Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)

Product: MDPI Journals (New Platform)

Version 1 – June 2026

Introduction

Product Name: MDPI Journals (New Platform)

Report Version: Version 1 – June 2026

VPAT Version: Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®) International Edition Version 2.5Rev

Product Description

MDPI operates an open-access scholarly publishing platform providing journal homepages, article pages, search and browse functionality, and help resources for authors, reviewers, and readers.

Product Scope

MDPI Journals refers to all publicly accessible web pages for journals on https://www.mdpi.com, as well as Topics, Special Issues, and Articles associated with these journals.

MDPI's Submission System (SuSy), Author Services, Books, and other products are covered in their respective, separate ACRs.

Notes

This report covers the MDPI Journals product on the new MDPI web platform, which is currently still in a testing phase, but which will soon become publicly available and replace the current MDPI web platform.

If you are using the current web platform, you can access the new platform through this link:
https://www.mdpi.com/redirect/new_site
From the new platform you can return to the current platform at any time, using the link in the information banner at the top of the page.

Contact:

Evaluation Methods Used

  1. Audit of representative pages and workflows by Deque.
  2. Use of browser developer tools and common accessibility heuristics (structure, semantics, keyboard support, color contrast, focus visibility, error handling, and ARIA usage).
  3. Consideration of expected interoperability with modern screen readers and other assistive technologies based on standard HTML and ARIA patterns.

WCAG 2.2 A+AA

WCAG Overview

WCAG 2.2 overview
CriteriaConformance Level
1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) Partially Supports
1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A) Partially Supports
1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) Partially Supports
1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) Partially Supports
1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA) Not Applicable
1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA) Does Not Support
1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) Partially Supports
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A) Partially Supports
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A) Supports
1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Supports
1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Supports
1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A) Partially Supports
1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A) Not Applicable
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) Supports
1.4.4 Resize text (Level AA) Partially Supports
1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) Supports
1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Partially Supports
1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Partially Supports
1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Supports
1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Partially Supports
2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) Partially Supports
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A) Supports
2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) Supports
2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A) Partially Supports
2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) Not Applicable
2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A) Not Applicable
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A) Supports
2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A) Supports
2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) Partially Supports
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) Partially Supports
2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA) Supports
2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA) Partially Supports
2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) Partially Supports
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only) Partially Supports
2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) Not Applicable
2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) Supports
2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) Partially Supports
2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) Not Applicable
2.5.7 Dragging Movements (Level AA 2.2 only) Not Applicable
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only) Partially Supports
3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A) Partially Supports
3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA) Partially Supports
3.2.1 On Focus (Level A) Supports
3.2.2 On Input (Level A) Partially Supports
3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA) Supports
3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA) Supports
3.2.6 Consistent Help (Level A 2.2 only) Supports
3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A) Partially Supports
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) Partially Supports
3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA) Supports
3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA) Supports
3.3.7 Redundant Entry (Level A 2.2 only) Supports
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only) Supports
4.1.1 Parsing (Level A) Partially Supports
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A) Does Not Support
4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) Partially Supports

Supports / Not Applicable Partially Supports Does Not Support

WCAG 2.2 A+AA - Details

1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • Most of the images on the website have an "alt" attribute, or are displayed with role="presentation" and there is a text which describes the image next to it.
  • All article figures are accompanied by figure captions. Alt text is added if provided by authors.
  • All the images on the support page have alt text.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • For images with an empty alt attribute, the text/caption next to the image does not always fully convey the meaning of the image. Examples of this can be found on the article page.
  • Most article figures do not have alt text. Figure captions may be informative, but they don't serve the same purpose as alt texts.
  • We cannot guarantee the standard from external parties.
Notes
  • Images in articles have alt text if provided by the authors.
Workarounds
  • If website images are unclear due to lacking or insufficient alt text, please reach out to .
  • We are currently developing internal tools and processes to add alternative texts to all images to future MDPI articles. For older articles, please reach out to corresponding authors or contact to request individual, remediated PDF versions of articles with alt text.
  • If you encounter any issues with third-party software, please contact us at .

1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • Most of the content from the videos can be found as text content on the website. Example here: https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess.
  • Most videos are media alternatives for accessible text.
Does not support or partially supports examples
Workarounds

If you may be missing visual information that are only available in the videos, please contact us at for support or a transcript of the video.

