement applies to the websites of the Ghent University Library (Dutch and English versions):

About this website

lib.ugent.be consists of two parts with different technical ownership:

Content pages (lib.ugent.be)

Library information, services, opening hours, and contact pages. Built and maintained by Ghent University and Ghent University Library.

Search and catalogue (libcatalog.ugent.be)

The homepage, search functionality, and catalogue are provided by Ex Libris Primo NDE, a third-party discovery platform. We can configure some aspects (labels, colours, page titles) and apply CSS overrides, but we cannot change the underlying application code. Issues in the core application require action by the vendor.

Compliance status

This website partially complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 level AA. The non-compliant areas are listed below.

How we tested

An in-depth internal accessibility audit has been carried out. This audit consisted of a manual and automated analysis of various page types across both domains in both Dutch and English. Download the detailed audit report:

Ghent University Library – Detailed Accessibility Audit Report

Audits

  • October 2025 — manual audit by Ghent University Library.
  • April 2026 — manual and automated audit by Ghent University Library.

Scope

Tools

WAVE extension, Axe DevTools, VoiceOver (screen reader), keyboard navigation, browser DevTools.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is not yet accessible for the following reasons:

Content pages (lib.ugent.be)

Items within our direct technical control:

  • 1.4.3 Contrast
    The cookie consent button (Piwik) has a contrast ratio of 4.27:1.
    Severity: Low
    Temporary solution / Alternative: The button is identifiable by position and shape; settings are also accessible via browser settings.
    Status: CSS override correction planned.

Search and catalogue (Ex Libris Primo NDE)

The catalogue is provided by a third-party discovery platform. We can configure certain aspects, but underlying code issues require action by the vendor. View the Ex Libris Primo NDE accessibility information.

  • 1.4.10 Reflow: Content can be enlarged without increasing line length. Requires 400% zoom to work.
    Severity: High
    Temporary solution / Alternative:     Use the browser's "simplified view" or contact the library for assistance.
    Status: Fix planned by vendor (July 2026).
  • 1.4.4 Resize Text: Text can be enlarged. Requires 200% zoom to work.
    Severity: High
    Temporary solution / Alternative:     Use the browser's "simplified view" or contact the library for assistance.
    Status: Fix planned by vendor (July 2026).
  • 1.3.1 Info & relations: Non-meaningful H1 titles ("home", "search", "fulldisplay").
    Severity: High
    Temporary solution / Alternative:     Use the page title in the browser tab or breadcrumbs for context.
    Status: Raised with vendor (April 2026).
  • 1.3.1 Info & relations: Broken heading hierarchy and empty headings in the DOM.
    Severity: Moderate
    Temporary solution / Alternative: Navigate via landmarks or screen reader search functions to find sections.
    Status: Raised in April 2026. Awaiting vendor feedback.
  • 1.3.1 Info & relations: Some <nav> elements lack unique aria-labels.
    Severity: Moderate
    Temporary solution / Alternative: Explore the content of navigation blocks manually to determine function.
    Status: Raised in April 2026. Awaiting vendor feedback.
  • 2.4.4 Link purpose: Links lack descriptive ARIA labels containing work titles.
    Severity: Moderate
    Temporary solution / Alternative: The work's title is located directly above or next to the action button.
    Status: Raised in April 2026. Awaiting vendor feedback.

Improvement plan

Recently resolved (April 2026):
systemic review performed

  • Addition of a skip link for faster keyboard navigation on lib.ugent.be.
  • Systematic addition of unique aria-labels to navigation regions on lib.ugent.be.
  • Improved focus visibility for all interactive elements via CSS overrides on both websites.
  • Clean-up of empty headings and improved heading hierarchy on lib.ugent.be.
  • Correction of the breadcrumb to a semantic list structure on lib.ugent.be.
  • English homepage title now displays English name on libcatalog.ugent.be.

Planned

Short term (3 months)

  • Address the contrast issue in the cookie consent widget.

Medium term (3–6 months)

  • Follow-up on promised updates from software vendor Ex Libris (including the Reflow fix expected in July 2026).
  • We will raise the remaining navigation and heading issues with Ex Libris once the current items are resolved, to avoid overloading the vendor with multiple issues at once.
  • Investigate solutions if no vendor fixes are possible.
  • Establish annual audit cadence.

Suggested alternatives in the meantime

If you encounter problems with the visual display or navigation in the catalogue, our library staff will be happy to assist you in retrieving metadata or reserving documents via libservice@ugent.be or at the desk of our various library locations.

Contact information

If you have questions or remarks about accessibility, please contact:

Ghent University Library

lib.ugent.be

libservice@ugent.be

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the enforcement body:

Vlaamse Ombudsdienst

vlaamseombudsdienst.be

klachten@vlaamseombudsdienst.be

This statement was prepared on October 2025.
The last revision took place on 16 April 2026.