[Oabs] Act Now! Test Reading Systems for Accessibility

[Deborah Kendrick]

Hello Oabsters, 

Here's a way you can really make a difference for the future of
accessibility in reading elctronic material.  

They don't pay for your input now, but they might eventually.  Please read
on - and share with others.

Deborah

 

We have made progress recruiting people to test reading systems that support
EPUB 3, but we still need many more. We would like to pay for this work and
are seeking funding.  However, we currently do not have the funding and are
asking volunteers for help.

 

If you are associated with a university or other institution that will
benefit from having reliable digital reading systems available for students
with special needs, please participate and spend some time testing a reading
system used on your campus or being considered for use.

 

Ideally, a moderator will be identified for each reading system on a
specific platform (OS) and that moderator will help other volunteers test
and report findings using the Assistive Technology (AT) at their disposal.

 

Example: Reading system HappyReader (fictional name) running on Windows 7
will have a moderator who manages volunteers to test HappyReader with the
wide range of AT used on Windows 7. The screen reader JFW using TTS as
output would be one evaluation performed; another volunteer evaluator would
test HappyReader with NVDA using braille output; another tester would use
screen magnification ZoomText and report the results, etc.  

 

Because of the wide range of AT used by persons with disabilities, a crowd
source approach will be used. We encourage organizations to sponsor testing
by assigning people to test the specific reading systems and technologies
used in their organization. For example, a university using specific AT with
specific reading systems will assign people to work on testing those systems
and share their findings.

 

Please go to the primary website to learn more:

http://www.epubtest.org

 

The grid that currently lists 57 reading systems is at:

http://epubtest.org/results/

 

For example, you will find the details for the accessibility testing of the
VitalSource Bookshelf Version 6.5 for Windows using JFW 15. Test result is
an excellent 77.8%:

http://epubtest.org/rs/70/accessibility/

or

Readium for Chrome on Windows using JFW 15 scored 75.76%:

http://epubtest.org/rs/121/accessibility/

Start Today - Look at the grid on epubtest.org <http://epubtest.org/results>
, find a reading system you want to test, and email Kerscher at montana.com

We will be promoting tested reading systems that support accessible and rich
reading experiences so people can find systems that meet their reading
needs. They can also get help with deciding where they should spend their
money.

This work is an important piece in building Inclusive Publishing and Reading
Systems. We appreciate your time and commitment.

 

 

Best

George

 

George Kerscher Ph.D.

-In our Information Age, access to information is a fundamental human right.

Secretary General, DAISY Consortium

http://www.daisy.org

Senior Officer, Accessible Technology Learning Ally Together It's Possible 

http://www.LearningAlly.org 

President, International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) 

http://www.idpf.org

Member of the National Museum and Library Services  Board (IMLS)

http://www.imls.gov

Chair Steering Council Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), a division of the
W3C 

http://www.w3c.org/wai 

Phone: +1 406/549-4687

Cell:+1 406/544-2466 

Email: kerscher at montana.com

 

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