Digital Accessibility - Library e-resources

This guide provides information about the digital accessibility features of library e-resources. It is a developing resource which currently includes information about some of the Library ebook collections.

General features of the OverDrive platform

This page provides information about the online reader and the landing page for OverDrive. It includes sections on the ease of use of the platform, navigation tips, download formats and available accessibility features.

Below is a brief summary of accessibility features in the online reader:

Choice of formats - No
Change the font size/zoom - Yes
Change the background/text colour - Yes
Change the font type - Yes
Change the page layout - Yes
Inbuilt text-to-speech - Yes
Is the table of contents clickable from the eBook landing page to the online reader? - No
Keyboard navigation - Yes

Downloading OverDrive ebooks.

Screen readers and text-to-speech software.

OverDrive's Accessibility Statement

A note on using OverDrive

Unlike the other eBook providers which the library has titles from, all titles on OverDrive must be borrowed before they can be read, much like a print book from the Main Library. Titles must be borrowed because there is a limited number of each eBook available, which can be loaned for 7, 14, or 21 days at a time.

To borrow a book, click the 'Borrow' button on the landing page, to the right of the book's cover. You will then be prompted to select a loan period, before being able to borrow that eBook. Note that the number of currently available copies of a book can be seen directly above the 'Borrow' button.

Note that OverDrive is directly connected to the Libby app which the library also provides access to, with the range of titles being the same across both services. User accounts are also connected between the services, meaning that the maximum number of three books borrowed at a time is shared between both OverDrive and Libby.

eBook Formats in the Online Reader:

What eBook formats are available?

The majority of the content on OverDrive is available in both OverDrive Read, and EPUB format. When using the online reader, content will be available in OverDrive Read format. When downloading is possible, content will be available in EPUB format.

Where to find the available formats on the landing page?

Available formats can be viewed directly on the landing page, under the book's general information.

Changing Font Size/Zoom:

Zoom:

Currently, there is no built in zoom option in the OverDrive online reader. In cases where the zoom size can be changed in the browser's settings, the changes will be displayed broadly on the OverDrive website.

Changing Font Type

Font type can be changed directly from within the online reader. First, click on the 'A' icon in the upper right hand corner of the reader. Clicking this button will bring up the 'Appearance' menu, which has a variety of options for customising the online reader, including font type.

From the 'Appearance' menu, the options under 'Book Design' will customise the font type and spacing based on a handful of presets.

Note that selecting the 'Custom' option will bring up a drop down menu which allows you to select from a number of options to customise typeface, justification, line spacing, and width to your preferences.

Page Layout Options:

Within the online reader, page layout can be changed between showing a single, or two pages. Clicking the lined circle icon in the top right hand corner of the reader will switch the page layout between the two available options.

Changing background/text colour:

Background colour can be changed directly from within the online reader. First, click on the 'A' icon in the upper right hand corner of the reader. Clicking this button will bring up the 'Appearance' menu, which has a variety of options for customising the online reader, including background colour.

From the 'Appearance' menu, the options under 'Lighting' provide three different options which will change the background colour of the reader. Note that these changes will also affect any images in the book.

Keyboard Navigation:

The OverDrive website can be navigated using a keyboard through using the tab key to move between links, and the enter button to follow a link. The arrow keys can then be used to scroll up and down a page.

The website features a 'Skip to Main Content' button which appears in the upper centre of the screen when first pressing the tab key on any page. Pressing the enter key when this button is highlighted will skip the website's headers and move directly to the book's content.

Below is a list of keyboard shortcuts available in the online reader:

Shift+N - Open Navigation
Shift+B - Place Bookmark
" - Read From Here
[Left Arrow Key] - Previous Page
[Right Arrow Key] - Next Page
Shift+[Left Arrow Key] - Previous Chapter
Shift+[Right Arrow Key] - Next Chapter
Shift+C -Contents
Shift+M - Bookmarks
Shift+S - Search WIthin Books
Shift+A - Appearance
Shift+D - Dictionary
Shift+H - Recent Places
Shift+O - About this Book
Shift+F - Fullscreen
Shift+1 - Page Per Screen

Using the Table of Contents:

How do I access the table of contents from the landing page?

As books have to be borrowed before reading, there is no table of contents present on the landing page. Instead, a table of contents can be accessed from within the online reader.

The book's own table of contents is clickable and will navigate to any selected chapter. Furthermore, the reader has its own table of contents which can be accessed at any time. Clicking anywhere on the book will bring up a navigation menu at the bottom of the screen, featuring a button labelled 'Table of Contents'. Clicking this button will bring up a clickable table of contents. Alternatively, this contents menu can be brought up with the keyboard shortcut Shift+C.

Save and Print options for Taylor & Francis eBooks

What download options are available?

All content on OverDrive has DRM, meaning that download, print, and copy options are all limited. Most books can be downloaded in EPUB format, but as they have DRM, must be opened with a reader which can verify the user's access to that material. OverDrive recommends Adobe Digital Editions, but other software will work.

To download a book, first borrow it. Once borrowed, navigate to the 'Loans' tab within the 'My Account' section of the website. Any books you currently have borrowed will have download buttons for any available formats. Clicking a button will begin to download the book. Note that not all books have download options available.

Using screen readers and text-to-speech software with OverDrive eBooks

Inbuilt Text-to-speech:

A very small subsection of OverDrive eBooks come with a feature called 'Read-Along'. This feature provides professional narration that plays whilst you read in the online reader. eBooks with 'Read-Along' can be identified by looking at the 'Format' section to the right of the book's cover on the landing page. Titles with 'Read-Along' can be identified by a red speech icon following 'OverDrive Read' in the formats list.

To start the 'Read-Along', first open the book in the online reader. Once open, click anywhere on the book to open the navigation menu. Pressing the play icon that appears on the menu will begin reading from the current page. Once playing, clicking any text on the page will begin playing from that point.

Screen Reader Compatibility with OverDrive eBooks:

Note: Whilst this section will give an overview for which screen readers work with the above platform, there are many variables which can impact screen reader performance:

Browser - Different browsers may not function identically with certain screen readers like Read Aloud only being available with specific browsers. In general, this guide tested books using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
Software - When using downloaded content, the software chosen to open documents such as PDFs and EPUBS can impact on the functionality of screen readers. In general, this guide tested books using Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge's built in reader's for PDFs, and Calibre and Apple Books for EPUBS.
Document preparation: As eBook providers host titles from a variety of publishers, there can be significant differences in screen reader compatibility from title to title. For example, older PDFs are less likely to have OCR text, meaning it cannot always been highlighted or read by a screen reader. In general, this guide tested multiple eBooks for each provider.

Are screen readers compatible with eBooks in OverDrive Read format in the online reader?

VoiceOver (MacOS) - No

Narrator (Windows) - No

Read Aloud (Windows) - No

Are screen readers compatible with downloaded eBooks in EPUB format?