Bridging the gap between adapted and born accessible content in publishing

The European Digital Reading Lab (EDRLab) is implementing a groundbreaking strategy to bridge the gap between adapted and born-accessible content in publishing. This initiative seeks to ensure that both types of content are readable on specialised devices and general public reading applications, promoting inclusivity and accessibility for all readers.

There are plural needs

In today’s digital age, content accessibility is more critical than ever. However, we are at a crossroads where print-disabled readers can find books fitting their needs through specialised services and mainstream offers, meaning they may have to deal with different types of content. For a long time, they have had access to adapted content that refers to materials modified by non-profit organisations to meet the specific needs of particular readers. Nowadays, publishers can also benefit from designing content that is born-accessible and usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities. That change has to be appropriated to reach its full potential.

The strategy of EDRLab focuses on several key areas: integrating adaptive technologies, promoting user-friendly design principles, and developing inclusive content standards. By combining different approaches—modifying existing specialised reading experiences and creating new ones with accessibility in mind—, EDRLab aims to ensure equal access to digital content for all readers, fostering an environment where everyone can fully engage with information and resources regardless of their abilities. This holistic strategy enhances content’s usability and promotes a culture of inclusivity and accessibility in the digital landscape.

Key focus areas

1. Fostering understanding of ebook accessibility features: user-oriented research, interprofessional workshops and conference advocacy are keys to making known and understood how people read and why ebooks must give attention to the semantics and add textual alternatives to graphical resources. We are actively participating in the writing of the W3C’s accessibility metadata display guide and also provide a project framework to support our members in localising it. We’ve also built a dictionary of accessibility metadata, which persons in charge of writing them can use. It has also been implemented as a questionnaire by distributors, librarians, or any actor describing ebook accessibility.
2. Agnostic access to general and specialised catalogues: no one wants to spend time finding, loading and understanding different types of catalogues in various formats with different affordances. It is vital to provide indiscriminate access to general and specialised catalogues and ensure that all readers can explore a wide range of publications regardless of their needs or the type of content they seek. Uniting both catalogue protocols encourages a culture of inclusivity, where every reader can discover and engage with diverse materials without barriers.
3. Readability on general public reading applications: we are focused on ensuring that both accessible and adapted content can be read on general public reading applications. This approach allows users to access and enjoy content on popular e-readers, tablets, and smartphones, regardless of their accessibility needs. Such inclusivity ensures that everyone can participate in the digital reading ecosystem.
4. Readability on specialised devices: we aim to ensure that adapted and born-accessible content can be read on specialised devices designed for individuals with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and other accessibility needs. We support the efforts of companies building these devices to ensure they are fully compatible with modern mainstream formats like EPUB and use most of its functionalities to provide richer reading experiences. We aim to provide a seamless reading experience for all users.
5. Support for LCP DRM by Braille Displays: an essential component of EDRLab’s strategy is the free-of-charge support to implement LCP (Licensed Content Protection) Digital Rights Management (DRM) on Braille displays. LCP DRM is a standard that allows publishers to protect their content while ensuring it remains accessible. By integrating LCP DRM with Braille displays, we aim to enable visually impaired readers to access protected content without barriers. The first LCP-certified apparels are now available, providing readers with the power to read 12 million titles in 84 countries.
6. Enhancing accessibility metadata for backlist content: we assist the entire ecosystem in understanding the needs and gaps related to accessibility by undertaking several projects focused on enhancing accessibility metadata for backlist titles. By improving the metadata for older content, EDRLab ensures that readers can easily find and access materials that are suitable for their needs, thereby promoting a more prosperous and inclusive reading experience. More is to be developed as recent research projects have shown that there are missing tools to asses and remediate large batches of files in the most automated possible way.

Expected impacts

The European Digital Reading Lab’s efforts to bridge the gap between adapted and born-accessible content in publishing represent a significant step towards a more inclusive digital future. By ensuring that all content is readable on specialised devices and general public reading applications, supporting LCP DRM on Braille displays, enhancing accessibility metadata for backlist content, and providing unrestricted access to catalogues, EDRLab participates in the efforts to set a new standard for accessibility in the publishing industry. This initiative underscores the importance of inclusivity and highlights EDRLab’s commitment to making digital content accessible to everyone.