[Athen] Re: WCAG2 for e-texts

[Pielaet, Jon]

Greg,

The WCAG 2.0 standards were designed for web content so their strength is in bringing accessibility to web technologies like HTML\CSS Javascript and a like. Most institutions are creating e-texts that use other technologies so applying WCAG standards doesn't make much sense.
That being said, the developing ePUB standard does make use of these web technologies. As ePub brings rich web-like content to electronic books, the WCAG may become more relevant to alternate format production.

Jennifer shared some great resources for learning about ePub and the merging of these technologies if you are interested in learning more. 

I think the core of your question has to do with setting a standard to ensure some level of accessibility for your in-house production. If this is true, and as Jennifer also suggested, the answer would depend on what formats you are producing. 

The core principles of WCAG can always be applied however. Your e-texts should be POUR:

Perceivable
Operable 
Understandable
Robust


Jon


Jon Pielaet

Clark College
Disability Support Services
Assistive Technology and IT Accessibility Specialist
1933 Fort Vancouver Way
Vancouver, WA 98663-3598
(360) 992-2314
(360) 992-2879 Fax
(360) 991-0901 Video Phone
jpielaet at clark.edu
http://www.clark.edu/dss

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: RE: ALEKS (Ken Petri)
   2. Re: WCAG2 for e-texts (Jennifer Sutton)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:00:39 -0400
From: Ken Petri <petri.1 at osu.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] RE: ALEKS
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
	<athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Message-ID:
	<CAM_wjaq2K17JLeYw1gG92_AJxU-MAOZjLeTMnJm-qV25gOFq6w at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Catherine,

For clarification, there is/was interest in ALEKS at OSU but I have never met with them to discuss it.

As for the MathML not supported in browsers argument, I don't find that valid. With MathJax I just don't think you can argue that MathML can't be rendered. You can argue it can't be read in many screen reader/browser combinations, and you'd be correct, but MathJax will render math visually in all browsers that have JavaScript enabled -- which means pretty much all browsers can render MathML, with some assistance from MathJax.

And if you're using MathPlayer in IE, all of the major Windows screen readers will read the MathML pretty effectively. If the system were producing both the rendered MathML and a LaTex fall-back, seems to me most situations would be covered. (It is possible to get MathJax to show the TeX version of equations and it can "hint" the MathML islands with TeX equations, but I'm not sure how well this will work with a screen reader).
Oh, and MathPlayer does not seem to work at all in IE 10. So, some problems, but not enough to "wait" until there is better browser support, IMO.

ken


 [image: The Ohio State University]
Ken Petri, Program Director
Web Accessibility Center, ADA Coordinator's Office and Office for Disability Services 102D Pomerene Hall | 1760 Neil Ave. Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-1760 Office | 614-218-1499 Mobile | 614-292-4190 Fax petri.1 at osu.edu wac.osu.edu


On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 11:02 PM, Rangin, Hadi Bargi <hadi at illinois.edu>wrote:


> **

> Hi Cath,

>

> I love your idea and motivation for collaboration. It is definitely 

> the right way to go.

>

> I know Ken was interested in accessibility of Aleks some time ago and 

> he even initiated a kind of meeting with them. I was invited to the 

> meeting but I don't exactly recall what has been decided for.

>

> I guess we are not using it here in our campus but I would be glad to 

> collaborate and help in any way and shape I can.

>

> Thanks,

> Hadi

>

>

>  ------------------------------

> *From:* athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu [mailto:

> athen-list-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] *On Behalf Of *Catherine M.

> Stager Kilcommons

> *Sent:* Friday, March 15, 2013 6:33 PM

> *To:* athen-list at u.washington.edu

> *Subject:* [Athen] ALEKS

>

>  Hello All,

> Yes, once again the ALEKS accessibility issues are coming under 

> scrutiny here on campus.

> At this point we are curious if other institutions have been putting 

> pressure on McGraw-Hill to make the exam more accessible.

>

> Would other folks be interested in collaborating on a multi university 

> campaign of concern,  not unlike what we did with Blackboard?

>

> With the support of tools such as Poet and DIAGRAM, is there validity 

> in their argument of saying that they need to wait for MathML to have more

> browser support and adoption?   Should that be the only solution for making

> this assessment platform accessible?

>

> Thanks for any and all comments,

>

> Cath Stager-Kilcommons

> Assistive Technology Lab Coordinator

> Disability Services / Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community 

> Engagement

> N234 Center for Community

> University of Colorado Boulder

> 303-492-4049

> *http://DisabilityServices.Colorado.edu*<http://DisabilityServices.Col

> orado.edu>

>

>

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> athen-list mailing list

> athen-list at mailman1.u.washington.edu

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>

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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:22:13 -0700
From: Jennifer Sutton <jsuttondc at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Athen] WCAG2 for e-texts
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
	<athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20130316145802.05dd56f8 at gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Dear Greg and other Athenites:

I'm not sure I entirely understand your question. I see nothing but strengths regarding the idea of considering ebooks in light of WCAG 2.  That being said, I see the term "etext" being used on this list to mean all kinds of electronic content.  So perhaps I should clarify that I'd be thinking of ePub, DAISY content, and even, yes, PDF. I imagine there are portions of WCAG 2 that also apply to Word documents.

