Resources for Accessible Instructional Materials

Summer Accessibility Institute

July 11, 2007

Licensing Digital Collections

Application of the Procurement Process to

Electronic Library Materials Acquisition

By Lisa Moske, Director

Systemwide Electronic Information Resources

California State University, Office of the Chancellor

Scope• CSU-SEIR (Systemwide Electronic Information Resources) manages

over 60 systemwide agreements, covering over 200 resources, for the 23 CSU libraries

• Digital content for libraries is licensed from and hosted by both commercial and non-profit vendors

• Scholarly journals, index & abstracts services, statistical information, encyclopedias, general reference, directories, archives, aggregated resources

• Over 25,000 full text titles• Resources cover core programs, including Arts and Humanities,

Life and Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and professional programs

• Information is delivered and searchable on web-based platforms

Advisory Process• CSU-SEIR works closely with each of the campus libraries and with

the Electronic Access to Information Resources (EAR) Committee, an advisory committee appointed by the Council of Library Directors

• SEIR, in partnership with the libraries and with EAR, engages the ongoing effort to inform vendors and providers on systemwide needs, including accessible technology

• The EAR Committee recommends resources of systemwide interest, advises on systemwide collection development criteria and standards, and performs formal product reviews

• The EAR review process was revised in 2006, and includes a special evaluation form for 508 compliance and accessibility

Challenges• Informing the publishers of digital content about accessibility is an ongoing and

challenging effort• In 2003, the Chair of the EAR committee invited the vendors SEIR works with to

engage in a dialog about accessibility. Only a handful of vendors responded.• Vendors have varying levels of understanding of the requirements; many must make

substantial changes in their business practices and product development cycles to comply

• SEIR requests that vendors fill out the VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) and discusses compliance and/or company timelines for building compliant platforms during contract negotiations for renewing agreements and when considering new resources

• Fortunately, we notice ongoing, progressive change and increased understanding

• Before new resources are considered for systemwide purchase, vendors must exhibit compliance or have a timeline for compliance in place

Positive Change• The CSU’s negotiations and conversations with vendors are creating a

broader awareness that will benefit the wider community• Vendors are showing more awareness and understanding of the needs and

are more responsive to requests for information and for change • Vendors are demonstrating willingness to partner with CSU and other

academic institutions to meet or exceed current compliance standards• Accessibility and/or compliance clauses or statements are being included in

publishers’ licenses• Adding compliance statements to current and new systemwide

agreements is progressively building the record, and will eventually allow campuses to track accessible products and services

CSU Center for Accessible Media (CAM)

Supporting campus efforts to provide timely alternate formats of instructional materials

By Mark Turner, Director

CSU Center for Accessible Media

California State University, Office of the Chancellor

CAM Development• Established as CSU coordinating center for

electronic text (e-text) distribution in 2004• Centralizes listings of 7,000+ e-text holdings from

across the CSU• Coordinates requests of e-text from CSU to

publishers• Facilitates intra-campus distribution of e-text to

CSU campuses• Systematizes tracking of alternate media

requests and fulfillments

CAM Goals• General goals

• Increase timeliness of delivery• Increase operational efficiencies• Increase cost-savings• Leverage CSU resources

• Specific goals• Increase publisher compliance• Eliminate redundant requests to publishers• Eliminate redundant in-house production• Decrease in-house production of alternate media

CAM Structure• Technology

• Web-based interface• Database back-end• Hosted on Chancellor’s Office network

• Access• Authorized alternate media personnel via password• New Feature: Open access for browsing/searching

Demonstration of Open Access

• Currently in Testing Phase• Projected Go-Live: Fall, 2007• Additional features currently under investigation

• Subject browsing• Federated searching• Additional formats (audio, large-print, Braille)

CSU Digital Marketplace Accessibility Project

Enabling Discovery of Accessible Digital Content

Matching Learner Needs to Resources

By Mary Cheng, Director

Accessible Technology Initiative

California State University, Office of the Chancellor

Digital Marketplace Defined• A set of open, standards-based Internet services that

allow for the exchange of commercial and non-commercial education content between providers and users

• The goal of the Digital Marketplace is to provide the broadest array of digital learning materials and innovative learning practices to the largest number of students and faculty of the California State University system at the most affordable cost.

What types of exchange modes will the DM include?

• Sharing: peer-to-peer (free content)• Farmers Market: exchange (direct sales from

producer to customer like eBay)• Library: public interest (CSU electronic core

collection)• Department Store: commerce (goods and

services like Amazon.com)

DM Accessibility Project: Integration of Accessibility into the Overall Design

Our VisionFaculty and students will be able to easily find and

use content that meets their accessibility needs

Core Idea: Reframing Disability in the Learning Context

• Disability= Mismatch between learner needs and education offered

• Not a personal trait but an artifact of relationship between the learner and the learning environment or education delivery

• Accessibility= The ability of the learning environment to adjust to the needs of all learners

“Access for All” Metadata Standard

• Enables discovery of the accessibility features of content resources (Accessibility Metadata)

• Enables the identification of user accessibility needs and preference (Profile Service)

• IMS Global Consortium: http://www.imsglobal.org/

Teacher’s Domain Prototype of Personal Profile

My ProfileAccessibility Features that I will Need

o Captions o Audio Descriptions o Transcriptso Text Descriptionso Larger Text

Alert me if a resource requires:o Keyboard controlo Mouse controlo Full color vision

Preferences[Help]

Preferred Language: o I would like to make the text on the screen easier to see. o I would like to enhance the structure of the content. o I would like to enhance the navigation of the content. o I would like alternatives to visual content. o I would like alternatives to textual content. o I would like alternatives to auditory content. o I would like to specify the URL of my personal stylesheeto I would like access to learner support tools.

http://www.inclusivelearning.ca/tile/servlet/prefs

Teachers’ Domain Prototype http://www.teachersdomain.org/

Matching learner needs to resources benefits…• Learners with disabilities• Learners with diverse learning approaches• Learners with diverse hardware and software• Learners in disabling environments• Learners with diverse cultural or linguistic requirements• Anyone who diverges from the hypothetical norm

www.calstate.edu/accessibility