Digital inclusion in higher education: A web content accessibility evaluation of best Asian university library websites

Abstract

Digitization in higher education has opened up exciting opportunities for easy access to a multitude of knowledge sources. These information centers are currently mostly distributed through educational websites. If web content isn't accessible, it denies equal access to information—a basic human right. Breaking these digital barriers is essential for a fair and inclusive academic environment. Persons with disabilities often encounter such barriers when they try to access information from digital resources. This study aims to evaluate the information accessibility status of the best Asian University library websites based on compliance with the WCAG 2.1 standard. The study population consists of the best 50 Asian Universities from Times Higher Education 2024 ranking data. The study employed Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) with the combination of WAVE and axe Dev tools. The study found that contrast errors, lack of text alternatives for non-text, missing form labels, etc., are major accessibility issues. And alarmingly, these websites fail to meet even the basic compliance standards established by WCAG. Furthermore, the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed p = 0.073 for WAVE and p = 0.198 for axe Dev, indicating no statistically significant link between website categories based on web performance score. These results underscore the urgent need for action to create an equitable, inclusive web environment.