The Open Book Accessibility Model
libraries and small presses partnering for sustainable accessibility practices
Hi! I’m Joanne
Open Book Futures Accessibility and Engagement Manager
Lancaster University
OPENBOOK-ACCESSIBILITY@JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Our Recommendations
SHORT TERM
LONG TERM
Our Short Term Recommendations
Exemptions
VPATs
Statements
Does legislation apply to the press or not?
Complete a VPAT
Publish an accessibility statement
Exempt Small Presses
What does accessibility look like beyond strict legal compliance?
How should it be meaningfully assessed?
?
?
Our Principles 1
1. Access has not been fully provided to a research output unless it is accessible.
Our Principles 2
2. Accessible means the research output is perceivable, operable, understandable and robust (i.e. interoperable with assistive technology).
Our Principles 3
3. All professionals involved in the production of research outputs have a part to play in achieving accessible content.
Our Principles 4
4. Scholarly communications professionals should seek to remove all barriers to access, including paywalls, accessibility barriers and others.
Our Principles 5
5. Research outputs should be born accessible by default, rather than accessible on demand or requiring a separate version that is available at a later time or through a different channel.
Our Principles 6
6. No accessibility standard can capture the accessibility needs profile of an individual; it is therefore important to respond to individual accessibility requests.
Our Principles 7
7. Accessibility enables usability and is not just for the print disabled, but is for everyone to customise their reading experience.
Our Principles 8
8. Accessibility is not just aimed at humans exclusively; it also enables machine readability and ensures robustness/interoperability with all automated systems.
Our Principles 9
9. Accessibility helps a research output to reach its true audience, not just those who can perceive/operate/understand it, or access it.
Our Principles 10
10. Disabled people have economic disadvantages that Open Access initiatives focused on removing paywalls can help with.
Our Principles 11
11. Open access has advantages in terms of accessibility that closed access does not, in particular through the absence of DRM technology interfering with assistive technology, the prior consideration of copyright restrictions that might prevent producing accessible versions, and other lack of restrictions on re-use enabling maximised usability.
Librarians
How can you help?
Our Long Term Recommendations
PLAN
CHECK
LEARN
COMMUNICATE
EVIDENCE
Frameworks and planning tools for accessibility across the press
Checklists and auditing tools to help improve individual book files
Understand legislation and standards with learning resources
Accessibility statements, author guidelines and sharing best practice
Ethical motivations for accessibility beyond compliance with legislation
10 SOAPT�10 Step Open Accessibility Planning Tool
10 SOAPT
Thankyou!
j.fitzpatrick2@lancaster.ac.uk