Accessibility Statement for the VitalSource Platform

Accessibility Statement for the VitalSource Platform

VitalSource helps scale and manage the complex technologies that drive transformative learning experiences. General information about our solutions can be found at get.vitalsource.com, including details about our efforts over the decades to moving the industry forward and raising the standards around accessibility at get.vitalsource.com/vitalsource-advantage/accessibility.

General statement of commitment to accessibility

VitalSource Technologies LLC (VitalSource) is a leading education technology solutions provider based in Raleigh, North Carolina, committed to helping partners create, deliver, and distribute affordable, accessible, and impactful learning experiences worldwide. We provide a range of options to help customers manage and deliver content to learners in an accessible manner. Additional services include content ingestion and preparation for delivery, data analysis, and reporting, plus publisher-specific technical and logistical support for some publisher partners. There are four main components of the VitalSource Platform used to deliver these capabilities:

  1. The VitalSource Core Learning System is supported by the following VitalSource applications: VitalSource Bookshelf, VitalSource Explore, VitalSource Launch, VitalSource Manage, and VitalSource Store.
  2. The Verba Learning System is supported by the following VitalSource applications: VitalSource Bookshelf, VitalSource Launch, VitalSource Manage, Verba Collect, and Verba Connect.
  3. The Acrobatiq Learning System is supported by the following VitalSource applications: Acrobatiq SmartStart, Acrobatiq Learn/SmartAuthor, Acrobatiq Analytics/Dashboard Engine, VitalSource Bookshelf, VitalSource Launch, and VitalSource Manage.
  4. Supporting Websites and other applications for all of our learning systems are VitalSource Studio, VitalSource Upload, the Akademos Platform and at:

An overview of the components used to deliver these learning systems:

  • VitalSource Bookshelf: Used for distributing, accessing, consuming, and engaging in learning materials. Available as a web browser based application, and native applications for Android, iOS, MacintoshOS, Windows, KindleFire, and Chromebook.
  • VitalSource Launch: Used for facilitating a direct connection to digital content from a partner institution’s learning management system, allowing for digital rights management for customer institution learners without the storage of personally identifiable information (PII).
  • VitalSource Explore: Used for delivering digital rights-managed content to institutional learners, most commonly integrated with library discovery platforms at academic libraries. VitalSource Technologies LLC’s Description of Its VitalSource Core Learning System, Verba Learning System, and Acrobatiq Learning System.
  • VitalSource Store: Used for providing a mechanism for direct business-to-consumer sales of licensed content with secure transaction and delivery.
  • VitalSource Studio: This is a publishing tool to enable the creation of interactive accessible content.
  • VitalSource Manage: A core application of the VitalSource core learning system and used by the Verba Learning System and Acrobatiq Learning System. VitalSource Manage provides user and content access rights management to facilitate effective and secure delivery of publisher and institutional content to end-user customer institution learners.
  • VitalSource Upload: A UI-based drag-and-drop utility that will allow lower-volume or independent publishers who do not send files through an API integration. Upload shows a historical feed of all the files a user has sent over, as well as detailed error messages should an upload fail to process.
  • Verba Collect: Used for providing a best-of-breed instructor and bookstore administration experience, Collect makes it easy to navigate the textbook adoption cycle with data driven insights and user-friendly functionality.
  • Verba Connect: Used for providing institutions a hub to power and manage inclusive access solutions that conveniently provide students with digital course materials required on the first day of class at an affordable price.
  • Acrobatiq SmartStart: The SmartStart engine uses natural language processing and machine learning to automatically convert static content into interactive courseware in hours.
  • Acrobatiq Learn/SmartAuthor: SmartAuthor allows course design teams to quickly create, continuously enhance, and customize courseware quickly. The courseware is delivered to instructors and customer institution learners through the Acrobatiq Learning System learning environment.
  • Data Analytics and Insights: Provide customer facing reporting and dashboards (insights) into operational and financial transparency across VitalSource products and services. Provide descriptive  engagement reporting of students’ progress and performance within the course content..
  • Akademos Platform/TextbookX: A formerly independent software platform that provides virtual bookstore services for a campus, including physical delivery. VitalSource purchased them in 2023 and is incorporating their feature set into the VitalSource Core, and Verba Learning Systems.

We are dedicated to providing accessible products, and easy access to information about our products and activities to all our customers and employees, including people with disabilities. We have an ongoing program of efforts intended to improve the accessibility of our products, supporting services, and information, and this page provides a summary of those.

Scope of Accessibility Efforts

VitalSource Technologies takes the following measures to ensure accessibility of the components of our platform and learning systems:

  • Accessibility is a key pillar of the VitalSource Advantage.
  • Include accessibility throughout our internal policies.
  • Appoint an accessibility officer and executive sponsor.
  • Provide continual accessibility training for our staff.
  • Assign clear accessibility goals and responsibilities.
  • Employ formal accessibility quality assurance methods.
  • Include people with disabilities in our design personas.

