Accessibility
The accessibility of websites and their contents is a very important aspect for Il Mulino to guarantee everyone the same opportunities for study and research.
For this reason we have worked to make our platforms - Pandoracampus, Darwinbooks and Rivisteweb - compliant with international standards on digital accessibility, with the aim of aligning them with the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2, also in anticipation of the implementation of the European Accessibility Act in 2025. To achieve this goal we have started a collaboration with Fondazione LIA – Libri Italiani Accessibili.
Rivisteweb was created with the aim of making available to universities, research centers, public and private institutions, students and researchers a collection of human and social sciences journals, establishing itself as one of the most authoritative Italian collections. The platform was designed and developed to be accessible and usable for everyone, including users with disabilities who use Assistive Technologies.
This declaration contains information on the accessibility of the Rivisteweb platform (https://www.rivisteweb.it/) and its editorial contents.
Fondazione LIA tested the main processes and activities that users can carry out within the website, the touchpoints, templates and contents of the pages. The accessibility audit took into consideration both the website code, which was analysed from a semantic and structural point of view, and accessibility and usability with the main screen readers, and was followed by a phase of correction and arrangement of the platform.
The last audit was carried out in May 2024.
In particular, for the design and development of the platform we followed the requirements defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - WCAG) 2.1, which define the requirements to be respected to make digital content more accessible and easy to use for all users, with the aim of aligning ourselves with level AA, considered the reference level for the accessibility of digital content.
The accessibility audit performed by Fondazione LIA verified the level of compliance of Rivisteweb with respect to these specifications, allowing us to identify the technical and usability gaps.
The color contrasts of the text and the elements of the graphic interface were also chosen and validated according to the requirements defined by the WCAG, to ensure correct readability and make the elements of the user interface easily distinguishable and recognizable.
In the development and implementation of Rivisteweb we have used the most up-to-date web technologies available: HTML, WAI-ARIA, CSS and JavaScript. In particular, we have used as much as possible the native semantic tags of HTML 5 and the roles, states and properties of WAI-ARIA, in order to identify each element and component of the user interface with the correct semantics and to convey in an appropriate way the behavior of the interactive elements to Assistive Technologies.
You can also log in with your Idem account, using the “Log in with Idem” button.
For magazine cover images, an alternative text has been provided only if necessary in the context in which the image is inserted, otherwise the images have been considered decorative and are therefore not announced by screen readers.
The images on the first pages of the articles have an alternative text “First page of article”. There is no text transcription available in the Rivisteweb platform, but it is possible to enlarge the images with the zoom of the browser or device.
The contents index offers the possibility of quickly consulting the list of all the magazines, the list of all the issues of each magazine and the index of the articles of each issue. From the index of the articles of an issue you can access the page with the details of the single article or download it if this is allowed by your subscription type.
People who use screen readers can navigate the content of the pages using the headings and their hierarchy, which reflects the correct nesting order. The headings are meaningful and describe the content, so that all users can easily recognize and reach the different topics of the page.
The semantic structures of the platform and of the individual pages are correctly identified. Using a screen reader it is therefore possible to move by reference points, links, buttons or input fields.
All interactive elements of the user interface, such as links and buttons, have a meaningful textual description that in most cases contains the label shown on the screen, so as to allow interaction even with assistive technologies based on vocal input.
The “Go to main content” link, which is the first element of each page to receive the keyboard focus, allows you to jump directly to the main content of the page.
The keyboard focus indicator is visible and moves correctly between interactive elements.
Errors related to filling out form fields are in most cases described in text form with meaningful messages, but are not automatically detected and announced by Assistive Technologies. At present, screen reader users may therefore have difficulty identifying and correcting the error.
The edges of some UI components (for example, checkboxes and radio buttons) sometimes have insufficient contrast with adjacent colors, which may make it difficult for people with visual impairments to recognize and distinguish the clickable area.
Using the browser options, the device or a plugin, you can change the appearance of the text without losing content or readability for the following settings:
Given the variety and different complexity of the present articles, there may be a different level of accessibility between the titles, for example with regard to the presence of alternative texts for images, the management of mathematical and chemical formulas, semantic tagging of the contents and identification of the language of the contents.
The licenses can be consulted on the FAQ page, under the question "Are there usage licenses for accessing and using the articles?"
The ability to download the articles depends on your type of subscription. Open access articles are freely downloadable and are licensed under the CC NY NC ND license.
To make the platform increasingly accessible, we will also be happy to receive your reports or suggestions on the matter. You can send us an email to: rivisteweb@mulino.it
Our team of accessibility experts will get back to you as soon as possible.
For this reason we have worked to make our platforms - Pandoracampus, Darwinbooks and Rivisteweb - compliant with international standards on digital accessibility, with the aim of aligning them with the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2, also in anticipation of the implementation of the European Accessibility Act in 2025. To achieve this goal we have started a collaboration with Fondazione LIA – Libri Italiani Accessibili.
