Not Always The Full Text: Working Towards Accessible Learning Resources The Publisher’s View Clare Hodder, Head of Rights, Palgrave Macmillan

Why don’t publishers supply books in accessible formats? The cost of producing an XML file£275 (3 hours) Cost of producing Braille master file from XML£1,000 (50 hours) Cost of producing Daisy Synthetic Audio master file from XML£80 (4 hours) Cost of producing large print master file from XML£125 (5 hours) Total projected costs for producing a title in all three formats from an XML file £1,480 (62 hours) Adapted from: Books Expansion for the Visually Impaired Feasibility Project, Final Report, May 2007, Jim Russell Estimated costs of conversion from a medium complexity textbook of around 300 pages with some images and tables from a publisher PDF

So why are publishers needed? © Exception CLA licenses BUT Scanning is time consuming More efficient to use Publisher Files

Why are publishers reluctant to supply files? File Location File Type File Security Resources – availability, knowledge gaps Costs – should they be recovered?

File supply process All information received? Output File Request Further Information File available internally? Key Information onto system, produce license Send file and License to customer Payment Received? Process paymentChase payment Receive Request Request from external supplier Advise customer no file available

Requests for for files since 2005

Solutions Books Expansion for the Visually Impaired Feasibility (PA/RNIB/DTI) Trade Book Pilot Textbooks for Compulsory Education Pilot What about HE?

Short term steps: for publishers Good Practice Guidelines –Nominated resource –Prompt Responses –Supply DRM free –Supply PDF/application file –Supply license –Consider pricing methodology

Short term steps: for users Guide to obtaining textbooks in alternative formats Publisher LookUp

A sustainable approach? Resource intensive (at both ends) Security issues Un-scaleable Duplication of effort

Working towards a longer term solution The Future: New reading devices New ways of reading New production methods = Good News for Accessibility!