E-books have the potential to help end the book famine by making more books accessible to people with print disabilities. However, e-books currently only provide basic accessibility and much work remains. The DAISY Consortium is working with publishers and organizations worldwide to develop standards and strategies for "inclusive publishing" that builds accessibility directly into e-books from the start. Their goal is for all learners to have equal access to information by being able to read any book using their eyes, ears or fingers. If publishers, organizations, and individuals work together through initiatives like the DAISY Consortium, e-books could transform from "ugly ducklings" to "adolescent swans" that fulfill the

1. E-Books & Accessibility 13 Feb 2013
E-Books & Accessibility
Ugly Duckling?
Adolescent Swan?
Stephen King
President , DAISY Consortium
Director International affairs
Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK

2. e-Books
• Ugly Ducklings?
• or Adolescent Swans?

3. Adolescent (Black) Swans
But they need our help growing up
“Born digital” e-books will help us transform access. I'm going to
tell you why. But there are risks. We need your help.

4. E-Books & Accessibility
Ugly Duckling or Adolescent Swan?
• About me
• About the book & curriculum famine
• Who are the DAISY Consortium?
– Our role in e-Books
– Our partnership with World Blind Union and
publishing industry to solve the book famine
– Our strategy with publishers
– Our Vision for 21st Century publishing

5. What's my interest?
• 10 Years with (Harper) Collins publishers
– Dictionary & Children's book publishing
– Early use of computers & databases in publishing
• Subsequent film industry & art publishing
• RNIB publishing: Large print, Braille, Talking books &
e-Books
• Founding member of DAISY Consortium
• Now President of DAISY Consortium

6. Since Caxton people with print
disability denied access

7. Print disabled learners denied
access to curriculum

8. The Right to Read 2000-2013
• "Less than 5% of books are
available in any accessible
format"
• "It’s a book famine"
• "We want the right to read
the same book at the same
time, price and place as
everyone else"

9. The Right to Read campaign
• Can Everyone Read your Books? 2011 "Reach
more readers through e-Books
• Where's My Book 2006: "Only 12% of Maths
& Science available"
• Written Off Report 2004: "95% of books not
available"
• Overdue Report 2003: "Frustrated Readers"
• A Closed Book report 2002: "Lack of library
services"

10. What are we saying to publishers?

11. Improving e-Book Practice

12. Global partnership to solve the
book famine
• World Blind Union members
• IFLA members
• DAISY Consortium
• Publishers & Rights agencies
• Standards organisations
• Technology companies
• Training & research orgs

13. What's the Evidence e-Books are
Adolescent (Black) Swans?
That need nurturing

14. The ebook revolution
"People with print disabilities are
increasingly able to enjoy the
same book at the same price
and place as everyone else"
"But there is much more to do to
end the book famine."
Stephen King
RNIB UK May 2011

15. Good News!
E-book revolution: Ending book famine
Today
– 7% of all books available in UK accessible by eyes, ears &
fingers, 2011. (Up from 5% in 2004)
– 76% of top 1000 books sold in 2011 are e-books, readable
by eyes, ears & fingers. (Up from 54% 2010)
Still many barriers
– user skills & knowledge;
– cost of technology & DRM
– not a great reading experience
Availability of accessible publications: 2011 Update, Report to RNIB, Helen Greenwood, Sonya White and Claire Creaser,
October 2011 www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/solutionsforbusiness/publishing/Pages/publishing_industry.aspx
15

16. E-books already improving access
• For some people
– Partially sighted & Dyslexic
– People with knowledge & skills
• Current e-books limited
– Flat print representation
• EPUB 3 transforms possibilities
– Navigation, audio & text synchronised, video etc
• EPUB 3 is designed to include accessibility

17. Still much to do… Many publishing
and reading problems still to
solve
76% readable but
last 24% present
How are the DAISY intractable
Consortium involved? problems. (Unpublished
RNIB research)

18. Who are
the DAISY Consortium?
• Not for Profit organisations serving people
with print disabilities
• Friends and educators
• Worldwide Membership
– 50+ Countries US, Latin Am, EU, Africa, India, Asia
– All continents (Bar Antarctica) (Tho we do have Iceland)
– WBU & IFLA strategic partners
• Please join us to help solve the book famine

20. The DAISY Consortium
Our Vision
• People have equal access to information and
knowledge, regardless of disabilities
Our Mission
• Working to create the best way to read and
publish,
for everybody, in the 21st century
By delivering global partnerships ... that build a more
effective solution for everyone.
Committed to a common mission & vision.
Coordinating resources to deliver global change 20

21. Global partnerships
Solving the book famine

22. Our goal is confident learners
Reading what they want, when they want
with eyes, ears or fingers

23. What are we good at?
• We know about reading & e-Books
• How people with print disabilities read
• Reading technologies
• Blind people have been e-Book readers for years
• We also know about braille, audio, large print
• We know about publishing process
• Technology of publishing
• Control the technology & standards for e-books
• We are well connected with publishers
• We are well connected to WBU & Libraries

