OverDrive’s vision is to create “a world enlightened by reading” for everyone. This means providing a delightful, inclusive experience for all users.
Approach to accessibility
We design our apps and websites to support screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice control, and other assistive technologies. We aim to ensure that every interactive element is expressively labeled, described, logically arranged, and has a large enough tap (or click) target area.
Our products are built on web technologies, and we leverage the accessibility features of HTML, CSS, and WAI-ARIA. These web standards continue to evolve, and our products will evolve as they do.
Conformance status
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. OverDrive’s goal is to comply with the applicable WCAG 2.1 Level AA Success Criteria across our websites and apps.
We are continually making enhancements to our products to achieve the highest possible level of compliance. We also continue to refine the usability of our products with assistive technologies through experience testing and evaluation.
Accessibility features
In the sections below, you can find highlights of the accessibility features available in our apps and on our websites.
Libby
- Read From Here—an ebook reading interface tailored specifically to screen readers
- Keyboard shortcuts for the ereader and audio player, including a Commands dialog that lists all possible commands and their shortcuts
- Dynamic scaling of interface text, using the settings you have configured for the operating system or the browser
- Configurable appearance settings for ebook pages, including text scaling, sepia and dark page styles, and typographic controls including the OpenDyslexic font, line spacing, text justification, boldface text weight
- Zoom into pages in fixed-layout ebooks (like picture books) and magazines—up to 3.5x magnification
- Playback speed controls for audiobooks—48 speed settings between 0.6x and 3x
- Dark Mode support for operating systems or browsers that provide this option
Learn more about Libby’s accessibility features on Libby Help.
Sora
- Read From Here—an ebook reading interface tailored specifically to screen readers
- App-wide settings for high-contrast mode and to enable dyslexic font
- Keyboard shortcuts for the ereader and audio player, including a Commands dialog that lists all possible commands and their shortcuts
- Configurable appearance settings for ebook pages, including text scaling, sepia and dark page styles, and typographic controls including the OpenDyslexic font, line spacing, text justification, boldface text weight
- Zoom into pages in fixed-layout ebooks (like picture books) and magazines—up to 3.5x magnification
- Playback speed controls for audiobooks—48 speed settings between 0.6x and 3x
Learn more about Sora’s accessibility features on Sora Help.
OverDrive library websites and the OverDrive app
- Read From Here—an ebook reading interface tailored specifically to screen readers—for the website’s built-in ereader
- Keyboard shortcuts:
- For the website’s built-in ereader and audio player, including a Commands dialog that lists all possible commands and their shortcuts
- For the desktop OverDrive app
- On the library website, site-wide settings for high-contrast mode and to enable dyslexic font
- Configurable appearance settings for ebook pages, including text scaling, sepia and dark page styles, and typographic controls including the OpenDyslexic font, line spacing, text justification, boldface text weight
- Zoom into pages in fixed-layout ebooks (like picture books) and magazines—up to 3.5x magnification—in the website’s built-in reader
- Playback speed controls for audiobooks
Screen readers we test with
Libby
Note: Libby’s screen reader testing is currently focused on the native mobile apps for iOS and Android. In the future, we will expand this support to desktop screen readers like NVDA and JAWS.
- Android TalkBack on Android 9+
- VoiceOver on iOS 14+
Sora
- Android TalkBack
- ChromeVox
- JAWS
- NVDA
- VoiceOver
OverDrive websites and the OverDrive app
- Android TalkBack
- JAWS
- NVDA
- VoiceOver
Known limitations
- Certain ebooks, like picture books, comics, and graphic novels, don’t have accessibility features and don’t support adjusting font size or lighting.
- The Read From Here feature may not be able to speak the text of picture books, comics, and some other titles, especially where that text is part of an image.
- Audiobook content doesn’t permit speech-to-text functionality due to licensing restrictions from most supplying publishers.
- Ebooks in the OverDrive app can’t be read by native screen readers. Instead, users will need to download and read the ebooks as Kindle Books (U.S. only) or as EPUBs on a desktop computer.
- High contrast mode is available on library websites and while browsing a library’s collection in the OverDrive app, but not in other areas of the OverDrive app (like the ebook reader).
Feedback
OverDrive welcomes your feedback on the accessibility of its services. If you have questions or encounter any accessibility barriers while using our services, please contact us:
Email: feedback@overdrive.com
Mail: Attn: User Feedback, OverDrive, Inc., One OverDrive Way, Cleveland, Ohio 44125 USA
Last updated March 2022