www.g3ict.org G3ict Publications & Reports Business Case White Paper Series e-Accessible Knowledge Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies e-Accessible Knowledge A G3ict Business Case White Paper Series Spring 2016 Acknowledgments Editors This G3ICT White Paper picks up and builds on the topics addressed at Dominique Burger, the 9th European e-Accessibility Forum, held on 8 June 2015 at the Cité UPMC-INSERM, Chair of BrailleNet des Sciences in Paris. Over 250 professionals, association members and scholars from around the world gathered on this occasion to discuss Katie Durand, “e-Accessible Knowledge”. Ten of the conference speakers and one further Freelance Consultant expert, all actively involved in e-Accessibility, have accepted the invitation to update the opinions and points-of-view expressed on this occasion in Contributors order to shape a review on this question. Daniel Goldstein, Brown Goldstein Levy Bill Kasdorf, Apex Content Solutions Alex Bernier, BrailleNet Betsy Beaumon, Benetech Neil Soiffer, Design Science Volker Sorge, University of Birmingham Jan Engelen, University of Leuven Jean Millerat, Centre National d’Enseignement a Distance G3ict wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the organizers of Paul Nisbet, University of Edinburgh the e-Accessibility Forum, Universcience and BrailleNet for making the Riitta Vivolin-Karen, The Finnish Association of the Deaf proceedings of the European e-Accessibility Forum available for publication Jean-Philippe Moreux, French National Library by G3ict and to Dominique Burger and Katie Durand for their invaluable editorial contributions in developing the concept of this white paper. Reviewers About G3ict Axel Leblois, Founder and Executive Director, G3ict Francesca CesaBianchi, Director, External Relations, G3ict G3ict is an advocacy initiative launched in December 2006 by the United Christine Forget-Leblois, Editor, G3ict Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Design by Manuel Ortiz - www.modesignstudio.com UNDESA. Its mission is to facilitate and support the implementation of the Document accessibility review by Barrier Break dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) promoting digital accessibility and Assistive Technologies. Participating organizations include industry, academia, the public sector Special Mentions and organizations representing persons with disabilities. G3ict organizes This publication is intended for educational and informational purposes. or contributes to awareness-raising and capacity building programs for References to specific companies have been included solely to advance policy makers in cooperation with international organizations, such these purposes and do not constitute and endorsement, sponsorship or as the ITU, ILO, UNESCO, UNITAR, UNESCAP, UN Global Compact recommendation by G3ict. and the World Bank. In 2011, G3ict launched the M-Enabling Summit Series (www.m-enabling.com) to promote accessible mobile phones and © 2016 G3ict: Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication services for persons with disabilities and seniors, in cooperation with the Technologies. All Rights Reserved. ITU and the FCC (U.S. Federal Communications Commission). G3ict produces jointly with ITU the e-Accessibility Policy Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities (www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org), as well as specialized reports which are widely used around the world by policy makers involved in the implementation of the CRPD. G3ict is funded by contributions from corporations and foundations. Its programs are hosted by international organizations, governments, universities and foundations around the world. For additional information on G3ict, visit www.g3ict.org CONTENTS 01 Foreword, Dominique Burger (BrailleNet) and Axel Leblois (G3ict) 02 Préface, Axelle Lemaire (French Minister for Digital Affairs) 03 Framing e-Accessible Knowledge 03 The stick, the carrot, and cozying up: a litigation and legislative strategy for making e-accessibility the default in American post-secondary education, Daniel Goldstein (Brown Goldstein Levy) 05 The EDUPUB Alliance and EPUB for Education - Building a Global, Accessible, Interoperable Educational Ecosystem, Bill Kasdorf (Apex Content Solutions) 08 Making Complex Content Accessible 08 Accessible Scientific Content: Challenges and Prospects, Alex Bernier (BrailleNet) 11 Born Digital, Born Accessible: New Developments in Creation and Use of Accessible Images, Betsy Beaumon (Benetech) 14 The State of Accessible Math, Neil Soiffer (Design Science) 17 The Chem Access project - From Bitmap Graphics to Fully Accessible Chemical Diagrams, Volker Sorge (University of Birmingham) 