EPUB3 Empowers Learning Professionals on the Go

George Kerscher - Secretary General, DAISY Consortium, Senior Officer, Accessible Technology, Learning Ally, President IDPF

EPUB3: Marching to Replace PDF as the Standard for Accessible Published Materials

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What is EPUB?

• EPUB is an Open Electronic Publishing Standard from the International Digital Publishing Forum

• EPUB is based on Open Web Standards

• EPUB is fast becoming the de-facto book publishing standard for Education

• EPUB is supported by the major mobile devices – Android and iOS

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Open Web Standards used in EPUB

• HTML5• WAI-ARIA• SVG• MathML• CSS• SMIL

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EPUB Adoption Today

• Second only to plain text and PDF in platform reader support– Kindle: Main exception but converters exist

• Document converters exist to convert Word to EPUB• Authoring Tools Are Available• Asia-Pacific: EPUB is THE standard as Amazon is not present• Korea: All education materials are EPUB• All the publishing support systems and conversion houses

support EPUB

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Sample ePUB Readers

• Apps– Apple iBooks– Google Play Books– Aldiko– Calibre– FB Reader– Various reader apps,

such as Kobo, Nook, Learning A11y...

• Web and cloud– Magic Software– Readium– EPUBReader– ...

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EPUB vs. PDF - Mainstream

• EPUB is NOT designed for high print fidelity• Reflow and scroll vs. pinch and squeeze on mobile• More searchable (based on HTML5)• Ability to create portable cloud annotation

– Highlighting, bookmarks, notes, etc.

• Ability to increase fonts dynamically• Easier to translate – (Based on HTML5)• Tie speech to text (self voice)• Future: Deliver a context aware experience• Deliver Interactive Documentation (Already going on in Education)• Able to phase in features as enterprise is ready• And More: It is programmatically accessible

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PDF Accessibility

• Technical– Tagged PDF Very Hard to make Accessible.– Accessibility infrastructure outdated– Accessibility support limited beyond Windows– No access to Math and rich graphics

• Customers– Costly to remediate accessibility issues– Disabled users would like to see it 'go away’

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EPUBAccessibilityHTML5 + ARIA 1.0

EPUB Accessibility and the Open Web

Today Tomorrow

User Context Accessibility Info.• CSS Media Queries• IndieUI User Context

New Accessibility Semantics• WAI-ARIA 1.1• Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA Module • WAI-ARIA Graphics Module

SVG2 Accessibility• WAI-ARIA 1.1• WAI-ARIA Graphics Module• Keyboard support• Connectors

Miscellaneous• Web Speech API• QTI test widgets• MathML reader cloud extensions

for Readium (Benetech)

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Questions?

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Readium.org

• Open Source Technology for EPUB 3 and the Open Web Platform

• Develops technology to accelerate the adoption of EPUB 3 by the global digital publishing industry

• Non-profit membership organization • Formed in February, 2013

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Readium Members (partial list)

• IBM• DAISY Consortium• Benetech• Evident Point• Learning Ally• New York Public Library

• Bluefire Productions• Datalogics• Digital Public Library of

America• KOBO• Publiwide• Many more …

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Readium Products

• Readium Web– EPUB 3 rendering engine for browser-based cloud readers

• Readium SDK – 1.0 released 12/2014– EPUB 3 rendering engine for native apps

• Reference Applications– OSX, iOS, Android, Windows (in progress)

• All hosted on github.com/Readium

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Readium Applications

• Web Applications– Chrome Extension – Release 2.18.1, 05/2015

• Packaged app runs in its own window– Cloud Reader

• Mobile Applications– iOS, Android, Windows (in progress)

• Desktop Applications– OS X, Windows (in progress)

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Readium Licensing

•  Gnu Affero General Public License Version 3– copyleft

• Alternative license based upon Apache 2.0– targeted to commercial adopters – requires minimum contribution

