Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

eBooks, Accessibility and the Catalysts for Culture Change

  • Conference paper
Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP 2014)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 8548))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 3457 Accesses

Abstract

The evolution of any product is usually in response to perceived benefits; either for the workflow, cost-benefit or for the end users. The development of accessible digital print resources at source of publication is uniquely advantageous in many ways. A system with improved accessibility for humans also enables content to be machine read[1]. Although the global publishing and digital distribution industries have not uniformly embraced accessibility, the United Kingdom (UK) has been able to make significant positive progress. The UK has not embraced a specific disability ebook format and distribution system; instead, through a model of cross-industry stakeholder engagement, a cultural shift has begun to embed accessibility at source within the publishing industry. The authors maintain that the cultural change witnessed is not a coincidence and has its roots in a particular set of catalysts being initiated by stakeholders resulting in a model that could be replicated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Dawson, A., Wallis, J.: Twenty issues in e-book creation. Against the Grain 17(1), 18–26 (2005), http://cdlr.strath.ac.uk/pubs/dawsona/ad200501.htm (accessed April 3, 2014), ISSN 1043-2094

  2. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press (2010), http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/e-book (accessed April 3, 2014)

  3. Kerscher, G.: Reading Rights Coalition - USA, http://www.readingrights.org/definition-print-disabled

  4. Anderson-Inman, L., Horney, M.A.: Supported eText: Assistive technology through text transformations. Reading Research, 153–160 (2007), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1598/RRQ.42.1.8/abstract (accessed April 3, 2014)

  5. Equality Challenge Unit. Equality in higher education: statistical report 2012 Part 2: students (2012), http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/files/equality-in-he-stats-report-2012-students.pdf (accessed April 3, 2014)

  6. Further Education and Skills in England: Learner Equality and Diversity (2012), http://data.gov.uk/dataset/further-education-and-skills-in-england-learner-equality-and-diversity (accessed April 3, 2014)

  7. Kretzschmar, F., Pleimling, D., Hosemann, J., Füssel, S., Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, I., et al.: Subjective Impressions Do Not Mirror Online Reading Effort: Concurrent EEG-Eyetracking Evidence from the Reading of Books and Digital Media. PLoS ONE 8(2), e56178 (2013), http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0056178 , doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056178 (accessed April 3, 2014)

  8. Gonzalez, M.R.: The effect of interactive eBooks on the reading comprehension of struggling readers and students with reading disabilities. Ph.D. thesis, Walden University (2010), http://www.editlib.org/p/125628 (accessed April 3, 2014)

  9. Zickuhr, K., Rainie, L.: E-reading rises and device ownership jumps - Pew Research Center, USA (2014), http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/01/PIP_E-reading_011614.pdf (accessed April 3, 2014)

  10. Anscombe, N.: Experimenting with E-books, Research Information (2014), http://www.researchinformation.info/features/feature.php?feature_id=457 (accessed April 3, 2014)

  11. McMahon, A.: Accessible Books - who pays Assistive Technology Network presentation (2013), http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/assets/Documents/Events/130213ebooks_AMcMahonDundeeUni.ppt (accessed April 3, 2014)

  12. McNaught, A.: Phone conversations with production / rights managers. Palgrave MacMillan and Sage (March-April 2014)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mc Naught, A.: Personal correspondence with Nicky Whitsed, Director of Library services Open University (April 2014)

    Google Scholar 

  14. James, A., Draffan, E.A.: Accessibility of ebook devices & digital documents. Presented at the 9th BDA International Conference 2014, UK (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Web2Access, http://web2access.org.uk/test (accessed April 3, 2014)

  16. The Daisy Consortium, http://www.daisy.org/about_us (accessed April 3, 2014)

  17. The Publishers Association. Joint statement on accessibility & e-books (2010), http://www.publishers.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2207:joint-statement-on-accessibility-a-e-books&Itemid=1655 (accessed April 3, 2014)

  18. Beaumon, B.: Bookshare: Making accessible materials available worldwide. In: World Library and Information Congress: 77th IFLA General Conference and Assembly, San Juan, Puerto Rico (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Higher Education Statistics Agency (2012/13) UKPIs: Widening participation of students in receipt of DSA (table T7), http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2062&Itemid=141

  20. Disabled Students Allowances, https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/overview (accessed April 3, 2014)

  21. Load2Learn - Accessible etexts for schools and organizations - RNIB and Dyslexia Action, https://load2learn.org.uk/ (accessed April 3, 2014)

  22. JISC TechDis Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service (OASES), http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/oases (accessed April 3, 2014)

  23. e-books for FE project ebooks for Further Education colleges, http://fe.jiscebooks.org/ (accessed April 3, 2014)

  24. JISC Techdis, Libraries and Alternative formats research Part 3: Are some disabilities treated less favourably than others? (2013), http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/assets/Documents/laafr3.doc

  25. Intellectual Property Office, Government takes important step towards modernising copyright: Press Release (2014), https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-important-step-towards-modernising-copyright (accessed April 3, 2014)

  26. eAccess+ Hub - Accessible Documents, http://hub.eaccessplus.eu/wiki/Accessible_documents (accessed April 3, 2014)

  27. JISC, http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ (accessed April 3, 2014)

  28. EDItEUR, http://www.editeur.org/2/About/#Intro (accessed April 3, 2014)

  29. McNaught, A.: Phone conversation with Huw Alexander, Digital Sales manager. Sage (April 2014)

    Google Scholar 

  30. METALL project, Final Report Dolphin Consortium (2013), http://metallproject.wordpress.com/final-report/ (accessed April 3, 2014)

  31. International Association of Accessibility Professionals (2013), http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/2/F/32F27B21-CF1A-4AD9-972E-F2A692BEB575/Society-of-Accessibility-Professionals.pdf

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. WAIS, ECS, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

    E. A. Draffan & Abi James

  2. JISC TechDis, York, United Kingdom

    Alistair McNaught

Authors
  1. E. A. Draffan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alistair McNaught
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Abi James
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute "Integriert Studieren", Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstr. 69, 4040, Linz, Austria

    Klaus Miesenberger

  2. Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, M5B 2K3, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Deborah Fels

  3. THIM/EA 4004 CHArt, Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint Denis, 2 rue de la liberté, 93526, Saint-Denis Cedex, France

    Dominique Archambault

  4. Teiresias Centre, Botanická 68A, Masaryk University, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Peňáz

  5. Institute "Integriert Studieren", Vienna University of Technology, Favoritenstraße 11/029, 1050, Vienna, Austria

    Wolfgang Zagler

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Draffan, E.A., McNaught, A., James, A. (2014). eBooks, Accessibility and the Catalysts for Culture Change. In: Miesenberger, K., Fels, D., Archambault, D., Peňáz, P., Zagler, W. (eds) Computers Helping People with Special Needs. ICCHP 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 8548. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08599-9_80

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08599-9_80

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-08598-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08599-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation