Transcript Document 7346292

Accessibility of electronic library resources:
Do librarians consider the needs of people with
print disabilities when selecting digital
materials?
Presented at the
2013 Accessing Higher Grounds Conference
Westminster, CO, November 6
by
Axel Schmetzke
Reference & Instruction Librarian
U. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
[email protected]
(715) 346-4658
Overview
I. Introduction
II. Empirical Research overview
III. CD policy and practice
IV. CD literature analysis
V. Summary & proposed best practices
I. Introduction
 Meanings of access/accessibility in the library
world
 Types of e-resources in libraries
 Typical selection process
 Accessibility standards pertaining to libraries
Meanings of Access\Accessibility
in the library world
 connectivity
 global information infrastructure
 off-campus access
 easy authentication




availability on the web
free access
bibliographic access
barrier-free access to information for all people,
including those with disabilities
Universal Design=
Accessible Design=
Barrier-free Design
Design that is sensitive to the variation among
people and thus does not cause certain groups
to be systematically excluded.
Type of e-resources in the library
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
web pages
online catalogs
indexes & full-text databases
federated searching (MetaLib etc.)
resource discovery tools (ExLibris Primo etc.)
electronic reference works
e-books
e-journals
electronic reserve/pdf-formatted documents*
electronic help/reference desk
online tutorials & library guides
courseware (D2L etc.)
online survey tools (Survey Monkey etc.)
Typical selection process
• For larger purchases (databases and e-book packages)
typically a collaborative process
•
Committee of librarians chaired by Collection Development
(CD) Coordinator
– All librarians
– Some librarians
• CD librarian as representative on larger consortial CD
committee
• Most libraries have a written CD policy
• Individual e-book purchases are initiated by individual
librarians or by individual professors outside the library
Online accessibility policies pertaining
to libraries
•
•
•
•
Section 508*
American with Disabilities Act (ADA)*
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
State of Wisconsin--Enterprise Standards for
Information Technology
• American Library Association (ALA) guidelines
• Campus policies
• Library policies, particularly Collection Development
(CD) policies
Web Accessibility Policies on UW campuses
(4/2008)
II. Research on Accessibility
Type of e-resources to be studied
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
web pages*
online catalogs*
indexes & full-text databases*
federated searching (MetaLib etc.)*
resource discovery tools (ExLibris Primo etc)
electronic reference works
e-books
e-journals*
electronic reserve/pdf-formatted documents*
electronic help/reference desk
online tutorials & library guides
courseware (D2L etc.)*
online survey tools (Survey Monkey etc.)*
My sabbatical project
ALA etc
Library
CD Policy
&
Practices
SLIS
Curriculum
Literature
Library CD Policies and Practices
• Do selection criteria include accessibility for
PwDs?
– If not,
• was accessibility ever considered when selecting
e-resources?
• was its inclusion in CD policy ever discussed?
• is it likely to be included at the next policy revision?
– If yes,
• Which circumstances led to the incorporation of
accessibility into CD policy?
• How is accessibility determined?
• How much feedback do vendors receive?
Two samples
Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC)
Members
– 24 out of 27 included in survey
– 1,600-6,500 FTE
UWSP comprehensives
– 10 out of 11 participated
– 5,000-10,800 FTE
Methodology
• CD Policy analysis
• Phone survey
Type of policy
No
policy
No longer Very
used
general
With special Separate
e-resources E-resources
section
policy
COPLAC
1
2
12
7
2
UW
comprehensives
0
0
3
5
1
CD policies and accessibility component?
All
policies
COPLAC
UW comprehensives
25
10
Policies w/
accessibility
component
1
4
Addition of
accessibility
component
discussed
in past
2
3
Addition of
accessibility
component
anticipated
Yes/probably
14 (8)
Considered
4 (3)
Should be
2 (1)
Yes/probably
5 (1)
Considered
0 (0)
Should be
1 (1)
E-resource selection and accessibility?
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
Despite lack of
acess. component in
policy, was access.
ever considered
during e-resource
selection?
COPLAC
25
1
7
UW comprehensives
10
4
3
Instances when accessibility was considered
despite policy (WI)
• When considering Proquest’s Press Display database;
some push from a students with disabilities group.
