6/27/2011 Sharing accessible materials: building collaborative repositories and registries Gaeir Dietrich, High Tech Center Training Unit Sue-Ann Ma, Benetech November 16, 2016 Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Benetech (the Bookshare folks) 6/27/2011 Benetech (the Bookshare folks) 490,000+ trade titles, textbooks and periodicals 420,000+ members 800 publishing partners 45 countries 10 million+ ebooks downloaded http://bookshare.org

6/27/2011 The DIAGRAM Center DIAGRAM: Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials 2015: Received second US DoE award Make it easier, faster, and cheaper to create and use accessible educational materials for children and students with disabilities Partnership between Benetech & US Fund for DAISY Collaborating with the accessibility community to develop open source tools and services, available globally Learn more: http://diagramcenter.org More new educational materials that are born accessible More use of new tech to create AEM, especially STEM More knowledge of the accessibility features specific to the needs of students with disabilities Community of technology developers, publishers, and end users build knowledge and contribute to the development of tools/services Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

DIAGRAM Center Community 6/27/2011 DIAGRAM Center Community “Most wonderful collaboration I have ever been a part of.” – DIAGRAM Community Member Image: Posed group photo of about 40 DIAGRAM community members standing on steps making "scary" faces. We believe that our “Born Accessible” vision for images can best be achieved by creating communities of people who are working on solutions to accessible images and bringing them together so that we can share and align our work for the greatest benefit of our end users: students with print disabilities who need to understand the images in digital books and web sites. We have an Advisory Board and various Working Groups with volunteers representing Technologists, Educators, Publishers, Accessibility experts, and Student/Parent reps. Our working groups and advisory board members include representatives from Google, Adobe, Pearson, Learning Ally, the APH, NFB, National Braille Press, Humanware, American Thermoform, Design Science, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Institute, and many more. We are a community of experts passionate about accessible images. Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

High Tech Center Training Unit Provides training and resources on Web accessibility, assistive technology and alternate media Funded by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Many resources on Web site, including training materials Runs listserv devoted to alternate media and AT: Register at: http://www.htctu.net/ > HTCTU Listservers > altmedia

Paths to Accessibility

6/27/2011 Text Alternatives Chloroplast stroma image from CK-12 Biology I Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

6/27/2011 Audio Alternatives Mathematical graph from http://prime.jsc.nasa.gov/mathtrax/ Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Tactile Alternatives 6/27/2011 Image of heart and lungs. This tactile graphic is also accompanied by a key page, in braille, which will guide the reader through the image. Tactile graphics are commonly produces for charts, diagrams, schematics, and (geographic) maps Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Multimedia Alternatives 6/27/2011 Multimedia Alternatives Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Learning from Other Collections

Collections We Visited 3D objects: Thingiverse, Autodesk123D, Library Lyna,, 3D Warehouse, YouImagine, Smithsonian, Grabcad, Pinshape, Cubify, Libre3D 2D tactile graphics APH’s Tactile Graphics Image Library (TGIL), ZyChem’s Tactile Library, RNIB’s Load2Learn Image repositories: Corbis, Flickr, Getty Images OER collections: Bookshare, HathiTrust, World Digital Library, Merlot, COOL4Ed, EDUCAUSE Other resources: Wikipedia, OpenStax, Accessible Image Sample Book

Thingiverse Work Works Huge 3D collection 6/27/2011 Thingiverse Work Works Huge 3D collection Mainstream technology (widely adopted) Provides detailed metadata & paradata Free & open resource (creative commons) Users are free to upload & search/download content Crowd-sourced voting used to highlight popular models What’s Challenging Abundance of content is hard to sort through Not educationally-focused Not accessibility-focused (limited search & discovery for specific user needs) Quality (open resource means anyone could upload anything) Work Works Huge 3D collection Mainstream technology (widely adopted) Provides detailed metadata & paradata Free & open resource (creative commons) Users are free to upload & search/download content Crowd-sourced voting used to highlight popular models What’s Challenging Abundance of content is hard to sort through Not educationally-focused Not accessibility-focused (limited search & discovery for specific user needs) Quality (open resource means anyone could upload anything) Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

