[Athen] publishers pledge to increase accessibility

[Prof Norm Coombs]

>

>A pledge on behalf of the publishing industry to work with all

>parts of the publishing supply chain to improve the

>accessibility of e-books has been launched by The Publishers

>Association (PA), with cross-sector support.

>

>The joint statement ( <http://bit.ly/HzaaBV>http://bit.ly/HzaaBV ) was 

>launched at this

>week’s London Book Fair 2012, and is supported by a range of

>organisations, including: the Royal National Institute of Blind

>People; and EDItEUR, the international trade standards body

>for the book industry.

>

>While technological advancements have made it easier for

>publishers to produce material that is more accessible to those

>with print impairments, the whole supply chain now needs to

>work together to advance e-book accessibility, the statement

>says.

>

>“The mechanisms by which an ebook is made accessible

>involve all the actors in the supply chain from author to reader;

>no single actor in that chain can solve the challenge of

>accessibility by itself. Publishers, ebook device manufacturers,

>platform developers, ebook wholesalers and retailers, and of

>course consumers themselves all have their part to play”, it

>says.

>

>Publishers are now looking to work with: developers of e-book

>devices and platforms; e-book retailers; learning providers and

>libraries; and readers with print impairments.

>

>The PA is asking organisations in all parts of the publishing

>supply chain, and others interested organisations, to pledge

>their support to the statement, which they can do through the

>PA’s website ( <http://bit.ly/I7NIfZ>http://bit.ly/I7NIfZ ). The 

>association has also

>produced its own recommendations on accessible publishing

>and text-to-speech ( <http://bit.ly/ApJbsd>http://bit.ly/ApJbsd ).

>

>And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live:

><http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=714>http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=714 

>.

>

>

>Beth Coombs

>EASI (Equal Access to Software & Information)

>949-916-2837

>http://easi.cc


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It's never too late to become what you might have been. George Eliot
Once you choose hope, anything's possible.  Christopher Reeve
Norman Coombs norm.coombs at gmail.com

Making Online Teaching Accessible: Inclusive Course Design for Students 
with Disabilities by Norman Coombs published by Jossey-Bass Oct 10,2010
http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470499044.html