Upgrade StorageAccessibility and screen review software
Hello, I am attaching the report from the comprehensive evaluation of the HTML version. Is there anyone who can help me with these issues?
To the designers and managers of the Zotero software package,
The Zotero referencing tool is widely used by people with visual impairments in Quebec (Canada), including college and university students and professionals specializing in visual impairments. Currently, these individuals experience difficulties accessing the information contained in Zotero when using JAWS and NDVA adapted software (screen readers for blind people). The distribution of a Zotero library is currently delayed due to accessibility issues.
The Information Adaptation Service (IAS) at the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille has conducted an accessibility assessment of Zotero. We are pleased to share with you the issues identified during the assessment in order to help you make improvements as soon as possible.
What is the Information Adaptation Service (IAS)?
It is a team of experts in universal accessibility (including visual accessibility) that offers personalized services to web developers who want to make their websites, digital platforms, or web applications accessible (WCAG standards). The team is funded by the Government of Quebec (Canada).
The experts can assist companies in all stages of building or updating their digital projects. They can offer support, advice, and guidance to help them achieve their accessibility and inclusion goals.
They also adapt documents into different formats (Braille, E-Text, enlarged) to enable people with visual or sensory impairments to participate fully in society.
ZOTERO ACCESSIBILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Website evaluated: https://www.zotero.org/groups/6108848/cdp-surdicecite-inlb-ird/library and https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/start / (French HTML version)
Evaluation date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Evaluators: Sabrina Pilon and Marc St-Onge, web accessibility experts at the IAS.
1. Issues identified on the Zotero home page
• Level 1 heading (h1) at the top of the page: the level 1 heading (h1) "Zotero" should be placed after the "Site navigation" menu.
• Level 2 heading (h2) in the "Site navigation" menu: the level 2 heading (h2) in the menu at the top of the page is redundant and makes the site harder to navigate.
• Difficulty exiting drop-down menus: after selecting an option from the drop-down menu, such as "Search mode," the screen reader says that the menu is closed. However, the screen reader's focus is still on that menu. To exit, the user must press the "Esc" key, which means that the menu is not accessible. If a user tries to continue browsing, they will return to the menu. In short, a large number of users may find themselves stuck in this form field and not know how to exit it.
• Open Settings dialog box: The dialog box that opens when the "Open Settings" button is activated contains an unlabeled button. This button is used to close the dialog box. It should therefore be placed at the end of the dialog box rather than immediately after the "Open Settings" title.
• Performing a search: Before starting a search, there is always a table at the bottom of the page containing the requested titles. When text is entered in the search field, the titles in this table change as soon as two characters are entered. However, screen reader users are not notified of this change in the search results table. As a result, most users will not understand how this search field works. They will therefore be unable to perform a search on Zotero.
• Exiting the search field: after performing a search, the only way for a screen reader user to view the results is to press the "Esc" key to exit this field.
• Accessing search results: There is no title to quickly access the results table or indicate the number of results found. New users of this site must scroll through the entire page to reach the results at the bottom.
• Tree structure not properly tagged: since the tree structure behaves like a drop-down menu, it should be tagged as such so that it can also be identified as a drop-down menu.
• Untagged tree structure: the "Collection tree" tree structure is not tagged. This tree structure should be identified as a menu to make it clearer that a selection can be made there.
• Incorrect identification of the first item in the tree structure: the item visible in the tree structure is "CdP-surdicecite-INLB-IRD," whereas this item represents "All items."
• Language assignment issue: almost all of the choices in the tree and all of the buttons in the "Tag selector" navigation area, which are in French, are read by the screen reader in English. According to accessibility rules, each piece of text must be configured with the correct language to be read by the screen reader's speech synthesis in the correct language.
• No link to go to the main content: according to accessibility rules, the page must begin with a link that allows users to bypass the navigation area and go directly to the main content of the page. This link is not visible to those who do not use a screen reader.
• Collection tree button: The collapse or expand button in the collection tree navigation area closes or opens the list of choices in a tree structure that acts like a drop-down menu. If the screen reader user does not enter this tree structure, they will not realize what this button has done.
2. Problem with title level
• Level 1 title (h1): to have an accessible title hierarchy, there must be only one level 1 title (h1).
3. Problem with the search field
• Unlabeled search field: The search field has no label. Users of assistive technology will not know what to enter in this field.
Conclusion and recommendation
In its current state, the Zotero HTML website poses a significant accessibility challenge for users of assistive technologies such as JAWS and NDVA. Users would have great difficulty or be unable to find the information they are looking for. Changes are recommended to improve accessibility.
Thank you for your interest in the inclusion of people with visual impairments.
Marie-Ève Gagné, Low Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
cdp.surdicecite.inlb@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
marie-eve.gagne.inlb@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Glossary
• Adaptive technologies: tools used by people with disabilities to access information on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. These include screen readers, magnification software, and Braille displays.
• Screen reader: software that allows a blind or visually impaired person to access information through speech synthesis or a Braille display.
• JAWS (Job Access With Speech): the most widely used screen reader among Windows users.
• NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access): a free, open-source screen reader that is frequently used.
• WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): international standard defining the criteria that must be met for a platform or website to be accessible.
• SGQRI: accessibility standard adopted by the Quebec Treasury Board. This standard was developed based on the WCAG.
Document translated from French by Deepl.com
To the designers and managers of the Zotero software package,
The Zotero referencing tool is widely used by people with visual impairments in Quebec (Canada), including college and university students and professionals specializing in visual impairments. Currently, these individuals experience difficulties accessing the information contained in Zotero when using JAWS and NDVA adapted software (screen readers for blind people). The distribution of a Zotero library is currently delayed due to accessibility issues.