6/27/2011 APH’s TGIL What Works Started as internal resources to minimize redundant production Years of experience Lots of 2D tactile graphics files (thousands!) Includes some 3D files (mostly replacement parts) Ready-made foundational files (popular STEM concepts) Free for all Volunteers can contribute files Quality controlled by internal staff Professional AMPs subcontracted to produce tactile files What’s Challenging Primarily embossed files (2D) and a few 3D files Target = blind & visually impaired (relatively small) Limited to K-12 content Very specialized need, so marketing & outreach can be tricky Effort required to maintain quality content (quality control) Funding to maintain FT staff Search content one-at-a-time What Works Started as internal resources to minimize redundant production Years of experience Lots of 2D tactile graphics files (thousands!) Includes some 3D files (mostly replacement parts) Ready-made foundational files (popular STEM concepts) Free for all Volunteers can contribute files Quality controlled by internal staff Professional AMPs subcontracted to produce tactile files What’s Challenging Primarily embossed files (2D) and a few 3D files Target = blind & visually impaired (relatively small) Limited to K-12 content Very specialized need, so marketing & outreach can be tricky Effort required to maintain quality content (quality control) Funding to maintain FT staff Search content one-at-a-time Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Bookshare What Works Accessibility is a requirement 6/27/2011 Bookshare What Works Accessibility is a requirement Largest digital accessible library (490,000+ in the collection) International collection (multiple languages) Open & copyrighted e-books from 800+ publisher partners Widely used (10 million+ downloads) Ongoing R&D via sister initiatives: DIAGRAM Center, Born Accessible Partners with reading systems & the accessibility community (ecosystem) Supports multiple file formats and options (visual, tactile, audio, etc.) Automatically adds some accessibility features when missing (e.g. navigation) Getting books to the visually impaired community on the same timeline What’s Challenging Still chopping & scanning books Not receiving direct feeds for all key publishers content (e.g. textbooks) Primarily K-12 content Some popular file formats not supported (e.g. PDF, Word) Limited support for complex content (images & special markup, like math) Doesn’t support chapter-level or concept-level downloads Target = persons with print-disabilities Minimal legacy content in collection (traditional print) What Works Accessibility is a requirement Largest digital accessible library (490,000+ in the collection) International collection (multiple languages) Open & copyrighted e-books from 800+ publisher partners Widely used (10 million+ downloads) Ongoing R&D via sister initiatives: DIAGRAM Center, Born Accessible Partners with reading systems & the accessibility community (ecosystem) Supports multiple file formats and options (visual, tactile, audio, etc.) Automatically adds some accessibility features when missing (e.g. navigation) Getting books to the visually impaired community on the same timeline What’s Challenging Still chopping & scanning books Not receiving direct feeds for all key publishers content (e.g. textbooks) Primarily K-12 content Some popular file formats not supported (e.g. PDF, Word) Limited support for complex content (images & special markup, like math) Doesn’t support chapter-level or concept-level downloads Target = persons with print-disabilities Minimal legacy content in collection (traditional print) Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

What’s Missing from Current Solutions? Additional Features & Support Needed Support multiple file types (books, manuals, assessments, readers, documents) & modalities (visual, audio, tactile, multi-modal) Available at various levels (book, file, chapter, image/concept) Support for emerging technologies (e.g.: simulations, virtual reality) Specific metadata & paradata for various files (e.g.: language, target age/grade) A Shared Resource Collective platform that allows community users to add/host & consume files Leverages existing content & repositories Quality control mechanism (manual or crowd-sourced) Distinguishes OER & copyrighted material Ease of Use Curated for accessible content (with details about how to use the resources) Centralized search mechanism (across modalities) Link to options for additional services (e.g. customization and/or printing) Encourages reuse of resources (generic, concept-based alternatives)

