1. Reading Systems Showdown
2014
Accessibility Evaluation
George Kerscher
Janet Sedgley
Amy Salmon
March 19th, CSUN 2014

2. Situation Analysis
• Standards and the reading systems that
support them continue to evolve
•What does the law currently require
when it comes to reading systems at
colleges / universities?

3. Why We Have To Do It
• Americans with Disabilities Act
– Covered entities are required to ensure that communications
with people with disabilities are as effective as communications
with people without disabilities
• “accessible electronic and information technology” is specifically
listed as a means of achieving effective communication with
people with vision disabilities
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
– Same as ADA for recipients of federal financial assistance
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
– Requires federal government agencies to ensure that all
electronic and information technology it procures, develops,
maintains, or uses is accessible

4. Why We Have To Do It - Resources
• ADA Home Page – www.ada.gov
• Section 508 Home Page - http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm
• Settlement with Arizona State University re. Kindle e-books -
http://www.ada.gov/arizona_state_university.htm
• Joint DOJ-DOE “Dear Colleague” letter re. e-books -
http://www.ada.gov/kindle_ltr_eddoj.htm
• Sacramento Public Library settlement re. NOOK e-books -
http://www.ada.gov//sacramento_ca_settle.htm
• 2011 DOJ Section 508 Survey -
http://www.ada.gov//508/508_Report.htm
• Settlement with Law School Admission Council -
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/October/12-crt-1261.html

5. Standards: Born Accessible
Leaders in the effort to build accessibility
in at the source are coming together,
creating an environment where content
can be “born accessible.”

6. EPUB 3 Builds on W3C Technologies
•HTML 5 content document
•MathML
• Canvas
• Interactivity through JavaScript
• Video
•Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
incorporated

7. Accessibility features of EPUB 3
• Attention to accessibility from the beginning
• Synchronized text and audio through Media Overlays
• Rich navigation model made famous by DAISY
• TTS lexicons for correct synthetic pronunciation

8. EPUB 3 Accessibility Support
Tips for Creating Accessible EPUB 3: http
://diagramcenter.org/resources/54-tips-for-creating-accessible-epub-3-EPUB 3 Accessibility Guidelines online:
http://www.idpf.org/accessibility/guidelines/
Accessibility Forum: http://www.idpf.org/forums

9. Reading Platforms in 2014
• Operating System based: iPhone & iPad, Android
phones and tablets, Windows phones, Surface, and
Windows 7 & 8, Mac, Linux
• Dedicated devices: Kindle, Victor Stream, Plextor
Pocket, BookPort, BookSense etc.
• Books in browsers: Firefox, Chrome (Readium),
Internet Explorer, Safari

10. Readium.org: EPUB 3 / Open Web
Platform
• Readium (an EPUB 3 rendering engine for browser-based
cloud readers)
• Readium SDK (an EPUB 3 rendering engine for native
apps)
• Will provide a reference implementation for EPUB 3
• Broad support in the disability community and
publishing industry

11. EPUB 3: rich reading experience
Demonstration of Accessible:
•Reading and book navigation
•Images
•Multimedia
•Interactive elements and activities
•Cross-platform functionality

12. Educator’s Perspective
• Provision of alternative materials to print
• What happens at a university that is selecting digital
content? Digital is different!
• Published best practices of policies and procedures that
meet accessibility requirements

13. Notes From the Field
•Which devices do universities / college
instructors have at their disposal?
•How do instructors assess reading
systems?
• Guidelines for work with students with
special needs

14. How Do We Evaluate?
Accessibility Screening Methodology
Guidelines and Checklist
http://www.daisy.org/accessibility-screening-methodology-guidelines-
and-checklist.html

15. IDPF / BISG / DAISY Test Site
http://epubtest.org
Demonstratation of Accessibility Tests

16. Goals
• Rich reading experience with eyes, ears,
and fingers
• Ensure that accessibility features and best
practices are used consistently

17. Test and Collaborate
• How do we achieve a reading experience
where accessible content meets accessible
reading systems?
• Test and share reviews / information
• Assist developers, manufacturers
• Q & A
Send an email to kerscher@montana.com