Conformance status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. The VitalSource Platform and its components are partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

Additional accessibility considerations

Although our goal is WCAG 2.2 Level AA conformance, we have also applied some Level AAA Success Criteria as noted in the individual reports.

Prior to 2024 these efforts were directed primarily at those components that were focused on the learners. Specifically VitalSource Bookshelf, VitalSource Launch, VitalSource Explore, and the VitalSource Store(s).

As of 2024, and going forward, we have committed our roadmaps and efforts to ensure that all of the components in our platform are accessible and align around three tiers of accountability, with the exceptions noted below:

  • Tier 1 components are learner and instructor facing with annual external audits by a professional firm and continuous evaluations guiding the components toward a high quality, high functional experience. As of 2024 we have contracted with TPGi (https://www.tpgi.com) to preform these audits. The expectation is conformance to WCAG2.2 AA, with an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) detailing any exceptions.
  • Tier 2 components are all external, non-learner or instructor facing with regular internal audits guiding the component roadmaps. The goal is conformance to WCAG 2.2 AA, with gaps identified and opportunistically addressed.
  • Tier 3 are internal facing applications where developers are encouraged to employ best practices to achieve WCAG 2.2 AA wherever possible.

Product accessibility information

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. In general, the VitalSource components are partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

We use the latest version of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a technical guide in all our efforts to develop digital products, including web sites, apps and digital documents. We annually documents the conformance of our deliverables using an ACR report based on the ITI VPAT®). We use Version 2 of the VPAT which was expanded to include the leading ICT accessibility standards: Section 508 (U.S.), EN 301 549 (EU), W3C/WAI (WCAG2.1), and ISO/IEC 40500 (equivalent to WCAG 2.0). This documentation details the conformance of our deliverables at the time of initial delivery, and is updated annually, or as otherwise deemed reasonable.  These reports are available at https://accessibility.vitalsource.com  

Components with limited accessibility

The following components (as of 2024) are either roadmapped to be replaced in the future, or are no longer being actively updated. Accessibility features may be limited in some areas:

  • VitalSource Upload: Accommodation needs can be discussed with your customer success manager, or by contacting accessibility@vitalsource.com.
  • Acrobatiq Learn/SmartAuthor: Accommodation needs can be discussed with your customer success manager, or by contacting accessibility@vitalsource.com.
  • VitalSource Studio Authoring: Accommodation needs can be discussed with your customer success manager, or by contacting accessibility@vitalsource.com.
  • Akademos Platform/TextbookX: Accommodation needs can be discussed with your customer success manager, or by contacting accessibility@vitalsource.com.
  • Verba Compare, Verba Compete, and Verba Collect (Admin): Accommodation needs can be discussed with your customer success manager, or by contacting accessibility@vitalsource.com.

Content Accessibility

Content accessibility can be effectively provided when materials used on the VitalSource Platform also conform to the applicable accessibility markup standards. To make this knowledge as transparent as possible, and to aid customers in the selection of their content, we provide access to the publisher accessibility claims in the product detail pages of our stores, and thru our catalog (We will be expanding the visibility of this metadata throughout our platform in the future). To the extent that any materials used in the VitalSource Platform claim to conform with these same Accessibility Requirements (WCAG 2.1 AA), and yet do not exhibit the expected behavior, and such failure results in VitalSource Platform being unable to conform with the declared documented Accessibility Requirements, then we will work with you on a determination of the root cause (i.e. is it the content that has an issue, or how we are reading the content markup that is the issue). Please use the feedback mechanisms below to alert us to any such issues.

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of the VitalSource Platform and its components. Please let us know if you encounter any accessibility barriers or issues with assistive technologies not identified in the ACR reports:

  • E-mail: accessibility@vitalsource.com
  • Address: 227 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Phone:
    • US: 855-200-4146
    • UK: +44 800 802 1506
    • AUS: +61 8 7111 3343
    • Canada: 902 201 2748

We try to respond to feedback within one business day; two business days during the fall and spring term starts.

Support for hiring people with disabilities

VitalSource strives to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals, regardless of their abilities, have the opportunity to thrive. We believe that diversity enriches our organization and strengthens our collective capabilities. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities, and creating an accessible and supportive environment that enables all associates to do their best. This may include requesting reasonable accommodations.

If a candidate would like to request a reasonable accommodation for the recruitment process or essential job functions, please reach out to your recruiter and/or hiring manager to start that process. VitalSource and the People Team will attempt to work with you to accommodate your needs as well as our work requirements. All information regarding a disability will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed except on a need-to-know basis to medical and management personnel.

This statement was created on 15 March 2024

Was this article helpful?
Have Questions?
Contact Us