24. What's our role in e-Books?
• Partnership with International Digital
Publishing Forum
– Develop EPUB 3 as a worldwide standard for e-
Books with accessibility built in
• Everything we know about accessibility built in
• Everything we know about great navigation built in
– Promoting built-in accessibility for all publications
– Developing tools for customised access material
production from EPUB 3 standard
– Promoting access in reader tools and channels

25. • We've got the attention of publishers &
governments (UNCRPWD)
• We've got a Global alliance
• We have great people in Leadership positions
– George Kerscher: President, IDPF
– Markus Gylling: CTO, IDPF / DAISY
• Have the technology publishers need

26. Our Aim is: Inclusive Publishing
The total process, from author to reader.
Designed to embrace all.
"There is a version for everyone whatever their
skills reading with their eyes, ears or fingers."
•Embraces the customising process (when needed) to deliver
same time, price & place
•Better for people with disabilities and without
•Efficient and affordable for all
26

27. Definitions: Built-in accessibility
A mainstream publication,
usable directly by people reading
with their eyes, ears or fingers,
with no need for modification.
For example, currently:
•works with screen readers,
•has great navigation,
•pictorial material adequately described.
27

28. Inbuilt accessibility: Standard
E-book read by eyes ears or fingers

29. Definitions: Customised for
accessibility
A separate version of, or additions to,
a mainstream publication,
modified to be read by disabled persons
using their eyes, ears or fingers to read.
This may include:
• Re-design for Braille, adding additional description, speech
narration, additional tactile diagrams, simplification.
• Often, distributed separately via a special library.
29

30. Different version or addition
Customised for accessibility
• Picture descriptions, complex layout
• Simplified for learning disability
• Economically derived from standard e-book

31. Inclusive publishing delivers learners
Reading what they want, when they want
with eyes, ears or fingers

32. Strategy for Inclusive Publishing
• Increasing numbers of publications that are “born
accessible”
• Improved efficiency where publications need
enhancements: Customised accessible materials
• Efficient marketplace for customised accessible
materials worldwide: TIGAR, Bookshare, etc.
• Ensuring people have the tools and skills to read
accessible mainstream and enhanced
publications. Technologies & training

33. Vision for curriculum access in 21st C
• E-books readable on mobile devices (Phone)
– Local language speech synthesis & screen readers
– Low cost braille display: Transforming Braille
– Low cost tablets
• Direct production of Braille from e-books
• Teacher support focused on customisation not
transcription
– Picture descriptions, diagrams, maths etc
• Sharing custom materials worldwide

34. E-book revolution provides the
opportunity for Inclusive Publishing
• Publishing industry is under massive change.
• Disruptive technology, not yet matured
• This is THE opportunity to re-engineer the
publishing industry, as an inclusive industry
But how?
34

35. Inclusive publishing
A new model for 21st Century
• Publishers re-design workflows to produce
"Born Digital" e-books, deriving print from this
• They build in most access features to e-Book
• Publishers are linked to a trusted network of
custom materials (re)-publishers
• All learners gets e-Book at same place and use
standard devices (with their access tech)
• A world e-network of Trusted Intermediaries
"Shops" provide custom access materials

36. Great progress
• Many educational publishers "Get it"
– Pearson, Elsevier, CUP etc
– Apple has mastered accessibility - gaining
competitive advantage
– Industry needs help, support & advocacy
• Legislation helps: US & EU law puts pressure
– Level playing field. Reward those who do right
• Thousands of learners getting independent
access now

37. Projects with WIPO & Publishers
Stakeholder Platform to deliver inclusive publishing
• Copyright reform: WIPO Treaty in June 2013
• Enabling Technologies
• EPUB 3 standard development and roll out
• Mainstream tools that deliver inbuilt accessibility
• Publisher education & training
• Tools to deliver custom materials: Obi, Tobi
• TIGAR network: (Trusted Intermediary network) & Bookshare
– market place for custom access materials
• Developing Countries capacity building

38. Inclusive publishing & E-Books:
Still much more to do!
• User skills and confidence
• Accessible menus and navigation
• Finding and buying
• Terrible speech
• Digital Rights Management blocks access tools
• User tools & publisher tools & systems
• Publisher knowledge & skills
• Learner support staff skills

39. How you can help
• Tell publishers you want inclusive publications
– Procurement policies
– Customer feedback
– Advocacy with educational publishing industry
– Promote PA/TechDis best practice guides
• Promulgate good practice & training materials
• Help people develop skills & confidence
• Join the DAISY Consortium and participate

40. E-Books
Ugly Duckling or Adolescent Swan?
Its up to all of us to make sure they grow up as Swans
that deliver the "Right to Read" in 21st Century

41. Together we can
Solve the book famine
Thank you!
Stephen King
President DAISY Consortium: President@Daisy.org
Royal National Institute of Blind People: www.rnib.org.uk