• When comparing ebrary and Ebsco’s ebooks.
• When considering e-book platforms; liked ebrary’s ereader option.
When the addition of an accessibility component to the CD
policy was discussed in the past, why was it not included?
COPLAC (2)
 Will be added in next revision. (x2)
WI (3)
 Oversight, related to the primarily print-focused nature of the CD policy.
 Colleague with visual impairment retired; issue now less talked about.
 Discussion with Disability Coordinator; focus shifted to relocating assistive
technology to a less isolated area in the Library.
Questions CD policies
addressing accessibility
Which circumstances led to the incorporation of accessibility
into CD policy at Sonoma State University (1)
• OCR Compliance Review at California Community
Colleges, 1996-98
• Issue: Access to print and computer-based information
for students with visual impairments
• Findings/Ruling (1998):
– Web-pages are typically not designed accessibly.
– Concept of accessibility should be firmly integrated
into the development of distance education programs
and services, including campus web pages.
Which circumstances led to the incorporation of accessibility
into CD policy at Sonoma State University (2)
•
The California State University Board of Trustees Policy on Disability Support and
Accommodations - Executive Order Number 926 (2004):
Information Resources and Technologies
Information Resources and Technologies refer to all programs and services provided to
students, faculty, staff, and the general public through computer or electronic media. This
includes, but is not limited to computer and network access and services, computerdelivered or enhanced instruction, library electronic information resources, library online
catalogs and homepages, campus informational web sites, computer-delivered or assisted
administrative services, and voice and video programs and services.
It is the policy of the CSU to make information technology resources and services accessible
to all CSU students, faculty, staff and the general public regardless of disability.
•
•
•
SSU accessible technology initiative http://www.sonoma.edu/accessibility/
CSU accessible technology initiative http://www.calstate.edu/accessibility/
CSU signed memorandum guiding ATI
implementation http://www.calstate.edu/AcadAff/codedmemos/AA-2013-03.html
Which circumstances led to the incorporation of accessibility
into CD policy at Sonoma State University (3)
The CSU's Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) --Jan 2013
Its implementation is driven by the following principles:
• Technology accessibility is an institution-wide responsibility that
requires commitment and involvement from leadership across the
enterprise.
• Technology access for individuals with disabilities must provide
comparable functionality, affordability, and timeliness and should
be delivered in as seamless a manner as possible.
• The implementation of Universal Design principles should reduce
the need for, and costs associated with, individual accommodations
for inaccessible technology products.
Which circumstances led to the incorporation of accessibility
into CD policy at four UW comprehensives?
 Inspired by 2002 CDC/UW System Libraries Guidelines for a Shared
Electronic Collection, which states that “evidence of progress by vendors
to meet the accessibility needs of those with disabilities” is to be
considered.
 CD librarian served on committee in which the needs of students with
print disabilities were discussed.
 Librarian with research interest in this area.
 Campus had adopted an Online Accessibility Policy.
 Campus has Disabilities Services & Vocational Rehabilitation
Institiutehigh sensitivity to disability-related issues and increased
visibility of PwDs on campus.
 Campus has a strong mission to serve students with disabilities.
Required vs. Desired
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
Required or
Desired/Preferred
COPLAC
25
1
exceptions need
to be justified
UW comprehensives
10
4
preferred/to be
considered
3
to be considered
& exceptions
must be justified
1
1
Is accessibility always discussed?
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
Is accessibility
always discussed
when e-resources is
considered for
procurement?
COPLAC
25
1
yes
1
UW comprehensives
10
4
yes
1
often
1
sometimes
1
almost never
1
Reasons for not discussing accessibility
• assumes that others will look into it
• takes accessibility for granted
• typically not perceived to be a problem
Source for accessibility information
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
Information sources
(accessibility)
COPLAC
25
1
vendor
1
UW comprehensives
10
4
Vendor only
2
Vendor &
Eyeballing
1
na
1
Terminology used when asking vendors about
accessibility
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
Terminology used
COPLAC
25
1
Section 508
conformance,
VPAT
1
UW comprehensives
10
4
ADA
2
Accessible
2
Section 508
conformance
1
na
1
Was it ever the case that an e-resource was not selected, or
deselected, because it was inaccessible?
