The accessibility features of electronic materials vary from site to site, and different databases have enabled different properties for improving accessibility. For example, in many databases or collections it is possible to improve the reading experience by changing the text size, font, background color, or contrast. The features of the e-book collection in use affect how the browser’s Read Aloud feature works, so it is recommended to try different browsers.
Beneath you can find a list of different Finnish and foreign e-book collections and databases, along with their accessibility-related features and functions. More detailed descriptions of accessibility can in most cases be found on their website.
Academic Search Elite (EBSCOhost)
If the article is in HTML format, you can use the services own Text-to-Speech feature. Prior to listening you can select the highlighting color or reading speed. If the Listen button is not on show, try reuploading the page. The player might have to be turned on and off again or reuploaded. Download the player from the menu marked with three dots.
Some PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanAcland's Video Atlas of Human Anatomy
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanBooks@Ovid
Chapters can be printed or downloaded as PDFs or in HTML format, or sent by email as texts or as a link.
With New Book Reader you can read the book in browser. From Page Settings you can adjust the size, the font, the line spacing, or select a wholly different mode (Night Mode, Day Mode, Sepia Mode).
Note! New Book Reader may take some time to load.
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
PDF files can be read with the service’s built-in reader.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanBusiness databases (ProQuest)
Using browser extension screen readers at least possible in part.
Articles can be downloaded in PDF.
The Full text PDF looks different when opened with different browsers. In Edge the option to use a screen reader is visible, unlike in Chrome or Firefox. If you want to use a screen reader, it is advisable to open the text as a separate PDF rather than in the browser.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanCinahl Complete (EBSCOhost)
If the article is in HTML format, you can use the services own Text-to-Speech feature. Prior to listening you can select the highlighting color or reading speed. If the Listen button is not on show, try reuploading the page. The player might have to be turned on and off again or reuploaded. Download the player from the menu marked with three dots.
Some PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanCochrane Library (Terveysportti)
You can change the text size (text resizing).
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanEbook Central
Service’s Read Online mode does not support screen readers, but the service has its own separate Accessibility mode which does support screen readers instead.
E-books read in browser can be listened to using the browser's Read Aloud feature. For e-book readers you must activate a separate Accessibility mode (Settings -> Profile), which is also used with screen readers (i.e. NVDA or VoiceOver).
Chapters can be downloaded in PDF.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaaneBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
Only some e-books are accessible. These include those without DRM protection or those in PDF.
You can read e-books also in browser on mobile using EBSCO's reading tool. Select PDF Full Text or EPUB Full Text by clicking the link.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanEmerald Insight (Journals)
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanEric - Education Resources Information Center (EBSCOhost)
If the article is in HTML format, you can use the services own Text-to-Speech feature. Prior to listening you can select the highlighting color or reading speed. If the Listen button is not on show, try reuploading the page. The player might have to be turned on and off again or reuploaded. Download the player from the menu marked with three dots.
Some PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanElsevier: Science Direct
Most articles can be open both in HTML or PDF. You can read or download one or more chapters in PDF at a time. Most screen readers work well with the texts in HTML. The database does not have its own Listen -feature.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanGreenFILE (EBSCOhost)
If the article is in HTML format, you can use the services own Text-to-Speech feature. Prior to listening you can select the highlighting color or reading speed. If the Listen button is not on show, try reuploading the page. The player might have to be turned on and off again or reuploaded. Download the player from the menu marked with three dots.
Some PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file.
IEEE/IET Electronic Library - IEEE Xplore Digital Library
Some PDF documents may not work with screen readers and/or are difficult to navigate through with a keyboard. To solve this, first, check if the PDF document is also available in HTML format. Alternatively, you can use software, like Adobe Acrobat, which has optical character recognition (OCR) capability.
The text size can be changed.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanJBI COnNECT Clinical Online Network of Evidence for Care and Therapeutics (Ovid)
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
PDF Read Aloud
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanLibrary, Information Science & Technology Abstracts LISTA (EBSCOhost)
If the article is in HTML format, you can use the services own Text-to-Speech feature. Prior to listening you can select the highlighting color or reading speed. If the Listen button is not on show, try reuploading the page. The player might have to be turned on and off again or reuploaded. Download the player from the menu marked with three dots.
Some PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file.
Medici.tv
Master classes: Videos have subtitles; font and the background color of the text as well as other properties can be adjusted.
Operas: videos have subtitles in English (not adjustable).
Documentaries: no subtitles in source language. Some documentaries have one subtitling language, others have multiple.
Text-to-speech browser extensions can be used for the description of some documentaries.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanMedline (Ovid)
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
PDF files can be read with the service’s own reader.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanNaxos Music Library
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Nursing Core Journals Full Text
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extension.
PDF files can be read with the service’s built-in reader.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanOxford Art Online
Articles can be downloaded as PDFs.
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanOxford Music Online
Articles can be downloaded as PDFs.
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanOxford Reference
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanPEDro - Physiotherapy Evidence Database
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Subtitles can be turned on for the videos.