1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • Most videos embedded in the website contain captions.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Not all videos contain captions.
Workarounds

The videos should have an auto caption feature. For additional support with a specific video, please contact us at .

1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
Does not support or partially supports examples
Workarounds

The videos should have an auto caption feature, which should work decently. For additional support with a specific video, please contact us at .

1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There is no live audio content on MDPI.com.

1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA)

Does Not Support
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Videos on MDPI.com don't have audio descriptions.
Workarounds

If the video is associated with a journal, please reach out to the journal's editorial office for further information or a full transcript of the video. You can find their contact information under the "About" journal tab and "Editorial Office". If the video is not associated with a journal, please contact .

1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • Pages contain landmark elements.
  • Headings are listed in the logical order.
  • Tables use correct HTML elements, such as the table heading and table row.
  • Info and Relationships (such as headers and lists) are tagged correctly in the bodies of web versions of articles.
  • Semantic structure to convey information and relationships through presentation is programmatically determinable.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Some forms such as the topic proposal form do not announce error states correctly after form validation. That can make it challenging to submit these forms using a screen reader.
  • The PDF versions of articles are not reliably accessible to all screen readers.
  • The list of authors is not tagged as a list in the web versions of articles.
  • On supporting pages, there are instances of incorrect or missing header tags or list tags.
Workarounds
  • In an upcoming update we will work to fix the missing error state announcements. Until then, in case you require support with submitting a specific form, please contact us at .
  • For screen reader users, it is advisable to use the web version of articles. If individual, remediated PDF versions are required, please contact .

1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The content is listed in a meaningful sequence.
  • HTML lists are used where appropriate for listing items in a sequence.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • On some pages which have a table of contents on the right side,.
  • clicking on one of the Table of Content sections does not correctly move focus to the content that the link was pointing to.
  • The PDF versions of articles are not reliably accessible to all screen readers.
Workarounds
  • When encountering issues with a table of content, we recommend going through the headings inside the main content rather than the table of contents. For further support, please contact .
  • For screen reader users, it is advisable to use the web version of articles. If individual remediated PDF versions are required, please contact .

1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A)

Supports
Support examples
  • Any content that might be visual contains an appropriate descriptive text. For example, an icon button that has no displayed text will have an appropriate aria label.
  • Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components (e.g. shape, color, size, visual location, orientation, sound, etc.).

1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Supports
Support examples
  • The website is responsive and usable on different viewports.
  • Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation (portrait or landscape).

1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Supports
Support examples
  • Forms are correctly tagged using correct HTML semantics. For example, custom select UI elements have appropriate aria attributes to make them usable to screen readers similar to native controls.

1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • Color is not used as the sole method of conveying content or distinguishing visual elements. For example, in links, an underline is used as a differentiating style in addition to color.
  • Forms that encounter an error on one of the inputs become red and display error text.
Does not support or partially supports examples
Workarounds

In an upcoming update, we will ensure the "cards" and "table" view toggle uses visual indicators beyond color alone to identify the active selection. In case of support needed until then, please contact .

1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There is no automatic audio content on MDPI.com.

1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)

Supports
Support examples
  • Text and background colors including links and content text have at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio with background colors.

1.4.4 Resize text (Level AA)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The majority of text can be resized to 200% without loss of functionality.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • When text is resized to 200%, the page will be rendered as a mobile page. There are a few functionalities that are not available for mobile users but are available for desktop users. For example, the "submit" button in the header is available on all pages on desktop version, but not on the mobile version. Another example is the "additional formats" download on the article page on desktop, which is not available on the mobile version.
Workarounds

In upcoming updates, we will ensure functionality available on desktop remains accessible when text is resized to 200% and the layout switches to a mobile-style view. In case of support needed until then, please contact . For support with requesting XML or other versions of an article, you may also contact the journal's editorial office. You can find their email address through the "Contact Editorial Office" link on the journal page.

1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA)

Supports
Support examples
  • No images of texts are used on MDPI.com.

1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The website generally looks like the mobile version when the browser is zoomed in 400% or more.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • The footer disclaimer cannot be fully read if the screen is zoomed in to 400% or more.
  • On the Contact and Support page, the tabs after "Finance" ("Collaborations", "Corporate contacts" and "Author services") are not reachable without scrolling if the screen has a maximum width of 320px.
Workarounds
  • We will adjust the footer layout and text wrapping to ensure all disclaimer content remains readable at 400% zoom without horizontal scrolling or truncation. In case of support needed until then, please contact .
  • If you cannot reach the appropriate support tab, please leave your feedback on the Technical Support tab or reach out to and we will forward your message to the appropriate team.