Rivisteweb was created with the aim of making available to universities, research centers, public and private institutions, students and researchers a collection of human and social sciences journals, establishing itself as one of the most authoritative Italian collections. The platform was designed and developed to be accessible and usable for everyone, including users with disabilities who use Assistive Technologies.
This declaration contains information on the accessibility of the Rivisteweb platform (https://www.rivisteweb.it/) and its editorial contents.
Accessibility Audit
The accessibility audit was carried out by Fondazione LIA, which also involved its team of experts in web accessibility and Assistive Technologies.Fondazione LIA tested the main processes and activities that users can carry out within the website, the touchpoints, templates and contents of the pages. The accessibility audit took into consideration both the website code, which was analysed from a semantic and structural point of view, and accessibility and usability with the main screen readers, and was followed by a phase of correction and arrangement of the platform.
Audit date
Fondazione LIA carried out a first accessibility audit in February 2023. A second audit was carried out in October 2023.The last audit was carried out in May 2024.
Technologies used for the audit
The audits were performed with a combination of automatic and manual tests and using the combination of Windows 10, Chrome and Firefox technologies, and the NVDA screen reader, in the latest versions available at the time of the tests.The reference standards for digital accessibility
For the development of Rivisteweb we worked referring to the international guidelines that define the requirements to be respected to make digital content more accessible and easy to use for all users.In particular, for the design and development of the platform we followed the requirements defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - WCAG) 2.1, which define the requirements to be respected to make digital content more accessible and easy to use for all users, with the aim of aligning ourselves with level AA, considered the reference level for the accessibility of digital content.
The accessibility audit performed by Fondazione LIA verified the level of compliance of Rivisteweb with respect to these specifications, allowing us to identify the technical and usability gaps.
The color contrasts of the text and the elements of the graphic interface were also chosen and validated according to the requirements defined by the WCAG, to ensure correct readability and make the elements of the user interface easily distinguishable and recognizable.
In the development and implementation of Rivisteweb we have used the most up-to-date web technologies available: HTML, WAI-ARIA, CSS and JavaScript. In particular, we have used as much as possible the native semantic tags of HTML 5 and the roles, states and properties of WAI-ARIA, in order to identify each element and component of the user interface with the correct semantics and to convey in an appropriate way the behavior of the interactive elements to Assistive Technologies.
Third-party components and services
For online payment for the purchase of journal articles, Rivisteweb relies on a third-party service, external to the platform, which may not be entirely compliant with WCAG requirements.Platform accessibility
The audit took into account the following user processes and activities, which can also be carried out independently by people who use Assistive Technologies:- Registration and login:
- Newsletter subscription;
- Search (in the text or in the bibliographic data) and consultation of the results;
- Consultation of the catalogue by journal, issue, topic, author or publisher, or through the search in the bibliographic data;
- Selection and addition of an article to the cart or download of an article.
- The homepage, in desktop and mobile version;
- The templates of the pages relating to journals, journal issues, journal articles;
- The Author page and the Author List page
- The user profile pages;
- The Information page and FAQ
- Access to the various services for academic research (the "How to cite" option).
Consultation with browser and screen reader
Rivisteweb is compatible with the latest versions of Windows, MacOS and Linux operating systems and is compatible with the screen readers listed below:-
Windows Screen Reader
- Jaws
- NVDA
- Narrator
-
iOS and MacOS native screen readers
- VoiceOver
-
Android native screen readers
- TalkBack
Login process
Users already registered with Rivisteweb can log in using their email address and password. The login form supports automatic completion by password managers. It is also possible to paste text directly into the appropriate input fields.You can also log in with your Idem account, using the “Log in with Idem” button.
Alternative texts for images
In Rivisteweb there are only two types of images: magazine cover images and images on the first pages of articles.For magazine cover images, an alternative text has been provided only if necessary in the context in which the image is inserted, otherwise the images have been considered decorative and are therefore not announced by screen readers.
The images on the first pages of the articles have an alternative text “First page of article”. There is no text transcription available in the Rivisteweb platform, but it is possible to enlarge the images with the zoom of the browser or device.
Navigation of the platform and content
You can navigate Rivisteweb using the links in the main navigation menu, the links in the footer or by searching through the search field, which is available on all pages of the site. The navigation mechanisms are consistent across all pages of the platform.The contents index offers the possibility of quickly consulting the list of all the magazines, the list of all the issues of each magazine and the index of the articles of each issue. From the index of the articles of an issue you can access the page with the details of the single article or download it if this is allowed by your subscription type.
