Neal-Schuman has kindly posted examples of two of the many ICEACT worksheets as their latest How-To-Do-It tip:

Neal-Schuman: How-To-Do-It Tip: Planning for Assistive Technology in Your Library

EPUB 3 is a newly adopted set of standards on electronic publications, including ebooks, intended to ensure cross-device compatibility. For the first time, EPUB will include the DAISY standards, which facilitate delivery of materials in alternative formats, including audio and synchronized audio/text. Not all publishers will use EPUB 3, but it’s an important first step towards universal accessibility.

DAISY Consortium: EPUB 3 Becomes a Recommended Specification

ICEACT contains several interviews with public librarians in the U.S. who are implementing accessibility, pretty much in isolation from each other. Here’s an example of a country-wide initiative in Scotland to address the access needs of blind and low-vision people:

Public Libraries Committed to Improve Access for Blind and Partially Sighted People

Two (other) blogs worth following:

–Jim Tobias, president of Inclusive Technologies, is one of the most consistently creative thinkers in the assistive technology world. He doesn’t post often enough, but each entry is worth checking out, for the usefulness of the information and for his incisive–and often quite funny–commentaries.

–Meriah Hudson Nichols was already well versed in the disability world, based on both her professional and personal experiences. Then her second child, Moxie, was born, and Meriah turned her writing talents to With A Little Moxie, recording her thoughts on parenting a child with Down syndrome. Her essay “What to Say” is particularly notable for being simultaneously instructive and moving.

Always a critical part of the picture:

Funding Assistive Technology for Libraries and Other Organizations

There’s a lot of info out there about web accessibility. Often it’s obtuse and sometimes it’s even conflicting. There are automated accessibility checkers available that provide some help, but what are their limitations and which ones are best?

Nina McHale has written a splendid article on browser-based accessibility checkers for the Journal of Web Librarianship, very much in the spirit of ICEACT: “The advantage to [browser-based checkers] is that they are easy to install and use, and non-techies with not much more than a basic understanding of accessibility can begin using them effectively and immediately. Yet, for more advanced users of these tools—web librarians and programmers—the toolbar offerings provide a great many options and support for those who are developing the library’s web presence.”

Browser-Based Accessibility Evaluation Tools for Beginners

LinkedIn has a terrific new group on Library and Museum Accessibility; recent discussion topics have included publicizing your library’s accessibility services and examples of good architectural accessibility.

Library and Museum Accessibility–LinkedIn

Delighted to let everyone know that Implementing Cost-Effective Assistive Computer Technology is now available from the following sources:

Neal-Schuman, Inc.

Amazon.com

I’ll be doing an hour about the GPII project on Nov. 3, 12 PM EDT/9 AM PDT. Here’s the link to the session description. Hope to see y’all there–

In 2011, being technologically averse is as big a disability as a physical or sensory limitation. Fortunately, some simple hardware and software solutions exist to greatly reduce the cognitive load and learning curve required to use technology, or even automate some unusual functions. Check out this article on Technology Made Easier for Technology Averse People.