Accessibility

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Research Environment

MDPI is committed to making scientific knowledge a shared and openly accessible resource for everyone. We ensure that our platforms and research content are navigable and understandable for all researchers, practitioners, students, and readers, regardless of ability. By prioritising compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers and voice recognition, we foster an inclusive publishing environment for the global research community.

We are currently finalising our Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) – International Edition and will replace this document with our ACR as soon as possible.

Our Accessibility Standards

We strive to ensure our websites and digital publications conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA, the international benchmark for web accessibility, and EN 301 549, the European standard for Information and Communication Technology products and services. To achieve this, we design our platforms to be:

Perceivable

Information and UI components are presented in ways all users can sense (e.g., alt-text for images).

Operable

Navigation and interface elements are usable for everyone (e.g., keyboard-only access).

Understandable

Content and site operation are clear, predictable, and easy to follow.

Robust

Our platforms are built to work reliably with a wide range of assistive technologies, both now and in the future.

Our development roadmap is aligned with major international legislation, including

EAA

The European Accessibility Act.

ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act.

Section 508

Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act.

*These standards ensure that our websites and publications remain accessible via assistive tools such as screen readers, voice recognition software, and specialised input devices.

Compliance Status and Features

We are continuously working to improve accessibility across our platforms. We acknowledge that some areas require further development, and we are actively addressing any gaps according to WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards.

The www.mdpi.com platform currently includes:

Screen Reader Compatibility

webpages including the HTML versions of publications utilise HTML5 and ARIA landmarks to ensure logical reading orders for screen readers.

Clear Structure

webpages including the HTML versions of publications use proper heading hierarchies and semantic markup

Flexible Navigation

Users can navigate the site using keyboard-only input and "Skip to Content" links.

Resizable Text

Resizable text Text can be enlarged up to 200% without loss of functionality.

Multi-format Delivery

Publications are provided in HTML and PDF. We prioritise HTML for the best responsive and accessible experience.

Text Alternatives

Images in articles include figure legends (captions) as the descriptive alt text, where provided by authors.

Despite our ongoing efforts, we have identified certain limitations that we are actively working to resolve:

We are actively working to remediate these issues where possible and improve our processes for future content.

Legacy Archives

Research published before 2026 may reside in PDFs that lack full tagging for screen readers. Accessibility tagged PDFs can be obtained on request (see Feedback and Concerns).

Mathematical Notation

We are transitioning toward MathML and MathJax to ensure complex formulas are accessible, though some older content remains in image format. MathML tagged HTML versions of such articles can be obtained on request (cf. Feedback and Concerns).

Complex Data

Some high-density tables and multi-panel figures may be difficult to interpret. We are developing better author guidelines to address this.

Third-party Content

We cannot always guarantee the accessibility of supplementary materials or external widgets provided by authors or third parties.

Feedback and Concerns

We welcome your feedback. If you encounter an accessibility barrier or require an alternative format for a specific article, please let us know by email:

*Response Time: We aim to acknowledge all inquiries within 3 business days.

To help us assist you, please provide:

The URL or DOI of the content.

The specific issue that was encountered.

The assistive technology and browser you are using.