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
Ever NOT selected,
or deselected
COPLAC
25
1
Yes
1
UW comprehensives
10
4
Yes
0
No
3
Yes (system) &
No (campus)
1
Do you provide vendors with specific reasons why their product
was selected, or not selected?
All
Policies w/
policies accessibility
component
COPLAC
25
1
UW comprehensives
10
4
Provide specific
reasons for
selection decision?
?
Yes
1
Often
1
To some extent
1
No
1
ALA Guidelines (1)
 Assn. for Library Collections and Technical
Services (ALCTS)
 Collection Management Section
 Chief Collection Development Officers of Large
Research Libraries (CCDO) Interest Group
The CCDO Interest Group meeting included presentations and discussion topics.
Please see topic list below. Thirty-two members were present; approximately thirty
nonmembers also attended.
Topics included:
• University accessibility policies: E-resources and compliance with federal law
• E-books and cooperative collection development
• The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine: to link or copy/harvest?
• arXiv update
• Financial support models for open access initiatives
• The uncertain world of videos: preservation issues and collection development for
research libraries
• Distance education, massive open online courses, content, and online course
support: the role of the library?
ALCTS Newsletter Online (Dec. 2012)
ALA Guidelines (2)
 Assn. for Library Collections and Technical
Services (ALCTS)
 Collection Management Section
 Chief Collection Development Officers of Large
Research Libraries (CCDO) Interest Group
 ALA Council
Purchasing of Accessible Electronic Resources Resolution
ALA Council Document #52 (Revised 7.14.09)
“That the American Library Association (ALA) strongly recommends:
1. That all libraries purchasing, procuring, using, maintaining and contracting for
electronic resources and services require vendors to guarantee that products and
services comply with Section 508 regulations, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
2.0, or other applicable accessibility standards and guidelines; and
2. That all libraries purchasing, procuring, and contracting for electronic resources and
services ensure, through their own testing protocols or by requiring vendor
guarantees, that electronic products and services have been fully tested and found to
be in compliance with applicable accessibility regulations, guidelines, and criteria; and
3. That funding authorities, including private institutions, the federal government and
state and local governments, provide adequate funding to allow all libraries
purchasing, procuring, and contracting for electronic resources and services the ability
to comply with accepted standards and laws of accessibility for people with
disabilities.”
ALA Guidelines (3)
 Assn. for Library Collections and Technical
Services (ALCTS)
 Collection Management Section
 Chief Collection Development Officers of Large Research
Libraries (CCDO) Interest Group
 ALA Council
 Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)
 Collection Development and Evaluation Section
(CODES)
 Materials Reviewing Committee
Elements for Basic Reviews:
A Guide for Writers and Readers of Reviews of Works in All Mediums and Genres
Developed April 2005 by the ALA/RUSA CODES Materials Reviewing Committee
4. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
4.1.3. Functionality. Evaluation of how well the technology of the product or site
works.
• Testing. Ideally, products should be tested on multiple computers with different
connection speeds, computer memory, operating systems, or browsers.
• Indicate whether the actual product or a sample database is being tested.
• Indicate whether a full release or a beta version is being tested.
• Evaluate ease of navigation.
• Evaluate load times and speed of product.
• Indicate easy or advanced modes. Intuitive for the novice; more sophisticated
features for the expert.
• Indicate the ability to print, save, or email data.
• If the resource includes multimedia elements (e.g., audio or video), are special
equipment or helper applications needed?
Collection Development
Literature Analysis
Research Questions
• Is accessibility of e-resources, as it applies to
PwD, on the radar screen?
• If so, is it
– consistently covered where appropriate?
– covered in any depth?
• Is “ADA compliance” explained?
• Will selectors learn what specific questions to ask?
• Is there any detectable trend?
Books on Collection Development
Focus
CD general
CD e-resources
# of books (total)
9
23
E-books
2
E-journal
1
Digital repositories/digitized coll.