1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • Most UI elements such as buttons are clearly differentiated from the rest of the page.
  • In most cases, the contrast between elements and their adjacent colors is sufficient.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • On the browse journals page https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals, the "cards" vs "table" view toggler does not have enough contrast once toggled to the active state.
  • Color contrast is insufficient in individual article's access statistics charts.
  • The CAPTCHA element on the payment page may lack sufficient contrast.
Workarounds
  • In an upcoming update, we will increase the contrast ratio of the active toggle state to meet non-text contrast requirements. In case of support needed until then, please contact .
  • For further information on access statistics for individual articles, please contact the journal's editorial office. You can find their contact email address under About and Editorial Office.
  • For issues on the payment page, please reach out to the Finance team through the Contact and Support page. Or contact us at .

1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Supports
Support examples
  • The spacing between words, lines and letters is adjustable.

1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • For the majority of elements across MDPI.com, the hover and focus states work as desired. Exceptions are listed.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • The footer disclaimer is not dismissible once it opens and it hides some content behind it.
  • On journal homepages, there is an info tooltip that appears when hovering over the time to first decision info icon, which is not dismissible and may hide content.
  • The additional content shown when hovering over "Disclaimer" in the website footer can be dismissed only by moving the mouse.
Workarounds

In upcoming updates, we will ensure hover and focus content can be dismissed, remains visible while hovered/focused, and does not obscure content. In case of support needed until then, please contact .

2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • More than 99% of content is accessible by keyboard only.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • On the article page, the access statistics graph cannot be read through keyboard only.
Workarounds

For getting the graph data in a more accessible format, please contact us at .

2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A)

Supports
Support examples
  • There are no keyboard traps on MDPI.com.

2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A 2.1 and 2.2)

Supports
Support examples
  • There are no custom shortcuts on MDPI.com.

2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The majority of the website content is available without time restrictions.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Some tooltips disappear a fixed amount of time after activation, usually around 5 seconds. For example, using the "share" function in mdpi articles, when clicking the "Copy" button to copy the article URL, the button's text will change to "Copied" for a fixed time of 3 seconds.
Workarounds

If you require any support regarding time-constrained tooltips, please contact us at for support.

2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There is no automatic moving, blinking, or scrolling, nor auto-updating information on MDPI.com or in MDPI articles.

2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There is no flashing content on MDPI.com or in MDPI articles.

2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A)

Supports
Support examples
  • There is a "skip to content" link available on each page to skip the main navigation links.

2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A)

Supports
Support examples
  • All pages on the website have a unique title.
  • PDF articles are always named according to the journal, the volume number, and the chronological article number within the volume.

2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The website in general has a logical focus order.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • There can be issues on pages that have a "Table of Contents", after clicking on a link inside the table of contents, the focus is not correctly moved to the section on the page associated with that link.
Workarounds

If you encounter this issue, we recommend going through the headings inside the main content rather than the table of contents. If further support is required, please reach out to .

2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)

Supports
Support examples
  • Content or Webpages can be found through multiple ways such as searchbar or menu.

2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The majority of headings and labels describe sections and controls clearly, supporting navigation and comprehension.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • On the journals search page, multiple UI elements have the same programmatically determinable name after selection.
Workarounds

In upcoming updates, we will ensure suitable labels or descriptions for the filters on the search page. In case of support needed until then, please contact .

2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The majority of UI elements have an appropriate "focus visible" styling.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • On the homepage, the news item images do not have a visible focus indicator.
Workarounds

We will add a clear visible focus indicator to news item images and all keyboard-focusable elements in upcoming updates. Until then, please contact for any required support.

2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • There are no unusable functions or inaccessible pages due to obscured focus anywhere on MDPI.com and all elements can either be actively dismissed or will disappear after shifting focus or hover.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • It is possible for individual UI elements to visually cover currently keyboard focused elements. In particular, if the cookie banner is not dismissed, users may experience difficulties tabbing through the main website content.
Workarounds

Users can collapse or dismiss overlapping UI elements such as the cookie banner, if they cover a keyboard-focused component.

2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A 2.1 and 2.2)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There are no functions requiring pointer gestures on MDPI.com.