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Readium Features

• Support for EPUB 2.0 and 3.0 Rendering• Media Overlays• MathML (via MathJax)• EPUB Reading System Object• Obfuscated font support• Accessibility• Plug-in architecture• Versioning via github hashes

For more details see Readium SDK 1.0 Release Notes

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Readium Future Plans

• EPUB 3.01• EDUPUB• Digital Rights Mgmt. (DRM) via Lightweight Content

Protection (LCP)• Cross-browser support• Additional Features

– bookmarks, annotations, search– pop-up footnotes– multiple renditions– More …

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Readium Demo

See http://weba11y.com/Examples/Readium/ReadiumFFDemo.html

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Hosting an EPUB Document via Readium

• Host Readium on your web server• Easily provide a URL to view and navigate your document• http://bgibsonmbp/Readium/simpleviewer.html?epub=epub_content/linear-algebra

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Questions?

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EPUB Authoring Tools

• EPUB 3 brings the full power of HTML 5 to portable documents• Goal is to deliver the most readable, engaging and accessible

experience to readers• Publishers have developed internal production processes that

make the best use of their assets• Conversion vendors specialize in EPUB 3 for the

publishing industry• “Save as EPUB 3” feature: demand will drive

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Tracking Authoring Revolution

• Pages first to support EPUB creation• iBooks Author 2.3 adds support for EPUB 3• People with fair knowledge of XHTML 5 can create separate

XHTML files and then build .epub files with EPUBCheck• DAISY Community uses Tobi to create EPUB 3• DAISY Pipeline 2 converts DAISY files to EPUB 3• List of authoring tools: http://epubzone.org/solutions • Accessibility needs improvement

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Authoring Tools for the Masses is Critical

• Must promote access to digital math (MathML) in Education

– Providing the ability for students to use the keyboard to navigate a math equation while seeing the parts highlighted and spoken resulted in math comprehension going up across the board by 10-15% for all students

– STOP using bitmaps for Math!

• Must promote accessible content (*W3C ATAG 2)– HTML5– SVG Drawings

• Teachers could have a vehicle to create and distribute accessible, interactive course material and even embed tests in it

*W3C ATAG 2: W3C Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines 2

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EPUB 3 / EDUPUB

• EDUPUB: EPUB 3 semantically enhanced for education– From IDPF*: Establishing a globally interoperable, accessible, open

ecosystem for e-Textbooks and other Digital Learning Materials via EPUB 3 and the Open Web Platform

• Integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS)

• Going far beyond the print textbook– Question & Test Interoperability (QTI) widgets– Common Widget Library (Scripted components)– Caliper analytic integration for analyzing learning outcomes

*IDPF – International Digital Publishing Forum

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How EDUPUB Builds upon EPUB 3

• Adds semantics for common educational publishing components and structures.

• Defines how to include content that may be created external to the narrative text workflow, such as interactions and assessment

• Includes accessibility features to enable compliance with educational standards

• Enables the identification of discrete content entities• Allows the embedding of shared educational scriptable

components• Adds support for annotations (this is now being defined in open Annotations spec)

• Defines guidelines for the production and inclusion of images.

Info taken from EPUB 3 EDUPUB Profile document of January, 2015

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Questions?

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• trade and educational publishers • journal and magazine publishers• comics and Manga industry • disability-focused organizations • educational institutions • governmental organizations • tech companies • standards organizations

Inclusive Publishing Industry

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Publisher Concerns

Publishers ask: “What do I need to do to make my publications accessible to persons with disabilities?” Agreement needs to be reached on the baseline features.

• It is not easy• We must push the bar higher• We must be practical

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• Publication must provide accessible content in EPUB 3 (or future version)

• Reading system used must support EPUB 3 content• Publication, in the context of the reading system, must be

useable with Assistive Technology (AT)

Consensus: All three components must be working or it is impractical to include a given feature as a requirement for accessibility in published documents.

EPUB 3 Designed for Everybody

Requirements

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Today

• Using EPUB 3 publishers can deliver the text of their publication in a well-structured, logical reading order, even if images are used for title or headings as long as ALT text is there.