20 Accessible e-Learning & MOOCs 20 Introduction to Accessible MOOCs, Jan Engelen, University of Leuven 23 Developing Accessible Learning Experiences 23 “E-Accessibility for Learning”, an investment program of the National Centre for Distance Learning, Jean Millerat (Centre National d’Enseignement à Distance) 26 Reliant on Readers, Stuck with Scribes or Independent with ICT? Can technology replace human support in examinations? Paul Nisbet (University of Edinburgh) 29 Co-curricular and Extra-curricular Learning 29 The Right to Access Library Materials in one’s Native Language, including Sign Language, Riitta Vivolin-Karen (The Finnish Association of the Deaf) 32 Accessible EPUB 3 and large-scale digitization: the experience of the French National Library, Jean-Philippe Moreux (French National Library) 35 Conclusion e-Accessible Knowledge 01 Foreword Knowledge is a key driver of social and economic development. It helps This G3ict White Paper presents and discusses: shape individual and collective identity and can be a tool for empowerment • The need for customizable educational environments which adapt to and inclusion. diverse learning styles, abilities, preferences, and needs; • The importance of working with existing international standards that Its production, dissemination and acquisition continue to gain currency are accessible, interoperable, sustainable and recognized by industry; in our information-rich society, and economic growth is increasingly • How existing legislation can be used to challenge some of the determined by society’s capacity to transform learning outcomes into mainstream technology and content vendors who fail to provide quality goods and services. integrated access to their products and services; • Scalable technology solutions that are being developed to enable In this context, disparities in capacity to access and use knowledge can content producers and education providers to produce accessible greatly hinder the development of an inclusive society and become a publications at source, even for particularly complex content; • How some digital content producers are adapting their production significant source of inequality. While important progress has been made processes to take advantage of the efficiency and interoperability that through assistive technologies and accessibility standards elaborated by accessible standards provide; major stakeholder’s consortia such as W3C, IDPF and DAISY, persons • How accessible content, learning environments and assessment with disabilities are still at risk of exclusion, from education in particular. methods can benefit all students, regardless of disabilities or learning Rapid changes in the fields of consumer technology and publishing, differences. however, are transforming the educational ecosystem and the growth of digital and multisensory resources provides a unique opportunity to cater for the needs of millions of individuals who are unable to access printed material. Providing they are used appropriately and according to agreed standards, emerging ICTs can help overcome visual impairments, physical disabilities, or learning differences and greatly enhance access to knowledge for all. Dominique Burger Axel Leblois UPMC-Inserm, Chair of BrailleNet Executive Director, G3ict 02 e-Accessible Knowledge Preface By Axelle Lemaire, French Minister for Digital Affairs One of my goals since joining government has been From a European perspective, I have been paying very close attention to to deliver on our commitment for greater equality the work being carried out on the proposal for a Directive on the accessibility through digital technology. I am doing everything of the public sector bodies’ websites, and I visit Brussels on a regular in my power to ensure that technology brings basis to argue in favor of a Directive with a wider scope. empowerment and does not lead to additional discrimination and social exclusion. Lastly, my Digital Republic bill, which passed its first reading at the An increasing number of our administrative procedures are performed National Assembly on 26 February 2015, includes proposals to promote online. This saves time and boosts productivity for those who are digital accessibility. comfortable using computer hardware and software. But it can pose a genuine problem for those who do not have access to or do not know Article 43 aims to guarantee access for the deaf and hard of hearing to how to use either. a telephone hotline service by offering a simultaneous and visual written translation relay service. At a time when everyone is talking about “digital by default”, my aim is to promote “accessible by default”. Digital accessibility is not just about Article 44 covers accessibility