The Information Adaptation Service (IAS) at the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille has conducted an accessibility assessment of Zotero. We are pleased to share with you the issues identified during the assessment in order to help you make improvements as soon as possible.
What is the Information Adaptation Service (IAS)?
It is a team of experts in universal accessibility (including visual accessibility) that offers personalized services to web developers who want to make their websites, digital platforms, or web applications accessible (WCAG standards). The team is funded by the Government of Quebec (Canada).
The experts can assist companies in all stages of building or updating their digital projects. They can offer support, advice, and guidance to help them achieve their accessibility and inclusion goals.
They also adapt documents into different formats (Braille, E-Text, enlarged) to enable people with visual or sensory impairments to participate fully in society.
ZOTERO ACCESSIBILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Website evaluated: https://www.zotero.org/groups/6108848/cdp-surdicecite-inlb-ird/library and https://www.zotero.org/support/dev/start / (French HTML version)
Evaluation date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Evaluators: Sabrina Pilon and Marc St-Onge, web accessibility experts at the IAS.
1. Issues identified on the Zotero home page
• Level 1 heading (h1) at the top of the page: the level 1 heading (h1) "Zotero" should be placed after the "Site navigation" menu.
• Level 2 heading (h2) in the "Site navigation" menu: the level 2 heading (h2) in the menu at the top of the page is redundant and makes the site harder to navigate.
• Difficulty exiting drop-down menus: after selecting an option from the drop-down menu, such as "Search mode," the screen reader says that the menu is closed. However, the screen reader's focus is still on that menu. To exit, the user must press the "Esc" key, which means that the menu is not accessible. If a user tries to continue browsing, they will return to the menu. In short, a large number of users may find themselves stuck in this form field and not know how to exit it.
• Open Settings dialog box: The dialog box that opens when the "Open Settings" button is activated contains an unlabeled button. This button is used to close the dialog box. It should therefore be placed at the end of the dialog box rather than immediately after the "Open Settings" title.
• Performing a search: Before starting a search, there is always a table at the bottom of the page containing the requested titles. When text is entered in the search field, the titles in this table change as soon as two characters are entered. However, screen reader users are not notified of this change in the search results table. As a result, most users will not understand how this search field works. They will therefore be unable to perform a search on Zotero.
• Exiting the search field: after performing a search, the only way for a screen reader user to view the results is to press the "Esc" key to exit this field.
• Accessing search results: There is no title to quickly access the results table or indicate the number of results found. New users of this site must scroll through the entire page to reach the results at the bottom.
• Tree structure not properly tagged: since the tree structure behaves like a drop-down menu, it should be tagged as such so that it can also be identified as a drop-down menu.
• Untagged tree structure: the "Collection tree" tree structure is not tagged. This tree structure should be identified as a menu to make it clearer that a selection can be made there.
• Incorrect identification of the first item in the tree structure: the item visible in the tree structure is "CdP-surdicecite-INLB-IRD," whereas this item represents "All items."
• Language assignment issue: almost all of the choices in the tree and all of the buttons in the "Tag selector" navigation area, which are in French, are read by the screen reader in English. According to accessibility rules, each piece of text must be configured with the correct language to be read by the screen reader's speech synthesis in the correct language.
• No link to go to the main content: according to accessibility rules, the page must begin with a link that allows users to bypass the navigation area and go directly to the main content of the page. This link is not visible to those who do not use a screen reader.
• Collection tree button: The collapse or expand button in the collection tree navigation area closes or opens the list of choices in a tree structure that acts like a drop-down menu. If the screen reader user does not enter this tree structure, they will not realize what this button has done.
2. Problem with title level
• Level 1 title (h1): to have an accessible title hierarchy, there must be only one level 1 title (h1).
3. Problem with the search field
• Unlabeled search field: The search field has no label. Users of assistive technology will not know what to enter in this field.
Conclusion and recommendation
In its current state, the Zotero HTML website poses a significant accessibility challenge for users of assistive technologies such as JAWS and NDVA. Users would have great difficulty or be unable to find the information they are looking for. Changes are recommended to improve accessibility.
Thank you for your interest in the inclusion of people with visual impairments.
Marie-Ève Gagné, Low Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
cdp.surdicecite.inlb@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
marie-eve.gagne.inlb@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Glossary
• Adaptive technologies: tools used by people with disabilities to access information on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. These include screen readers, magnification software, and Braille displays.
• Screen reader: software that allows a blind or visually impaired person to access information through speech synthesis or a Braille display.
• JAWS (Job Access With Speech): the most widely used screen reader among Windows users.
• NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access): a free, open-source screen reader that is frequently used.
• WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): international standard defining the criteria that must be met for a platform or website to be accessible.
• SGQRI: accessibility standard adopted by the Quebec Treasury Board. This standard was developed based on the WCAG.
Document translated from French by Deepl.com
The report was created for the web version for several reasons.
Thank you for your interest in accessibility.
https://www.zotero.org/accessibility
The web library has not yet undergone the same review and improvement work.
We are considering evaluating the desktop version.
We prefer the web version because, on several networks, it is impossible to install open source software for security reasons.
The license under which Zotero software is released is irrelevant. Zotero is produced by a U.S.-based nonprofit and has been for the last two decades. It's no different in that respect from any other professionally produced software.
You should complain to whoever is making this policy and tell them it makes no sense.
Note that we always recommend the desktop app for any significant work, which is why it was our priority for accessibility improvements.