Transcript VitalSource Presentation

Accessible eTextbook Experiences
Meeting the Challenge
Presented by:
Rick Johnson, CTO, VitalSource Technologies
Accessible eBook Reading Experiences
Meeting the Challenge
Why are we doing this?
Motive...
Means...
Opportunity...
Ingram Content Group
VitalSource Technologies is part of the Ingram Content Group
Ingram Content is the worldwide leader in print and digital content fulfillment, print-on-demand,
digital content services, and publisher services.
Ingram Content Group currently…
• Employs over 3000 associates and maintains facilities in the US, the UK, France, and Australia
• Supports over 52,000 publisher imprints
• Supports dozens of content channels, including Amazon, Google, B&N, Borders, and Apple
• Supports content distribution worldwide
Helping content reach its destination.
VitalSource Technologies, Inc.
Who Are We?
VitalSource Technologies has been delivering electronic textbooks since 1999.
We offer the only complete platform for publishers, institutions, and individual users.
VST is the worlds largest e-textbook distributor
– More than 1.5 million registered users
– Used in more than 200 countries around the globe
– At more that 6,000 campus locations
– More than 100,000 individual titles and chapters are available in the VitalBook format
VitalSource Bookshelf® is the most advanced e-book software in the world
–Delivering the 5th generation of our reader software
–Full 508 accessibility compliance
–One account with three-way access to your books: download, online, and mobile
–Notes and highlights automatically stay in sync
We understand eText distribution
–State-of-the-art back end system, VitalSource Connect™
–Integrations into industry content creation from publishers and delivery systems
• Blackboard & eCollege
The Choice for Publishers
• All “Major” higher ed publishers use our platform
• Direct agreements with 80+ publishers
• As part of Ingram, access to 52,000 imprints
VitalSource Digital Platform
Digital Content Platform
Publisher
Student/Faculty
VitalSource Bookshelf®
3 way access where/when/how you need it
Download
Mobile
Online
Challenge: To make them all accessible
One Example of the Challenge...
Many points
of interaction
• Highlights and
notes inline
• Also in separate
tab
• Sort and export
notes
• Note-sharing
• Multimedia
imbedded
Another Example of the Challenge...
Powerful User
Search Options:
–One book
–All books
–My folders
–By highlighter
–All content
–Just terms
–Just figures
–Just notes
Our Approach to the Solution...
Our approach can be summarized in
one word...
Mainstream
Our Approach to the Solution...
Accessibility is a journey, not a destination
Our commitment is to provide...
•Application support: To continue to improve our applications and
provide the technical support for accessibility compliance wherever
possible.
– Navigation, Display, Operation
•Content support: To work with publishers and other content owners to
provide content that is structured and formatted to take advantage of
accessibility enabling systems.
– PDF and XML based content
•The reading experience: A highly functional reading experience for the
user. Compliant with:
– WCAG 2.0 Level A and Level AA web accessibility guidelines for Online.
– Section 508 Accessibility Standards (1194.21 and 1194.31) for Bookshelf.
– Assistive technology (such as VoiceOver, Text to Speech, JAWS Screen Reader)
Accessibility - Application Support
• Committed to providing superior accessibility options.
– Navigation, Display, Operation
• Accessibility compliance with Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 standards
• Leveraging host OS based solutions (VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA)
• VPAT is available at www.vitalsource.com/508
Accessibility - Content Support
Bookshelf® supports the needed content options...
• Multiple Languages
• PDF vs XML
– PDF is only a picture
Many non-W3C formats (e.g., PDF, Shockwave, etc) require viewing with either
plug-ins or stand-alone applications. Often, these formats cannot be viewed or
navigated with standard user agents (including assistive technologies)."
Web Content Accessibility Guideline 11.
• MathML
– full support for Presentation
MathML
– English Phrasing
<para><math>
<mrow><mi>f</mi><mo>&ApplyFunction;</mo><mo>(
</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>)</mo><mo>=</mo>
<mo>(</mo><mi>x</mi><mo>+</mo><mn>10</mn><
mo>)</mo></mrow>
</math></para>
• f(x) = (x + 10)
• f of x equals open parenthesis
x plus 10 close parenthesis
• alt tags
• epub 3
<figure id="morrison4264c02-fig-0003">
<title><label>FIGURE 2-3</label>Identifying instructional
problems</title>
<graphic picfile="978-0-4700-7426-8_0007" alt="This figure is a flow
chart with 3 labeled boxes representing 3 different possible techniques and
their relationship with each other. This chart is multi-directional. At each box,
labeled arrows point towards one or more boxes. Each arrow....
– Huge opportunity this year!
Accessibility - The Reading Experience
• Compliant with standards, works with
content, but needs more...
• Work with partners
– we are not the experts
– CSU Digital Marketplace
– Tech for All, AFB, JISC, Publishers Licensing
Society, and other institutions and publishers
– Expanded to NFB and others this spring
epub 3 - What’s the big deal?
Supporting the needs of two different constituencies...
• What the users get...
– Multiple languages
– MathML
– Media and Interactivity
– Reflowable text (mobile devices)
– Content availability.... if ...
• What publishers get...
– Standardized content creation
– Standardized QA
– Distribution options
– Features the users want
• The need for a “Call to Action” is now!
– Validate the mainstream creation process
– Still enable new ideas
Mainstream
Process
not
Specialized
Delivery
VitalSource Technologies
What’s next?
•Accessibility is a part of EVERY development project.
•Accessibility
is a part
of EVERY
development
project.Recent
•Fully committed
to epub3
and moving
our publishers,
institutional
enhancements
shipped inwith
the us.
latest versions.
partners, and customers
•New releases for desktop, online, and mobile platforms coming this
summer, and will be submitted for evaluation.Mobility
review for 508
evaluation.
compliance (iPhone and Android).
•Mobility review for 508 compliance (iPhone and Android).
•Continuing to engage with users to resolve issues as they arise.
•Continuing to engage with users to resolve issues as they arise.
VitalSource Technologies
Summary
• Shipping multi platform 508 compliant readers.
•Shipping
compliant
• Workingmulti
withplatform
industry508
partners...
andreaders.
looking for more!
•Working
with to
industry
and looking for more!Committed
• Committed
furtherpartners...
improvements.
to further improvements.
• Long-term relationships with publishers and industry partners.
•Long-term relationships with publishers and industry partners.We
• We
areof
a part
of Ingram,
to help the industry move
are
a part
Ingram,
and areand
hereready
to stay.
forward.
• The time is now…