JSTOR has retained a 100% ASPIRE Gold rating following a February 2026 review of the platform’s accessibility statement and related communications.
The ASPIRE verification service evaluates accessibility statements across the publishing industry, assessing clarity, completeness, transparency, and usefulness for users seeking accessible scholarly content. The latest review confirmed that JSTOR achieved full scores across the Communication and Content Information categories.
The assessment examined several aspects of accessibility information, including discoverability of the statement, response times for accessibility requests, DRM-free status, screen reader and text-to-speech compatibility, navigation support, magnification and reflow capabilities, and guidance on color and contrast.
The 2026 review follows JSTOR’s original 100% ASPIRE verification in 2021. The latest review recognized substantial redesign and development of the accessibility statement rather than routine maintenance, highlighting a more comprehensive structure and improved documentation.
ASPIRE identified several strengths in the updated statement, including transparent auditing practices, clear documentation of reading options and DRM-free content, and clearly defined turnaround times for accessible file requests.
The review also acknowledged JSTOR’s development of scalable accessibility tools. These include transcript generation through JSTOR Seeklight and upcoming on-demand remediation tools designed to improve access to legacy backfile content.
JSTOR aligns accessibility practices with Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards and provides centralized documentation on the accessibility page, including a current Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), supported assistive technologies, and guidance for requesting accessible versions of content.
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