This item was submitted to Loughborough’s Institutional Repository (https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/) by the author and is made available under the following Creative Commons Licence conditions. For the full text of this licence, please go to: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ Access to books for the visually impaired: minimising charity and maximising choice Bradley Guy Whitehouse Abstract This research aims to find ways of making access to copyrighted books for the visually impaired as much a matter of choice as possible by moving the provision of access away from models based on charity and of building the provision of access into the mainstream. The work of third sector organisations providing access and attempts by the visually impaired community itself to enhance access are described. Realities effecting support workers in universities who have to help visually impaired students investigated. Legal disputes relating to copyright and anti-discrimination law are discussed. Developments in the ebooks market are monitored with a particular reference to attempts to build accessibility into devices like the Kindle and Apple products. The research also looks at how best to secure access to online bookshops, web pages offering ebooks for download in public libraries and ebook libraries in academia. The current level of access being achieved in this area is assessed. Next ongoing attempts to improve access and differing views on the advisability of an approach based on enforcement of the Worldwide Web Consortium’s accessibility guidelines or a more flexible approach emphasising user testing are discussed. Conclusions and recommendations: changes to copyright law and further development and clarification of anti-discrimination law as it applies to publishers are necessary. Libraries should adopt a more innovative approach and field some of the specialist provision currently undertaken by charitable organisations. Accessibility to relevant websites is probably best provided by a combination of ongoing relationship building and with web developers and a more flexible approach than rigid enforcement of accessibility guidelines. Further research is needed on exactly how libraries could undertake specialist transcription most efficiently and on how to bring multi-national companies like Adobe, Amazon and other manufacturers of ebooks reading devices unambiguously into the ambit of anti-discrimination. 3 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY .........................................................................2 Abstract.......................................................................................................................3 List of acronyms .........................................................................................................7 Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................8 1.1 Scope of research ..............................................................................................9 1.2 Background and context .................................................................................10 1.2.1 Access to books ........................................................................................10 1.2.2 Access to websites....................................................................................17 1.3 Broad research questions ................................................................................18 Endnotes................................................................................................................19 Chapter 2 Literature review ......................................................................................20 2.1 Current activity and notions of responsibility.................................................20 2.2 Legal reform and the trusted intermediary model ..........................................24 2.2.1 Legal reform ............................................................................................24 2.2.2 The Trusted intermediary model..............................................................31 2.3 ebooks .............................................................................................................34 2.3.1 Ebooks in academia.................................................................................34 2.3.2 Ebooks and trade literature .....................................................................37 2.3.3 Ebooks in public libraries........................................................................41 2.3.4 Ebooks, accessibility and DAISY .............................................................43 2.4 Securing access to publishing-related websites ..............................................44 2.4.1 Background and Legal situation..............................................................45 2.4.2 The accessibility of ebooks platforms in academia .................................48 2.4.3 The accessibility of online bookshops and Overdrive platforms .............49 2.5 Conclusions.....................................................................................................50 Endnotes................................................................................................................51 Chapter 3 Aims and objectives .................................................................................53 Chapter 4 Research methods.....................................................................................56 4.1 Relevant research traditions............................................................................56 4.2 Literature search and monitoring of websites.................................................61 4.3 Fieldwork and data analysis............................................................................63 4.3.1 Access to trade books...............................................................................64 4.3.2 Access to books in higher education........................................................71 4.3.3 Securing access to online bookshops and libraries.................................78 Endnotes................................................................................................................83 Chapter 5 The accessibility landscape and stakeholder relations .............................85 5.1 Third sector and public library activity...........................................................86 5.2 Self-help activity.............................................................................................92 5.3 Accessibility provided by industry activity ....................................................93 5.3.1 Audiobooks...............................................................................................93 5.3.2 Ebooks: an accessibility grey area ..........................................................97 5.4 Stakeholder relations.......................................................................................99 5.5 Conclusions...................................................................................................107 Endnotes..............................................................................................................110 Chapter 6 Legal disputes, ebooks and DAISY .......................................................114 6.1 Background political developments in the UK and developments at WIPO115 6.2 Overview of the WBU treaty text.................................................................117 6.3 A for-profit exception ...................................................................................118 6.4 Problems surrounding DRM and access to ebooks ......................................120 6.4.1 Alternatives to DRM ..............................................................................121 4 6.4.2 Access to mainstream ebook readers.....................................................122 6.4.3 Adapting media players designed for the visually impaired..................128 6.5 Cross-border transfer of accessible books and files......................................131 6.6 The relevance of DAISY and going beyond exceptions...............................133 6.7 Conclusions...................................................................................................137 Endnotes..............................................................................................................138 Chapter 7 Access to the higher education curriculum and the law.........................142 7.1 Relevant legislation.......................................................................................142 7.2 The accessibility landscape and stakeholder relations..................................144 7.2.1 Staff training ..........................................................................................145 7.2.2 Best-practice guidelines.........................................................................149 7.2.3 Resourcing issues...................................................................................153 7.2.4 Interactions between support staff and publishers ................................154 7.3 Legal reform and ideas on a central repository.............................................161 7.3.1 Stakeholders’ opinions...........................................................................161 7.3.2 Technical feasibility...............................................................................164 7.3.3 Issues of Cost .........................................................................................167