1. Universal Access to Alternate Media Lars Ballieu Christensen Tanja Stevns

2. People and Media People with special need alternate formats – The blind require Braille, audio books, e-books, e-text, tactile illustrations, … – The partially sighted require large print, audio books, e-books, e-text, … – People with dyslexia/learning disorders/poor language skills/poor reading skills require audio books, e-books, e-text, … – People with physical disabilities may need e-books, e- text, … – Just to name a few …

3. People and Media Preparing alternate media material is non- trivial – You need digital copies of source documents – You need proper tools and technologies – You need skills and experience – You need time – You need to understand copyright legislation in your jurisdiction – Just to name a few …

4. People and Media In segregated environments Special schools, sheltered work environments, … Alternate media usually not an issue Experienced faculty and staff Critical mass of users Good understanding of needs, tools and technologies In mainstream environments Mainstream education, the general labour market, … Usually a significant problem Skills from previous practice erode Inexperienced faculty and staff Many different special needs Limited understanding of needs, tools and technologies

5. The Future is Mainstream General trend and demand – From international organisations and policy makers (UNESCO Salamanca Statement, UN CRPD, …) – From national legislators and administrators – From disability organisations and parents associations Education for all – in the mainstream Regions and nations are at various stages … – Scandinavia amongst the first to embrace inclusion in the 1980s – Other countries about to commence transition Mainstreaming is likely to become the norm everywhere

6. The Problem Mainstreaming does not remove the need for alternate media A number of challenges persist – Availability of source documents – Accessibility of source documents – Availability of efficient tools and technologies – Competencies amongst staff Providing suitable formats is a moving target – Situational – Personal preferences Accessibility is a good foundation

7. Designing for Alternate Media Digital Accessibility Use tech correctly, tag structure, provide alternatives, set language, … Universal Design Active language, short sentences, illustrations, holistic, … Specific Design Dyslexic, Low Vision, Blind,…

8. Reflexions … Address the triangle from the right end – Improvements at the bottom will filter through – With a good foundation, source documents can be repurposed for many groups of users – With a good foundation, many alternate media conversions can be automated

9. Automating Knowledge and Competencies Technologies to support inclusion RoboBraille, SensusAccess Biblus, SensusLibrary E-books in general

10. RoboBraille, SensusAccess

11. Biblus, SensusLibrary

12. E-books, VI Reader

13. Key challenges Competing legislation (rights of equal treatment vs copyright legislation) Use of streaming amongst special libraries Lack of skills – Amongst producers of digital material – Amongst alternate media producers – Amongst knowledge workers in general

14. Conclusions The future is mainstream There will still be huge need for alternate media Source documents will remain a challenge Many obstacles can be removed through education Others through inclusion technologies A proper balance between copyright and equal right must be found (Marrakesh Treaty)

15. Contact Lars Ballieu Christensen lars@sensus.dk Mobile: +45 40 32 68 23 Tanja Stevns tanja@sensus.dk Mobile: +45 23 24 06 72 www.sensus.dk www.sensusaccess.com www.robobraille.org