People who use screen readers can navigate the content of the pages using the headings and their hierarchy, which reflects the correct nesting order. The headings are meaningful and describe the content, so that all users can easily recognize and reach the different topics of the page.
The semantic structures of the platform and of the individual pages are correctly identified. Using a screen reader it is therefore possible to move by reference points, links, buttons or input fields.
All interactive elements of the user interface, such as links and buttons, have a meaningful textual description that in most cases contains the label shown on the screen, so as to allow interaction even with assistive technologies based on vocal input.
Keyboard navigation
Rivisteweb can also be navigated using the keyboard alone or interfaces that simulate its behavior. All the functions and controls can be operated from the keyboard.The “Go to main content” link, which is the first element of each page to receive the keyboard focus, allows you to jump directly to the main content of the page.
The keyboard focus indicator is visible and moves correctly between interactive elements.
Support for filling out form fields
All form fields are correctly associated with descriptive labels that allow you to understand what the purpose of the field is and what information must be provided.Errors related to filling out form fields are in most cases described in text form with meaningful messages, but are not automatically detected and announced by Assistive Technologies. At present, screen reader users may therefore have difficulty identifying and correcting the error.
Colors and contrasts
Color contrasts respect in almost all cases the minimum requirements required by the accessibility guidelines. This allows you to adequately distinguish the text from the background and to perceive the state of the elements, for example if they are receiving the focus, the mouseover or if they are selected (for example for checkboxes and radio buttons).The edges of some UI components (for example, checkboxes and radio buttons) sometimes have insufficient contrast with adjacent colors, which may make it difficult for people with visual impairments to recognize and distinguish the clickable area.
Text magnification, zoom and screen orientation
Rivisteweb supports text magnification up to at least 200% and zoom up to at least 400% ensuring correct display of the content. Text magnification and zoom can be obtained through the settings of the browser or device used. By increasing the zoom, the text, the user interface components and the contents of the page automatically rearrange, adapting to the available space (reflow).Using the browser options, the device or a plugin, you can change the appearance of the text without losing content or readability for the following settings:
- Line spacing equal to at least 1.5 times the font size;
- Spacing after paragraphs equal to at least 2 times the font size;
- Spacing between letters equal to at least 0.12 times the font size;
- Spacing between words equal to at least 0.16 times the font size.
Support for device accessibility settings
Rivisteweb supports device and browser accessibility settings such as high contrast themes for people with low vision or sensitivity to light, grayscale viewing, and color profile editing to make colors on the screen easier to see and distinguish for people with color vision disabilities.Language of page content
The titles of journals or articles, as well as the texts of abstracts on article detail pages, may be in a language different from the main content of the page. At the moment, the language of these contents may not be correctly identified and this may make it difficult for text-to-audio conversion solutions to correctly perform the transformation. We are working to be able to correctly identify the language of all text content on the platform.Accessibility of digital editions
Rivisteweb collects a collection of more than 100 human and social sciences journals from publishers Il Mulino, Carocci, Salerno and EDB (Edizioni Dehoniane Bologna), from which it is possible to download or purchase individual articles. The possibility of downloading or purchasing depends on the article and is linked to the type of user (private or non-private) and the type of subscription purchased.Given the variety and different complexity of the present articles, there may be a different level of accessibility between the titles, for example with regard to the presence of alternative texts for images, the management of mathematical and chemical formulas, semantic tagging of the contents and identification of the language of the contents.
Digital file format
The files are in PDF format.Characteristics of PDF files
The PDF format (Portable Document Format) is a digital document format developed by Adobe for interchange and is usually used for digital documents with a complex layout or when it is necessary to reproduce the structure and graphics of a paper document or book.How to read digital files
PDF files can be read with any software for reading files in this format, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.File usage licenses
All aspects related to the use of materials are regulated by the online licenses corresponding to the subscription profile subscribed or the purchase made.The licenses can be consulted on the FAQ page, under the question "Are there usage licenses for accessing and using the articles?"
Digital Rights Management
The PDF files available on Rivisteweb are not protected by digital rights protection systems (Digital Rights Management - DRM) and can therefore also be used via Assistive Technologies. The level of accessibility depends on the individual files.Copy and paste
The ability to copy and paste the contents of the files depends on the relevant license of use.Print and download
The ability to print the purchased or downloaded files depends on the relevant license of use.The ability to download the articles depends on your type of subscription. Open access articles are freely downloadable and are licensed under the CC NY NC ND license.
Statement date
This statement was made on .Contacts
To receive support and assistance regarding the features and services offered by Rivisteweb you can consult the page FAQ, always accessible from the link located in the footer of the website. This page collects the answers to the most frequently asked questions from users.To make the platform increasingly accessible, we will also be happy to receive your reports or suggestions on the matter. You can send us an email to: rivisteweb@mulino.it
Our team of accessibility experts will get back to you as soon as possible.