INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY FOR LEARNING From Development to Implementation of Guidelines International Seminar December 11, 2015 at Politecnico di Milano

Policies and Projects: the CALD project on Content Accessibility Silvia Sbattella and Roberto Tedesco ICT4IAL – December 11th, 2015

3 Focus on the problem Managing accessibility of bibliographic contents: the everyday dealing with Not accessible textbooks Information literacy gap For Blind student Visually impaired students Otherwise print disabled people Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

4 At Politecnico di Milano… New scenario: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - ICF – G3ICT – ATIS4alI - ICT4IAL - … Since 2003: Innovative Multidisciplinary Service for students with disabilities to personalize supporting strategies: the MultiChance PoliTeam  Research for available accessible textbooks  Diffusion of Innovative ICT solutions - diffusion for a compulsory reasonable accommodation in education  Instructions for lecturers about accessible learning materials  Research program proximity

CALD, since 2011: network of Dean Delegates for Disability and SpLD, in Lombardy fostering actions on full inclusion and participation of students with disabilities to university life, in the perspective of their autonomous adult and professional life University of Pavia, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi university, Cattolica university, University of Milan, University of Bergamo, IULM, University of Brescia, LIUC, Insubria university, University of Milan – Bicocca 5 The CALD initiative

CALD, since 2012: network of universities fostering actions on disability, in Lombardy University of Pavia, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi university, Cattolica university, University of Milan, University of Bergamo, IULM, University of Brescia, LIIUC, Insubria university, University of Milan – Bicocca 6 The CALD initiative

7 At CALD universities Different themes in the agenda … What the CALD did for promoting policies and projects about accessibility of academic contents Comparing policies for managing everyday requests:  Requests to the publishers: very limited catalogue of accessible academic textbooks  Production of accessible versions of textbooks, done by students themselves or by the service > Storage of these accessible versions is forbidden by law 2013: The “Accessible Librarian Resources” Project %20accessibili

8 The “Accessible Librarian Resources” project A survey on accessibility of contents in:  CALD university libraries  Regulatory framework  Running projects Training on textbook accessibility (PoliMI) Promoting CNUDD actions University own actions

9 A survey: CALD university libraries A survey about how university libraries manage accessible textbooks. Results: Lack of awareness (“We use PDF...”) University libraries work mostly the same Authentication is always needed via personal or university workstations Improving role of digital resources, provided by external organizations Standard in external digital resources The role of standardized agreements

10 A survey: Regulatory framework Issues in the Italian regulation about textbook accessibility: Specific acts exist:  on property rights  on rights of persons with disability and SpLD  on duties of libraries to offer accessible materials Reconciling and enforcing them is not possible:  Conflicting interests  Lack of operative regulations – Comitato Consuntivo Permanente per il diritto d’autore and Commissione Speciale Disabilità not implemented, not operational Only libraries of Monza, Feltre, and AID Bologna are allowed to produce and deliver accessible textbook versions The WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Marrakesh Treaty (July 17-28, 2013) affirms rights of blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled people to have accessible materials

11 A survey: Running projects Projects going on in Italy (Universities – AIE – MIUR - Publishers..) and Europe LIA project Project ProAccess - Guidelines for Publishers, Metadata Accessibility ONYX Code AIB - Library Project for users with difficulties PORTO - Repository of Politecnico di Torino with specific license management NILDE - EDD loans among libraries Torrossa – Italian eBooks promoted by publishers Open Access policies in Italian universities - see Declaration of Messina OpenAccess EP7 - pilot project of the European Commission

12 A survey: Running projects CNUDD – AIE Project: Loans among university libraries through AIE Accessible textbook version produced by universities Storage and distribution provided by AIE  Critical issue about resources balance  Little number of textbooks  Suspended project CALD PROPOSALS: free use by universities that produce the accessible version subscriptions to accessible digital resources through differentiated Copyright Policy according to the "size of the University" referred to enrolled students with disabilities extension to Academic Libraries of rights to produce the accessible versions of textbooks

13 Training on textbook accessibility PoliMI in charge of Training CALD delegates, personnel of the services for students with disabilities and librarian services about:  Standards  Authoring tools  Reading tools Reporting ICT4IAL work-in-progress guidelines to CALD members Dissemination of new authoring tools and reading tools, in particular about EPUB

14 What it’s needed to produce an accessible version… What you can obtainProblems Level 00 Not accessible Paper book -to scan (T!), -to recognize text, -to vocalize text -to handle text -to vocalize -to handle text Time ! Difficult for visual impaired / blind people Level 0 Not accessible PDF, JPEG; TIFF ecc. image --to recognize text, -to vocalize text -to handle text -to vocalize -to handle text Time ! Difficult for visual impaired / blind people Level 1 PDF text-to vocalize -to handle text -to adapt font, colour, zoom -to vocalize -to handle text -to personalize font, colour, zoom Depending on file quality Level 2 EPUB 3.0-to vocalize -to handle text -to personalize the layout -to vocalize -to handle text -to personalize font, colour, zoom -to personalize the layout - Alternative text available for images and formulas Depending on reader quality Two accessibility levels

15 The take-home lesson Generating accessible PDF is possible  Guidelines exist  Authoring tools exist  Good reading tools exist  Take care in using correctly the authoring tools  The document creation workflow in universities can change right now

16 The take-home lesson Generating accessible EPUB is more difficult  Guidelines exist  Authoring tools exist, but do not support the whole EPUB specification  Reading tools do not support the whole EPUB specification In the long term EPUB is expected to replace PDF as accessible format of choice  Training on the EPUB format is recommended right now

17 Promoting CNUDD actions CNUDD is the National Network of University Delegates for Disability CALD on January 2014, promoted CNUDD actions: Presented the Accessible Librarian Resources CALD Project Invited AIE and CNUDD to discuss results of previous projects on accessibility of academic contents Invited CNUDD to discuss the draft of a new project with AIE and MIUR specifically focused on accessibility of academic contents CALD took in charge the effort to promote the culture of accessibility in their own universities.

18 University own actions Promotion of accessibility culture  International Seminar  Istitutional contacts with CALD (Ufficio Scolastico Regionale)  Local training sessions Politecnico di Milano  Starting the Open Access project, work in collaboration with the university library  Training materials for lecturers, researcher and PhD  Everyday activities of services for students with disabilities and SpLD

19 Summing up What we were looking for: Key points in the production and dissemination workflow of training materials, to modify bad practices What we found: Lack of knowledge of the topic Little interest in promoting a significant change in this direction A rigid regulation due to constraints found in formal agreements:  between authors and publishers  between publishers and libraries often provided by external subjects

20 Next steps ? Tools, as the ICT4IAL Guidelines Pushing for universities to promote accessibility of contents in different learning contexts Improving regulations Writing better or specific agreements for usage by students with disabilities or SpLD

21 A proposal Guidelines for improving bad habits that do not consider content accessibility  Within and outside universities  At regional level (by CALD)  At national level (by CNUDD / CRUI)  And at international level (by means of projects and networks) Main focus on:  Publishers  Libraries  Teachers, as authors  Students, as users and authors, too  University administrative personnel