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

2. Why don’t publishers supply books in accessible formats?
Estimated costs of conversion from a medium complexity textbook of around 300 pages with some images and tables from a publisher PDF
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

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

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

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

6. Requests for for files since 2005

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

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

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

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

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