Most individuals have some ability to read the written word. However, this is not always the case, due to disease, dystrophies, dysfunctional neuropathways, and many other causes. Books and written communication need to be accessible for all.
As creative individuals with VI and B backgrounds, there are resources available that can assist in the development of these books for this population. Below are resources I was given when I attended the Digital Accessibility: The Right Thing, The Smart Thing, The Required Thing webinar hosted by Jane Friedman. You can find recordings of all free sessions on Jane’s YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/@janefriedman
To create accessible ebooks •
•Bookalope: https://bookalope.net/index.html
• ACE by Daisy: https://daisy.org/activities/software…
• Word accessibility checker: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/o…
• Deep dive on alt text for images: https://www.routledge.com/our-custome…
• Amazon KDP guidelines (for self-publishing authors who use KDP): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/top…
Here are examples of what readers will see on book descriptions for these ebook vendors
• Example of ebook accessibility best practices: https://www.amazon.com/Qummut-Qukiria…
• Example from VitalSource: https://benetechaccessiblebooks.vital…
• Example from Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-…
Other resources to know about:
Bookshare: https://www.bookshare.org/
About Benetech • Learn more about Benetech GSA: Global Certified Accessible | Born Accessible
• Browse all Benetech certified publishers here: Certified Publishers | Born Accessible