PressReader
Text-to-speech -feature: right click on top of the text -> Listen. Option to listen varies (e.g., no option to listen Finnish newspapers).
Accessibility: click the three dots on the top right corner of the page -> Accessibility mode. All newspapers do not have an accessible version.
Read aloud shows a small preview of the article and part of the beginning. It may take time before reading starts properly.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanSage Journals
Sage Journals provides content through its platform and offers the option to download texts, which are automatically transformed into PDF files. All content provided by the platform is DRM-free, and there are no technical limitations set regarding downloading or printing.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanSocial Work Online
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions. However, some pages are only partially read.
Videos have subtitles and a transcript in sequence with the video on the side.
Social work online (search.alexanderstreet.com) accessibility and/or Alexander Street Press accessibility statement.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanStatista
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanVisible Body - Human Anatomy Atlas
You can select the background color (white, black, or grey) from the Settings-menu.
Animation pack: Closed captions available.
VLeBooks
e-books have a Read Aloud feature and their accessibility can be enhanced from Edit Accessibility Settings (left side of the page) or Settings -> Accessibility options (at the bottom of the page). Settings allow changing, for example, the font size or into a higher contrast.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanVulnus Fennica
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Alma Talent Verkkokirjahylly
E-books that open in browser are compatible with browser extensions. Books can also be read with screen readers.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanAlma Talent Bisneskirjasto
E-books that open in browser are compatible with browser extensions. Books can also be read with screen readers.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanAmmattikirjasto (KauppakammariTieto)
E-books are read in browser and they are compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanEllibs
Readers using reading aids are encouraged to download the books from Ellibs and read them on the computer using Adobe Digital Editions reading program. Some books can be read in browser as well, but Read online feature is not accessible or easily used with reading aids.
Note! Only books in EPUB-files can be read in browser. E-books in PDF must be downloaded to a reading program.
Kauppalehti Online
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
MustRead
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Oppiportti (Terveysportti)
Books are read in browser and they are compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Online courses: Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
However, accessibility varies as some courses allow reading only the description page, some the whole course apart from the description page, some not at all (exam/multiple choice type of courses).
If reading the description page does not begin immediately, select the text first. This does not work in all cases.
Textbooks: Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Equipment training: Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions. If reading the description page does not begin immediately, select the text first.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanPSK Standardit
Handbooks and standards readable in PDF.
Ritva-tietokanta
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions. If reading does not begin immediately, select the text first.
RT tietoväylä
Cards from the indices open as PDFs.
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
SFS Online
Standards open as PDFs.
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanStatista
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaan Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanSuomen tilastollinen vuosikirja
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Statistical yearbooks can be downloaded as PDFs.
Sähköinfo Severi – ST-kortisto
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions only on frontpage.
ST-cards open in PDF and can be downloaded to your computer.
Theseus - ammattikorkeakoulujen elektroniset opinnäytetyöt
Publications submitted to Theseus between 23rd of September 2018 and 23rd of September 2020 have deficiencies in accessibility. These deficiencies include for example alternate texts missing from graphs and tables. Some publications may have incorrect tags and problems regarding reading order or multilingual content.
Linkki avautuu uuteen ikkunaanTieteelliset verkkolehdet Suomessa
Compatible with browsers’ screen reader extensions.
Tilastokeskus
Due to the size of the website, all pages have not been assessed, and the site may contain deficiencies in accessibility.
Valto : valtioneuvoston yhteinen julkaisuarkisto
Institutional Repository for the Government. Publications may include parts that despite efforts have not successfully been made accessible. Areas of improvement include:
Archived publications are generally in PDF.
There are some deficiencies in colors and contrasts in graphic files.
Some alternate texts are missing from images and graphs.
Complex, multipage tables and table cells have been combined for the sake of convenience (this may cause difficulties in comprehension of the tables, for example, when using a screen reader).
Image kaboompics. Pixabay License.
Accessibility features regarding e-books vary.
E-book services may have e-books that function differently as they can be published in multiple different file formats.
The use may also vary based on what device you use for reading and which app the e-book service provides. For reading an e-book on a browser you can download a separate extension meant for listening to the text. With mobile devices, it is occasionally possible to use the device's own screen reader.
Sometimes e-books require a separate screen reader. In many e-book services you can download the book to Adobe Digital -reading program, that is generally compatible with different screen readers.
Some e-books may not be readable with a screen reader due to their DRM (Digital rights management) protection.
Electronic articles can be read either in PDF or HTML. Article databases might have their own built-in listening features and options to alter the text. The database features are being updated regularly, so try them out!
EBSCOhost: If the article is in an HTML format, you can use the database’s own Text-to-Speech -feature. Before listening, you can also select the highlighting color and reading speed by pressing the Listen-button. Some newer PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file. Download the article prior to listening.
ProQuest: When an article is opened as ‘Full text’ in HTML format, you can find the listening button before the text. The player settings cannot be changed. Note! The player does not work with all articles.
Some newer PDF articles can be listened to using the built-in reader in the PDF file. Download the article prior to listening.
Video: University of Worcester Library Services
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