Accessibility of Ebooks and Audiobooks: an Awareness and Training Strategy for Public Libraries in Canada 156
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ACCESSIBLE PUBLISHING RESEARCH PROJECT Association of Canadian Publishers and eBOUND Canada APRIL 2020 Contents CONTRIBUTORS 6 Sponsoring Organizations 6 Research Organizations 6 INTRODUCTION FROM ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN PUBLISHERS AND EBOUND 9 i. Landscape Review 10 ii. Standards and Certification 10 iii. Awareness and Training Strategy 11 PART ONE: LANDSCAPE REVIEW 12 A) “How do YOU Read?”, The Reader Perspective (NNELS) 13 Executive Summary 13 Key Findings 13 Key Recommendations 14 Chapter 1. Context and Background of the HDYR Report 19 Chapter 2. “How do YOU Read?” Study: Methods 24 Chapter 3. Study Results 28 Chapter 4. All Recommendations 82 Chapter 5. Conclusion and Acknowledgements 91 B) Landscape Review: The Publishers’ and Marketplace Perspective (Davy, Howson and Lee) 94 Overview 94 Methodology 94 Background Context: The Move to Accessibility in Digital Publications 95 Findings 98 2 Recommendations 102 Conclusion 105 PART TWO: STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION REVIEW (DAVY, HOWSON AND LEE) 106 National Standards and Certification Recommendations 107 Summary 107 Recommended Key Guidelines and Documentation 111 Standards and Certifications Bodies 112 Certification Recommendations 115 PART THREE: TRAINING AND OUTREACH STRATEGY 126 A) Publishers, Colleges and Retailers (Ross) 127 Training Strategy 127 Inventory of Existing Training Programs 128 Training Recommendations 130 B) Public Libraries in Canada (NNELS & CELA) 135 Context 135 Terminology 135 Background 136 Review of Existing Training Resources on Accessibility for Public Libraries 138 Recommended Resources: 138 Additional Resources: 140 Method 141 Key Themes and Supporting Themes 142 Awareness and Training Strategy: 4 Year Plan (2020–2023) 147 Acknowledgements 149 CONCLUSION 151 3 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING 152 “How do YOU Read?”, The Reader Perspective 152 References 152 Further Reading 154 Accessibility of Ebooks and Audiobooks: An Awareness and Training Strategy for Public Libraries in Canada 156 References 156 APPENDICES 158 Appendix A: Glossary of Terms 159 Appendix B: Questions for Key Informants 160 Appendix C: Survey Text 161 How do YOU Read? A Survey of the Reading Needs and Habits of People with Print Disabilities in Canada 161 SURVEY QUESTIONS 162 Comment lisez-vous ? Un sondage sur les besoins et les habitudes de lecture chez les personnes au Canada qui ont une déficience de lecture des imprimés. 173 Questions du sondage 174 Appendix D: Disability Language Tips Provided by NNELS 188 Appendix E: List of Organizations Interviewed for Landscape Review: Publishers and Market Perspective & National Standards and Certification Recommendations 189 Appendix F: Overview of Benetech 190 Appendix G: Overview of LIA 193 Appendix H: Accessibility Training Services 196 Appendix I: Contacts for Accessibility Training Report 198 4 Funding for this study was provided by the Government of Canada. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Canada, which is in no way bound by the recommendations contained in this document. The Association of Canadian Publishers acknowledges the contributions of its Accessible Publishing Advisory panel, made up of ACP members and eBOUND Canada client publishers. Thank you to all of the volunteers who reviewed draft versions of this report. © 2020, Association of Canadian Publishers. All rights reserved. Association of Canadian Publishers 174 Spadina Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5T 2C2 www.publishers.ca 5 Contributors Sponsoring Organizations ACP is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies, professionally managed, and owned and controlled in Canada, in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic and educational landscape. More information about ACP and its 115 members can be found at www.publishers.ca. eBOUND Canada was incorporated in 2011 as a not-for-profit corporation. eBOUND Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ACP. It evolved from Canadian Publishers Digital Services, established by the ACP in March 2009, with the vision of making Canada a world leader in using digital technology to make every Canadian book—past, present and future—available and accessible to readers in Canada and around the world. eBOUND’s mandate is to enable independent Canadian publishers to engage in the digital marketplace no matter their size or level of expertise. More information about eBOUND can be found at www.eboundcanada.org. Research Organizations CASTLEDALE INC | DIANE DAVY, PRESIDENT Castledale Inc. specializes in the business of the