• EPUB reading systems can present the full text of an EPUB 3 publication on every platform.

• Assistive Technology (AT) can integrate with reading systems and speak the text using synthetic speech (TTS), as refreshable braille using a Bluetooth device, or enlarge the text on the screen. 

Consensus: Well-structured text in a logical reading order is a baseline requirement for a Born Accessible publication. Authoring and reading system tools may go beyond the baseline for Born Accessible EPUB 3.

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Questions?

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HTML5 Content Structure

To benefit all readers, publishers must make use of the native semantics of HTML 5 – starting point of accessible content, foundation for digital publishing

This will enable:• logical reading order• effective navigation• skipping and escaping content

Consensus: Native HTML 5 elements will be used to correctly identify content structure

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Images, ALT Text & Additional Enhancements

• Images used for ornamental purposes• Images & graphics can be made accessible through ALT text• Images, charts, diagrams, maps, infographics, artwork, etc. that

convey information may need to be customized for different types of learners

• ALT text will be provided following W3C A & AA guidelines,also addressed by – Accessible EPUB 3: Best Practices by Matt Garrish– DIAGRAM’s Image Guidelines for EPUB 3– Forthcoming BISG Quick Start Guide for Accessibility.

Consensus: Publishers will identify ornamental images.

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Metadata, Asserting Compliance

• Metadata will be necessary for discovery, marketing, sales and inclusion in educational coursework.

Consensus: Metadata will identify the accessibility features of publications that confirm to the baseline Born Accessible agreed-upon features, as defined in– ONIX code (List 196)– Schema.org which includes a set of accessibility metadata

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Enhancements to Born Accessible Publications

• Adding value by using Diagrammar: A Framework for Making Images and Graphics Accessible

• Republishing materials for persons who are not technologically capable – the safety net

• Future enhancements delivered separately as annotations • Reading system would integrate those annotations with the

commercially available Born Accessible version• DAISY Consortium members make terrific partners to make

information fully accessible

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Educational Publications and the EDUPUB Profile of EPUB 3

• Modern educational publications in EPUB 3 format are anticipated to use the EDUPUB profile

• Videos need to be captioned• Support for MathML rapidly evolving• Scripted components, widgets, assessments, 3D (WebGL)

demonstrations, data visualizations, SVG

Consensus: Educational materials will have additional requirements in the baseline for Born Accessible EPUB 3 in the EDUPUB profile

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Questions?

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Broadly Available EPUB Authoring Tools

• Needed in education for course content development• Needed in governmental organizations for publications• Needed for everyday use by authors, students and professionals

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Conformance and Certification

• Epubcheck, use it now• Pre-flight needed to assist with checking conformance• Self-certification linked to metadata• External certification of publisher content

Consensus: Tools for evaluation, certification approaches, approved guidelines training and support will be topics for discussion

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Reading System Testing

epubtest.org - IDPF, BISG, DAISY Collaboration

Fundamental accessibility tests available now.

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Raising the Bar

Consensus: The practical baseline features for Born Accessible publications are expected to advance as technology and work processes improve

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Call to Action

• Everybody is invited to participate in the evolving Inclusive Publishing Ecosystem

• Formal announcement will kick off the collaborative effort• We do not expect to meet in-person, all virtual• DAISY Consortium will help to drive• Key principles: Consensus and Practicality• We need to raise the bar over time• Contact: George Kerscher directly: kerscher@montana.com

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EPUB News – EPUB continues to gain steam

• DOJ EdX ADA Settlement with Harvard and MIT – Digital books MUST be in accessible EPUB3 format or Digital Accessible

Information System (DAISY)– MathML for must be used for digital mathematical and scientific notation– Must use WAI-ARIA– WCAG2 AA compliance is mandatory

• Google is evaluating EPUB export for Google Docs

• IMS Global Learning Consortium is moving from Word/HTML/PDF publications to EPUB

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Questions?