A Couple Options on the Horizon

AIMHub

Existing Campus Exchange Systems (Center for Accessible Media) California State University Available to CSU and UC campuses File upload/download Book holdings Automatic publisher request forms Exchange tracking AMX (Alternate Media eXchange Database) California Community Colleges Available to all post-secondary campuses Email exchange Book and video holdings Publisher contact information Exchange and workflow tracking CAM (Center for Accessible Media) California State University Available to CSU and UC campuses File upload/download Book holdings Automatic publisher request forms Exchange tracking AMX (Alternate Media eXchange Database) California Community Colleges Available to all post-secondary campuses Email exchange Book and video holdings Publisher contact information Exchange and workflow tracking

AIMHub Goals Combine resources Modernize Manage materials and production Gaeir

What Can You Do Now? Non-members, sign up for AMXDB Contact Gaeir Dietrich (gdietrich@htctu.net) Subscribe to the HTCTU alt-media listserv www.htctu.net  “HTCTU Listservers”  “Alt Media” Gaeir

Repository-Registry of Accessible Images (RRAI) How to accommodate for different learner needs and preferences? Text description Audio files 2D tactile graphic 3D objects

What is RRAI? Available at: http://airr.wpengine.com/ Repository AND registry of accessible images (resources) Image-level (or concept-level) search for accessible alternatives Search using keywords, tags, subject, modality (and more customization to be added!)

Search Results

Hyperbolic paraboloid Linked Resources metadata Alternative: 3D object text description Hyperbolic paraboloid

How You Can Help Work with us on RRAI (http://airr.wpengine.com/) Test, use, contribute, share! Tell us what type of accessible content you need for your classroom Let us know about new and/or existing resources you’re using Is this something you’d use? What’s missing? Contact us: Share your greatest challenges with the DIAGRAM Center (info@diagramcenter.org) Email Sue-Ann (sueannm@benetech.org)

Gaeir Detrich gdietrich@htctu.net Sue-Ann Ma sueannm@benetech.org 6/27/2011 Questions? Gaeir Detrich gdietrich@htctu.net Sue-Ann Ma sueannm@benetech.org Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Referenced Resources Alt Media List Serve: Benetech: DIAGRAM Center: 6/27/2011 Referenced Resources Alt Media List Serve: Website: www.htctu.net  “HTCTU Listservers”  “Alt Media” Benetech: Website: benetech.org Born Accessible: bornaccessible.org DIAGRAM Center: Website: diagramcenter.org Webinars: http://www.diagramcenter.org/standards-and- practices/training.html Blog: http://blog.diagramcenter.org/ Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials

Additional Resources Tactile Graphics (2D/3D) Other OER Resources 6/27/2011 Additional Resources Tactile Graphics (2D/3D) BANA Tactile Graphics Guidelines Tactile Graphics How-Tos 3D Quick Start Guide Perkins School – page on teaching tactile graphics NFB Touch Graphics Texas School for the Blind Other OER Resources World Digital Library Merlot COOL4Ed EDUCAUSE Tactile Graphics (2D/3D) BANA Tactile Graphics Guidelines: http://www.brailleauthority.org/tg/ Tactile Graphics How-Tos: http://www.tactilegraphics.org/ 3D Quick Start Guide: http://diagramcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/3D-Printing-In-Education-Quick-Start-Guide.docx Perkins School – page on teaching tactile graphics http://www.perkinselearning.org/videos/webcast/teaching-tactile-graphics?gclid=CJfetsL6nNACFYMCaQodhqoPOQ NFB https://nfb.org/blog/atblog/tactile-graphics-101 Touch Graphics http://touchgraphics.com/products/ Texas School for the Blind http://www.tsbvi.edu/math/3189-tactile-graphics-resources Other OER Resources World Digital Library https://www.wdl.org/en/ Merlot https://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm COOL4Ed http://www.cool4ed.org/ EDUCAUSE https://library.educause.edu/topics/teaching-and-learning/open-educational-resources-oer Digital Image and Graphics Resources for Accessible Materials