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 Cambridge Core platform

This page provides information about the online reader and the landing page for Cambridge Core. 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:

Downloading Cambridge ebooks.
Screen readers and text-to-speech software. 
Cambridge's Accessibility Statement

eBook Formats in the Online Reader:

What eBook formats are available?

When using the online reader, all Cambridge Core eBooks are only available in HTML format. When downloading, all books are only available in PDF format. 

Where to find the available formats on the landing page?

Available formats can be viewed directly on the landing page via the table of contents, which displays directly under the book's cover and publisher information. Under the title of each section are two buttons labeled 'PDF' and 'HTML'. As all Cambridge Core eBooks are available in only these formats, these buttons are present across all chapter titles. 

Changing Font Size/Zoom:

Font Size:

Whilst there are some options to change font size built into the Cambridge Core website, it is extremely limited in its effectiveness. Whilst on the landing page, two buttons labelled 'Reduce Text' and 'Enlarge Text' are present at the top right of the table of contents. Clicking these will change the font to one of two sizes. However, the changes will only be reflected on the table of contents, and are not effective elsewhere on the website. 

The Cambridge Core eBook landing page is displayed. Above the table of contents on the right hand side of the page are two blue buttons, one labeled 'Reduce Text', and the other 'Enlarge Text'. Both buttons are highlighted with a red outline.

In cases where font size can be changed in the browser's settings, the changes will be displayed on certain parts of the Cambridge Core website. The changes are not effective within the online reader, only affecting certain headings and UI elements. The changes tend to work better on general information pages.

Zoom:

Currently, there is no built in zoom option on the Cambridge Core website. In cases where the zoom size can be changed in the browser's settings, the changes will be displayed broadly on the Cambridge Core website. The changes will be reflected on the online reader up to 400% zoom. When using a downloaded PDF, pages can be zoomed in up to 500% using the built in zoom in and zoom out buttons.

Changing background/text colour:

Currently, there is no built-in option to change the colour of the background or text within the Cambridge Core website. In cases where background colour can be changed in the browser's settings, the changes will be displayed across the Cambridge Core website

Keyboard Navigation:

The Cambridge Core 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 left corner 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. 

Drop down menus do not open automatically when selected using the tab key. To open a drop down menu, press the enter key when the correct menu has been selected. This function makes it quicker to move past less relevant menus. 

Using the Table of Contents:

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

When following a link to a Cambridge Core eBook from the library catalogue, you are automatically brought to that book's  table of contents. The contents is displayed directly underneath the book's cover and publisher information.

When a chapter is open in the online reader, a table of contents is displayed on the left hand side of the screen. This table can be used for quick access to other chapters without returning to the landing page.  

The text from a book open on the Cambridge Core online reader is in the centre of the page. On the left hand side, a list entitled 'Book Contents' is visible, comprising the chapters titles of the displayed book. This list is highlighted by a red box outline.

Save and Print options for Cambridge Core eBooks

What download options are available?

All content provided by Cambridge is DRM-free, meaning users can download, print, and copy as much as they like.  

When downloading, Cambridge eBooks are only available in PDF format. 

How to download chapters 

Cambridge Core does not allow users to download entire books as single PDFs. However, they do offer multiple ways of downloading single chapters, and multiple chapters simultaneously. 

Downloading a single chapter

There are multiple ways to download single chapters on the Cambridge Core platform. One way is to open the PDF via the contents page. Directly underneath each chapter heading is a button labeled 'PDF'.

The table of contents for a book on Cambridge Core is displayed. Under one of the chapter headings, a small button with the image of a file and the text 'PDF', has been highlighted with a red outline.

Clicking this button will open that chapter as a PDF in your web browser. From here, clicking on the download button in the top right hand corner of the PDF will present you with the option of downloading the selected chapter.

Alternatively, PDFs of individual chapters can be downloaded whilst viewing the HTML file in the online reader. After opening the HMTL chapter, a button labeled 'Save PDF' will be present under the chapter heading. Clicking this button will bring up a drop down menu with various options of where to save the PDF.

The chapter of an eBook is open in HTML format on the Cambridge core website. Under the chapter title, a button labelled 'Save PDF' has a drop down menu beneath it. This drop down menu contains five buttons: 'Save PDF (0.12 mb)', 'View PDF', 'Save to Dropbox', 'Save to Google Drive', and 'Save to Kindle'. Both the inital 'SAve PDF' button and the drop down menu are highlighted with a red box outline.

Downloading multiple chapters

Although Cambridge does not support downloading entire eBooks as a single PDF, it is possible to download as many chapters as desired simultaneously. When on the landing page with the table of contents displayed, each chapter heading will have a blank checkbox next to it. On clicking a checkbox, it will be filled with a blue checkmark.

The table of contents of an eBook on the Cambridge Core platform is displayed. On the left and side of each chapter title is a small white checkbox, some of which are blank, and some of which are filled with a blue check. The checkboxes for chapters one through four have been highlighted with a red box outline. Chapters one, two, and four have blue checks in their boxes, whilst chapter three's checkbox is blank.

After clicking the checkboxes next to the chapters you wish to downloaded, click the 'Download PDF (zip)' button located underneath the 'Actions for selected content' heading on the left hand side of the screen.

The table of contents for an eBook on Cambridge Core is displayed. On the left hand side of the screen is a menu titled 'Actions for selected content'. Underneath this meus is a button labeled 'Download PDF (zip)', next to a small image of a file. This button has been highlighted with a red box outline.

On clicking the button, a notification will inform you of the number of files that will be downloaded, and ask you to confirm the download. On pressing the blue button labeled 'Confirm', a single zip file will be downloaded, containing individual PDFs for each of the chapters that you selected. 

 

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

Screen Reader Compatibility with Cambridge Core 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 HTML format in the online reader?

VoiceOver (MacOS) - Yes - More information on using VoiceOver

Narrator (Windows) - Yes - More information on using Narrator

Read Aloud (Windows) - Yes - More information on using Read Aloud

Are screen readers compatible with downloaded eBooks in PDF format?

VoiceOver (MacOS) - Yes - More information on using VoiceOver

Narrator (Windows) - Yes - More information on using Narrator

Read Aloud (Windows) - Yes - More information on using Read Aloud

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