RE: EPUB Accessibility

Hi Wayne,

 

You might want to check out the titles from VitalSource in this collection:

https://benetechaccessiblebooks.vitalsource.com/

 

I am finding reflowable EPUB STEM content.

 

These titles have passed Global Certified Accessible (GCA).

 

 

Best

George

 

From: Wayne Dick <wayneedick@gmail.com> 
Sent: Friday, June 16, 2023 3:18 PM
To: W3C WAI ig <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: EPUB Accessibility

 

EPUB  is an international standard based on HTML. They have an accessibility standard  <https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-a11y-11/> https://www.w3.org/TR/epub-a11y-11/. This is tied to WCAG 2.1. This is good. If the reflow criterion  1.4.10 is needed anywhere, it is needed in published books, articles, monographs etc.

There is a "fixed format" for ebooks. This is inaccessible categorically. I  hope that  this  is  called out by the EPUB organization in its literature  on accessibility.

When we address the overhead cost of 2-dimensional scrolling for articles, monographs and books we are talking about thousands, tens  of thousands and hundreds of thousands of scrolls.

There are no textbooks in mathematics beyond  calculus that reflow, and I only know  of one calculus that reflows. 

Special attention should  be given to  STEM textbooks. Lack of accessible STEM textbooks is the reason for low participation in STEM subjects for people with print disabilities. It is very difficult to succeed in a course when you don't have a textbook.

best, Wayne