Do Content and Readers Play Well together? Testing Mainstream Reading Systems for Accessibility

[daisy.org]

Why do we advocate for accessibility in mainstream publications?

Adding accessibility to an existing inaccessible file is a bit like adding accessibility ramps to an old building – expensive and almost always a compromise.

Designing publications with accessibility in mind from the start saves time and money.

From Print to Digital

DAISY Consortium is using its experience in the blindness and disability field to advocate for the best digital reading experience.

We do so by combining our members’ expertise, energy and resources and helping publishing industry make their publications be “born accessible”. It is not always easy and there is a difference between the needs of leisure readers and consumers of educational content.

IDPF, DAISY Consortium & EPUB 3

•International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), the EPUB Standard folks: idpf.org•EPUB 3 endorsed by: DAISY Consortium, Association of American Publishers (AAP), International Publishers Association (IPA)•EPUB 3: Foundation for digital content – Wiley, iBooks, Vital Source, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, IBM, Elsevier etc.•EPUB 3: Designed from the ground up with accessibility in mind

Main Cons of PDF

•Conversion of PDF files to a web-friendly format is difficult•PDF files don’t adapt well to various displays and devices•PDF files often consist of images that are not accessible

Main Pros of EPUB 3

•Text is automatically optimized for the device it’s being viewed on•Based on open standards such as HTML 5•Accessibility•Global language support•MathML support •Based on HTML5•Can contain video, audio, and interactivity

Accessible EPUB 3: What’s Next?Next revision underway. The items under development are:•updates to the image description techniques•further braille support enhancements•enhancements to media overlays, may include text and video•synchronization for sign language•metadata extension to identify the type of media overlay, e.g. text and audio, text and sign, text and video or audio only•further development and promotion of audio only EPUB (with navigation) and addition of modern audio codex•samples that demonstrate techniques used for creating accessible publications in EPUB 3.1 format

Inclusive Publishing

The inclusive publishing ecosystem will continue to evolve; standards and the reading systems that support them will continue to mature.

Our goal is to ensure that fundamental accessibility features and best practices can be used consistently by publishers and other content developers, authoring tool creators, and reading system developers.

Accessible EPUB 3: ResourcesIDPF Accessibility Guidelines: http://www.idpf.org/accessibility/guidelines/

Accessible EPUB 3 by Matt Garrish, great place to start: http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920025283.do

DIAGRAM Center’s checklist. Tips for creating accessible EPUB 3:http://diagramcenter.org/54-9-tips-for-creating-accessible-epub-3-files.html

Baseline for Born Accessible EPUB 3http://www.slideshare.net/daisyconsortium/baseline-for-born-accessible-epub-3 epubtest.org for testing EPUB 3 compliance. Joint effort: IDPF, BISG and DAISY Consortium

TestingThe DAISY Consortium advocates for the accessibility features to be implemented in a wide range of mainstream reading systems & platforms. Testing can be time-consuming, but necessary to provide specific instructions to developers for making apps and devices accessible.Instructions for accessibility evaluations are at: http://epubtest.org/testsuite/#instructions-for-accessibility-evaluation

Test books / plans

•Test plans have been prepared with sample content to carry out the tests

•The fundamental test book provides the tests and instructions. As EPUB standards continue to evolve, books need to be updated.

•Advanced tests will include MathML

Baseline (fundamental) requirements

•Well-structured text in logical reading order•Adjustable font size and color•Text should be readable with a screen reader or a self-voicing

text to speech application, or using a refreshable braille display

Who have achieved higher scores?

•VitalSource Bookshelf desktop for Mac•Readium •VoiceDream Reader•iBooks•Lektz for Android