Since I believe that the DAISY consortium, the IDPF, and the W3C seek to foster standards harmonization, I think all three seek to take each others' needs into account.

Since I recently posted many links on this subject to the WebAIM list, I'll repost them all below my name, in case the collection may prove helpful to those on this list, too. At the top of the list, I'll add a few more related to PDF.

Best,
Jennifer


PDF Techniques | Techniques for WCAG 2.0 http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf.html

The official PDF/UA Technical Implementation Guide is here!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2rUuvX/duff-johnson.com/2013/03/05/the-pdfua-technical-implementation-guide-arriveth/

A new tool that I just saw, but I don't know anything about:
pdfGoHTML: PDF Reflow Done Right | Duff Johnson Strategy and Communications <http://duff-johnson.com/2013/01/21/pdfgohtml-pdf-reflow-done-right/>http://duff-johnson.com/2013/01/21/pdfgohtml-pdf-reflow-done-right/


A link to the Web AIM thread, in which there are six posts. Two of them are mine, below:
http://webaim.org/discussion/mail_thread?thread=5765


*** WebAIM Post 1:

>Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2013 20:29:32 -0800

>To: WebAIM Discussion List <webaim-forum at list.webaim.org>

>

>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Q: accessibility for ebooks, epubs, kindles, etc.

>

>

>Greetings, WebAIM:

>

>I spent about 15 minutes with Google in order to pull together the 

>following resource set about EPub 3.  It's less "Benetech-centric" 

>than what has been posted so far.  I'm a fan of standards, not a 

>specific organizational approach, so that's where I always start.

>

>I hope many will find this collection useful.

>

>Links are below my name. Numbering is for tracking, rather than to 

>denote prioritization.

>

>If I've missed anything, I hope others will contribute.

>

>Jennifer

>

>

>1.  Book by Matt Garrish from O'Reilly Media:

>http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920025283.do

>

>2.  Visit the site of the International Digital Publishing Forum 

>(IDPF) which is the standards-making body for ePub:

>http://www.idpf.org

>

>3.  Forums on the IDPF site:

>http://idpf.org/forums

>

>4.  EPUB 3 Accessibility Guidelines

>http://idpf.org/accessibility/guidelines/

>

>5.  EPub Check, for validation:

>http://code.google.com/p/epubcheck/

>

>6.  A recent thread on the Access Technology in Higher Education 

>email list about accessible ePub production:

>http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/pipermail/athen-list/2013-February/007170.html

>

>7.  Creating accessible eBooks - RNIB:

>http://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/solutionsforbusiness/publishing/publishertechnical/ebooksaccessible/Pages/accessible_ebook_creation.aspx

>

>Shortened:

>http://bit.ly/12zfaPG

>

>

>8.  Content on SlideShare, related to the DAISY Consortium and some 

>is ePub3, as well:

>http://www.slideshare.net/daisyconsortium




*** WebAIM post 2:


>Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:44:14 -0800

>To: WebAIM Discussion List <webaim-forum at list.webaim.org>

>

>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Q: accessibility for ebooks, epubs, kindles, etc.






>Greetings, WebAIM:

>

>I thought I'd post four more items on this subject of ebooks/ePub, 

>and then, I'll stop.

>

>But I think these are valuable additions to what I posted the other day.

>

>I hope those working on HTML5, CSS, etc. will especially take note 

>of the summary of the recent W3C workshop and help to foster 

>standards harmonization.

>

>Links below my name.

>

>Best,

>Jennifer

>

>

>eBooks: Great Expectations - A W3C Workshop on Electronic Books and 

>Open Web Platform - 11-12 February 2013

>http://www.w3.org/2012/08/electronic-books/rapportebook.html

>

>Rich multi-media and a web of devices is driving us to a world of 

>standards - Tools of Change for Publishing

>http://toc.oreilly.com/2013/02/rich-multi-media-and-a-web-of-devices-is-driving-us-to-a-world-of-standards.html

>

>EPUB 3 demo/sample files wanted:

>http://t.co/mg4VgsyVUj

>

>This article focuses on a conference held in the UK

>ebooks and accessibility; "readable with eyes, ears and fingers" | 

>atis4all | Scoop.it

>http://ebookscambridge.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/ebooks-and-accessibility-readable-with-eyes-ears-and-fingers/



At 04:25 AM 3/16/2013, Greg Kraus wrote:

>I've been asked recently about the appropriateness of applying WCAG2

>to e-texts. I would appreciate any input people have on this who are

>more intimately involved with e-text production than I am. What are

>the strengths and weaknesses of it?

>

>Thanks.

>

>Greg

>

>--

>Greg Kraus

>University IT Accessibility Coordinator

>NC State University

>919.513.4087

>greg_kraus at ncsu.edu




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