2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2)

Supports
Support examples
  • Links and buttons always activate on up events not on down events. Users can abort actions by moving their mouse away from the link or button.

2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A 2.1 and 2.2)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • In the majority of cases, UI component names contain the text that is presented.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • The pagination component inputs (for example, the "previous page" and "next page" buttons at the bottom of search pages) currently have issues with the accessible name not matching the visible text. This causes screen readers to read out a different label than the one shown visually.
  • Accessible names are missing in two form fields on the payment page. The affected fields are "Invoice ID" and "Invoiced Amount and Currency".
Workarounds
  • Both the visual label and the accessible text of the pagination buttons provide information on what the button does. "Next" and "Go to next page".
  • If any support is needed regarding the payment page, please contact us either through the contact form, or send an email to so we can provide any further support that may be required or helpful.

2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There are no functions on MDPI.com that require specific motion input.

2.5.7 Dragging Movements (Level AA 2.2 only)

Not Applicable
Notes
  • There are no functions requiring dragging movements on MDPI.com.

2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • On the majority of MDPI.com pages, all elements support the success criterion for target size.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • There are multiple touch targets on the payments page which do not support the success criterion for target size.
Workarounds

The size of touch targets can be increased by zooming in on the page. If any additional support is needed, please contact us through the contact form or by email at .

3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • All MDPI.com web pages are tagged as English language pages.
  • Some non-article PDFs have already been accessibility-tagged.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • PDF versions of articles do not currently have language tags.
  • Some non-article PDFs have not been accessibility-tagged yet.
Workarounds
  • We are working toward improving the accessibility tagging of article PDFs in upcoming updates. Until then, individual accessibility-tagged PDF versions of articles can be requested from .
  • We will continue replacing non-article PDFs with accessibility-tagged versions. Until then, please contact if further support is required.

3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • All MDPI.com pages are in English.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Some acquired journals may have article content that includes mixed languages (e.g., German, French, in addition to English) on a single page, but language changes are not always marked with appropriate attributes.
Notes
  • Proper names or technical terms which are part of articles or scientific discourse may be non-English, but are generally recognizable within the scope of the content.
Workarounds

Should any clarification be necessary, please reach out to the corresponding author(s) of the article, the journal team, or to .

3.2.1 On Focus (Level A)

Supports
Support examples
  • No components trigger changes in context when they receive focus.

3.2.2 On Input (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • In most cases, changes of context are only activated upon button input by the user. Context changes from filtering are common practice on websites.
  • There are no changes of context while entering data into, or changing the setting of UI components in Support Services on MDPI.com.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Applying a filter in search functions will generally update the search results without explicitly announcing to the user that the results have changed.
Workarounds

Filtering or changing a search option of a search interface will perform a search. Quick nav can be used to check the items returned, in which case "search option applied" means that a search was performed.

3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA)

Supports
Support examples
  • Navigation elements (global header, footer, essential journal navigation) appear in consistent locations and order across pages, supporting predictable use.
  • All MDPI articles follow the same layout and navigation templates.

3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA)

Supports
Support examples
  • Repeated controls (search fields, login buttons, icons) are identified consistently across the platform, supporting consistent and predictable use.

3.2.6 Consistent Help (Level A 2.2 only)

Supports
Support examples
  • Help mechanisms such as links to the Help Center, contact pages, and author instructions appear consistently across the platform, supporting consistent and predictable use.

3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • For the majority of pages, if any input error is detected, the erroneous item is visually marked and the error is described to the user in text.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • On the payment page, error messages relating to the human verification CAPTCHA as well as errors related to the telephone number in billing information may not be announced fully to screen reader users.
Workarounds

If any support is needed, please contact us through the contact form or by email at .

3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • The majority of form controls contain visible labels.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • Some selection components, such as on the "all journals" page, do not have a visible label near the component itself, but only a placeholder.
Workarounds

In case the placeholder text cannot be used to determine the user's selection, please contact for support.

3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA)

Supports
Support examples
  • When input errors are detected on MDPI.com pages, suggestions for correction are provided. For example, forms provide inline messages suggesting how to correct an error (e.g., "Invalid email format"). This level of guidance is consistently applied across all forms and flows.
  • When input errors are made in the support form, clear instructions on the error are provided.
  • When input errors are made in response to captchas, instructions and alternatives are provided.

