[Athen] free accessible EPUB reader?

Karlen Communications info at karlencommunications.com
Mon Mar 4 07:38:12 PST 2019


Susan:



Glad I could give you a laugh!



I figured EPUB is like PDF in that so much of accessibility depends on
tagging/structure and the building of the EPUB.



Yes, I've tried reding my own well-structured documents converted to EPUB
using Calibre in Edge with JAWS and no luck. I have my Windows 10 updated
and can't even find the immersive reading tools that are supposed to be in
the Edge version for my Windows version although the Read Aloud option is
available to me in Edge using my default Microsoft voice. That doesn't give
me access to the navigation tools or the UI, just the content.



Am going to continue my new adventures. The FoxIT people who have a PDF
conversion tool that they say will produce Section 508 conforming PDF have
something called MePub which is supposed to be an EPUB conversion tool.
Given that I've already e-mailed them 3 times asking where the accessibility
tools/Tags are in FoxIt without any response, am not holding out for MePub.
And MePub is 39 USD.



I found with Calibre that it is not respecting the font alignment of the
document. It is insisting on full justification when my content is left
justified. Although I can go into the CSS and change it, I am baffled as to
why I should have to do this.



Anyway, I have a two part problem.finding an inexpensive accessible EPUB
conversion tool and an app to read EPUB's with my screen reader.and its only
Monday!



Cheers, Karen



From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> On Behalf
Of Susan Kelmer
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2019 9:43 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] free accessible EPUB reader?



Hahahah! I'm happy to get a laugh this morning after a ridiculous commute
in snowy conditions.



Of course, there are a lot of "accessible" readers out there, but very few,
if any, that work with a student's existing TTS or screenreading technology.
At best, you can franken-science something together, like using Windows Edge
to open the ePub, then use Windows Narrator to listen to the file. I know
that way works pretty well. Read and Write will open an ePub and read it,
and includes navigation as it shows the chapters broken down on the side, so
it isn't too bad. Kurzweil is a no-win because it just opens the whole file
with no really useful navigation.



If you're trying to use a screen reader to read the ePub, I think, again,
you can open it in Edge for Windows, and I think other browsers. But how
the ePub was made is going to be the best determiner of if it can be used
with any form of AT.



Susan Kelmer

Alternate Format Production Program Manager

Disability Services

University of Colorado Boulder

303-735-4836









From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu
<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu> > On Behalf Of Karlen
Communications
Sent: Saturday, March 2, 2019 6:02 AM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
<athen-list at u.washington.edu <mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu> >
Subject: [Athen] free accessible EPUB reader?



Hi:



It's been a long time since I taught how to create Daisy books and knew what
readers were accessible.



I'm taking a look at EPUB and I've created a book from one of my tutorials.
I now want to read it, but didn't want to use the Calibre viewer/the app I
used to create the book as I want to see how it reads in another viewer.



Any suggestions on a free but good EPUB reader that is accessible? What are
students and faculty using?



Cheers, Karen

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