arts, culture and entertainment sector, providing services, ranging from business planning to strategic policy research and development, to both the private and public sectors. Diane Davy, Castledale’s President, is hands-on with all projects. With over 25 years of experience, she brings senior-level expertise and well-honed judgment to her clients’ needs. She has a depth and breadth of contacts in the sectors she serves. Her areas of expertise include strategic business planning, organizational structure and management, marketing strategies, revenue generation (including grant applications and sponsorships), board governance, project management, and other related topics. She frequently works with government departments providing research and recommendations on policy and programming that affect the publishing sector. BARBARA HOWSON, HOWSON CONSULTING Howson Consulting is a unique service for the creative industries, designed to help clients deliver on their goals of growth in sales, licensing, research and marketing in Canada and internationally. Barbara’s approach is built from a deep understanding of publishing fundamentals combined with strategic thinking, and informed by thirty years 6 of experience in the creative industries. Barbara specializes in finding opportunities for growth, not only within the publishing industry, but also in the wider scope of arts and media. This holistic model enables decision-making that drives growth and diversification within the publishing industry and beyond. AMANDA LEE, BIBLIOGRAPHIC METADATA CONSULTANT Amanda Lee is a publishing technology specialist with a focus on digital distribution platforms and metadata enhancement. Amanda is skilled at using her broad industry knowledge and experience to research and understand the ways people find, access and consume Canadian content. KRYS ROSS CONSULTING Krys Ross has worked in Canadian publishing for over forty years holding executive positions with Key Porter Books, McClelland & Stewart, Tundra Books and Oxford University Press. Krys was Publisher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and also ran the hospital’s design, print shop, translation and web development departments. She has served on the boards of the Association of Canadian Publishers, the Ontario Book Publishers Organization and Access Copyright. Her last role before retirement was CEO of eBOUND Canada. CENTRE FOR EQUITABLE LIBRARY ACCESS The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) is an accessible library service, providing books, magazines and newspapers to people with print disabilities in Canada in the formats of their choice. CELA’s mission is to support public libraries in Canada in the provision of accessible collections for people with print disabilities in equal measure to that which is enjoyed by other members of their communities, and to champion the fundamental right of people with print disabilities to access media and reading materials in the format of their choice. Rina Hadziev is the Executive Director of CELA. She was a member of the CELA board from 2016–2019 and has played a key role advocating for improved access to ebooks and digital audiobooks for libraries and their patrons through her participation with the Canadian Urban Libraries Council Digital Content Working Group. Rina has over 15 years of experience in public library leadership, with roles in public services, collections and technical services. NNELS The National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) is a digital public library of books for people with print disabilities in Canada, and an advocate for an accessible and equitable reading ecosystem for all people in Canada. The goals of NNELS are to build capacity and employment opportunities for people with print disabilities, to advance the agenda of “born accessible” publishing, and to develop and maintain a digital 7 repository of accessible books for people with print disabilities in Canada, delivered through the network of public libraries in Canada. LEAH BROCHU is the Accessible Publishing Coordinator for NNELS, a librarian, and a Senior Managing Editor for the International Journal for Information, Diversity, & Inclusion. LAURIE DAVIDSON is a Project Manager for NNELS and the Emerging Initiatives Coordinator for the BC Libraries Cooperative. She has over twenty years of experience working with libraries, technology, digital content licensing and accessibility. She is passionate about building an equitable reading landscape for everyone. DANIELLA LEVY-PINTO is the Accessibility Testing and Consulting Coordinator for NNELS and works to inform a paradigm shift toward born accessible content and inclusive design. She is totally blind and has been a user of assistive technology for 25 years in her different