3.3.7 Redundant Entry (Level A 2.2 only)

Supports
Support examples
  • Whenever possible, information previously entered by or provided to the user that is required to be entered again in the same process is auto-populated or available for the user to select.

3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only)

Supports
Support examples
  • A cognitive function test is not required to login to MDPI.com.

4.1.1 Parsing (Level A)

Partially Supports
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • The PDF versions of articles are not reliably tagged for accessibility.
Workarounds

For screen reader users, it is advisable to use the web version of articles. If individual, remediated PDF versions are required, please contact .

4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A)

Does Not Support
Support examples
  • The name, role and value of UI components (controls) are programmatically determinable by assistive technologies.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • There are multiple instances of informative buttons missing roles and names, as well as incorrect announcements of expand or collapse states of elements across MDPI.com. This may make some functions more difficult to use for users of assistive technology such as screen readers.
Workarounds

Most affected functions are informative rather than core workflow functions. Nonetheless, all identified instances will be addressed in upcoming updates. Until then, please reach out to to receive support and assistance. Please also let us know any issues you encounter, so we can work toward fixing them as soon as possible.

4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2)

Partially Supports
Support examples
  • In the majority of cases, status messages can be presented to the user by assistive technologies without receiving focus.
Does not support or partially supports examples
  • After performing a search on the journals page, if there are no search results found, this is not clearly announced to the user.
Workarounds

The results returned can be manually checked using quick nav. The "no search results found" message is keyboard accessible.

Section 508

Section 508: Applications

Section 508: Applications detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
503.2 User Preferences Supports MDPI.com runs in standard browsers and does not function as a standalone native application. It does not limit or override any browser or operating system settings, functions, or user preferences. If you encounter a specific instance of any specific accessibility feature being limited or blocked on MDPI.com, please send an email to so we can make sure all accessibility features are compatible.
503.3 Alternative User Interfaces Not Applicable The platform does not provide an alternative user interface that functions as assistive technology.
503.4.1 Caption Controls Not Applicable The platform does not provide its own media player.
503.4.2 Audio Description Controls Not Applicable The platform does not implement a custom media playback interface.

Section 508: Functional

Section 508: Functional detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
302.1 Without Vision Partially Supports Screen reader users can reach and access core content. Most journal articles do not contain alt text for figures. We are currently developing internal tools and processes to add alternative texts to all figures in future MDPI articles. For older articles, please reach out to corresponding authors or contact to request individual, remediated PDF versions of articles with alt text.
302.2 With Limited Vision Supports Content is generally accessible and supports zooming and assistive technologies for users with limited vision.
302.3 Without Perception of Color Partially Supports Color is never the only indicator for information on MDPI.com. Due to non-text contrast issues and sometimes subtle visual styling, some states and controls may be hard to distinguish for users who do not perceive color well and rely on contrast. In upcoming updates, we will add additional non-color indicators (such as icons, labels, borders, or patterns) and improve contrast for states and controls. Until then, please reach out to .
302.4 Without Hearing Supports Text alternatives as well as subtitles are available for audio and video content.
302.5 With Limited Hearing Supports Audio-based content is supplemented with visual alternatives where applicable.
302.6 Without Speech Not Applicable Speech is not required for any function of MDPI.com.
302.7 With Limited Manipulation Not Applicable Physical manipulation is not required for any function of MDPI.com.
302.8 With Limited Reach and Strength Not Applicable Manual operation is not required for any function of MDPI.com.
302.9 With Limited Language, Cognitive, and Learning Abilities Supports The interface is designed with consistent structure and predictable interactions to support users with cognitive and learning disabilities.

Section 508: Interoperability with assistive Technology

Section 508: Interoperability with assistive Technology detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
502.2.1 User Control of Accessibility Features Supports MDPI does not block any assistive technology and is generally interoperable with assistive technology.
502.2.2 No Disruption of Accessibility Features Supports
502.3.1 Object Information Supports
502.3.2 Modification of Object Information Supports
502.3.3 Row, Column, and Headers Supports
502.3.4 Values Supports
502.3.5 Modification of Values Supports
502.3.6 Label Relationships Supports
502.3.7 Hierarchical Relationships Supports
502.3.8 Text Supports
502.3.9 Modification of Text Supports
502.3.10 List of Actions Supports
502.3.11 Actions on Objects Supports
502.3.12 Focus Cursor Supports
502.3.13 Modification of Focus Cursor Supports
502.3.14 Event Notification Supports
502.4 Platform Accessibility Features Supports

Section 508: Support Documentation

Section 508: Support Documentation detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
602.2 Accessibility and Compatibility Features Supports
602.3 Electronic Support Documentation Supports
602.4 Alternate Formats for Non-Electronic Support Documentation Supports All support documentation is available in electronic formats.

Section 508: Support Services

Section 508: Support Services detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
603.2 Information on Accessibility and Compatibility Features Supports Please visit https://www.mdpi.com/accessibility for further information on MDPI's accessibility policy and functionality.
603.3 Accommodation of Communication Needs Supports

EN 301 549

EN 301 549: Clause 4 - Functional Performance Statements

EN 301 549: Clause 4 - Functional Performance Statements detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
4.2.1 Usage without vision Partially Supports Screen reader users can reach and access core content. Most journal articles do not contain alt text for figures. We are currently developing internal tools and processes to add alternative texts to all figures in future MDPI articles. For older articles, please reach out to corresponding authors or contact to request individual, remediated PDF versions of articles with alt text.
4.2.2 Usage with limited vision Supports
4.2.3 Usage without perception of colour Partially Supports Color is never the only indicator for information on MDPI.com. Due to non-text contrast issues and sometimes subtle visual styling, some states and controls may be hard to distinguish for users who do not perceive color well and rely on contrast. In upcoming updates, we will add additional non-color indicators (such as icons, labels, borders, or patterns) and improve contrast for states and controls. Until then, please reach out to .
4.2.4 Usage without hearing Supports Most content does not require hearing. Text alternatives as well as subtitles are available for audio and video content.
4.2.5 Usage with limited hearing Supports Most content does not require hearing. Text alternatives as well as subtitles are available for audio and video content.
4.2.6 Usage with no or limited vocal capability Not Applicable Speech is not required for any function of MDPI.com.
4.2.7 Usage with limited manipulation or strength Not Applicable Physical manipulation is not required for any function of MDPI.com.
4.2.8 Usage with limited reach Not Applicable Manual modes of operation are not required for any function of MDPI.com.
4.2.9 Minimize photosensitive seizure triggers Supports The website does not contain rapidly flashing or high-intensity visual content that increases risk of triggering photosensitive seizures.
4.2.10 Usage with limited cognition, language or learning Supports The interface is designed with consistent structure and predictable interactions to support users with cognitive and learning disabilities.
4.2.11 Privacy Supports Please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/privacy for further information on MDPI's privacy policy and functionality.

EN 301 549: Clause 5 - Generic Requirements

EN 301 549: Clause 5 - Generic Requirements detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
5.2 Activation of accessibility features Supports Where accessibility features are provided, they can be activated without relying on methods that do not support that need.
5.3 Biometrics Not Applicable MDPI products do not use biometric information.
5.4 Preservation of accessibility information during conversion Partially Supports PDF versions of MDPI articles are currently not tagged for accessibility. The website versions of articles are generally better suited for accessibility needs than the PDF version. We are actively working on making PDF versions of articles more accessible and hope to achieve this by Q3 2026. Until then, please contact to request individual, remediated PDF versions of articles with alt text and suitable accessibility tagging.
5.5.1 Means of operation Not Applicable MDPI products are web-based and do not have manually operable components.
5.5.2 Operable parts discernibility Not Applicable MDPI products are web-based and do not have manually operable components.
5.7 Key repeat Not Applicable There are no key repeat functions on MDPI.com.
5.8 Double-strike key acceptance Not Applicable MDPI products are web-based and do not contain a physical keyboard.
5.9 Simultaneous user actions Not Applicable MDPI products do not require simultaneous user actions.

EN 301 549: Clause 10 - Non-Web Documents

EN 301 549: Clause 10 - Non-Web Documents detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
10.5 Caption positioning Not Applicable
10.6 Audio description timing Not Applicable

EN 301 549: Clause 12 - Documentation and Support Services

EN 301 549: Clause 12 - Documentation and Support Services detail
Criteria Conformance Level Remarks and Explanations
12.1.1 Accessibility and compatibility features Supports The Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR) is publicly available on a dedicated accessibility page.
12.2.2 Information on accessibility and compatibility features Supports Product documentation includes information about accessibility and compatibility features.
12.2.3 Effective communication Supports Support Services provide at least two different ways to support the needs of individuals with disabilities.