3
Subject specific
2
All
40
CD general (examples)
• Peggy Johnson, Fundamentals of Collection Development
and Management (2nd ed.)—ALA 2009
• Evans & Saponaro, Collections Development Basics (6th
ed.) 2012
• Mack (ed.), Collection Development Policies. New
Directions for Changing Collections (copubl. in "The
Acquisitions Librarian") 2003
• Clement & Foy, Collection Development in a Changing
Environment. Policies and Organization for College and
University Libraries. CLIP Note #42 (ALA/ACRL) 2010
CD e-resources (examples)
• Kovacs, The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library
Collection Development (2nd ed.) 2009
• Lee (ed.), Collection Management and Strategic
access to Digital Resources. The New Challenge for
Research Libraries (copubl. in J. of Library
Administration) 2005
• Brumley, Electronic Collection Management Forms,
Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines Manual. 2009
• Bleiler & Livingston, Evaluating E-resources (SPEC Kit
316, ARL) 2010
Books on Collection Development
Focus
CD general
# of books (total)
# of books addressing
accessibility at least once
9
1
23
9
E-books
2
1
E-journal
1
1
Digital
repositories/digitized coll.
3
0
Subject specific
2
0
40
12
CD e-resources
All
Accessibility coverage by year
Year range
Total # of pubs # of books addressing
accessibility at least
once
% of books addressing
accessibility at least once
2001-2003
6
1
17%
2004-2006
14
4
29%
2007-2009
7
3
43%
2010-2012
9
3
33%
36
11
30%
All
Language used
• Compliant with text-to-speech software or other enabling
technology (Kovac 2000)
• "flexibitity of the software to accommodate users with
disabilities," ADA compliance. (Yu & Breivold, 2008)
• Conformance to accepted standards for disabled access
(Stuart Lee, 2002)
• "disability compliance (e.g. ADA)” (Bleiler & Livingston, 2010)
• “ADA-friendly” (Wikoff, 2012)
Lack of consistency (1a)
Curtis, E-Journal. A How-To-Do-It Manual for Building,
Managing, and Supporting Electronic Journal
Collections (2004)
• 3-page section on “Serving users with Disabilities,
covering equipment, accessibility standards, and
product compliance”
Lack of consistency (1b)
There are a few things you can do to help improve vendors’
efforts in making their e-journal accessible to all of your users:
•
•
•
•
Become familiar with the WCAG design guidelines
Make product accessibility an issue among your colleagues
Test products using your library’s assistive technology
Talk to e-journal providers at conference and during sales
visits
• Include accessibility requirements in RFPs
Lack of consistency (1c)
Appendix: Sample policies and sample evaluation
E-Journal Collection Policy for Paid Subscription
C. Accessibility






Accessible by IP recognition
Accessible to walk-in library users
Easy to print and download
Readable on computer screens
Response time must be within acceptable limits
Not requiring a proprietary plug-in
Lack of consistency (2)
Wikoff, Electronic Resources management in the
Academic Library. A professional Guide. (2012)
• "ADA-friendly" incl. among selection criteria in
sample policy (Appendix A)
• Nowhere else addressed or explained
– Ch. 2 - Acquiring Electronic Resources
– Ch. 6 - Evaluating E-Resources
Depth of coverage (1)
• Jacobs (ed.), Electronic Resources Librarianship and
management of Digital Information: Emerging Professional
Roles, 2007
– Cheryl Riley, “The Electronic Resources (ER) Librarian & Patrons with
Disabilities,” pp. 83-98.
• Curtis, E-Journal. A How-To-Do-It Manual for Building,
Managing, and Supporting Electronic Journal Collections
(2004)
– 3-page section on “Serving users with Disabilities, covering equipment,
accessibility standards, and product compliance
Depth of coverage (2)
• Yu and Breivold, Electronic Resource Management in Libraries.
Research and Practice (2012, 416 p.).
“It is important to determine … the flexibility of the software to
accommodate users with disabilities or compliance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA).” p.52.
[Accessibility is not addressed in the following checklist (pp. 54-56).]
Depth of coverage (3)
• Evans & Saponaro, Collections Development Basics (6th ed)
2012
– Acknowledge potential conflict between DRM and accessibility
– Discuss needs of users with disabilities …
• … facilities, physical environment, large print alternatives, mechanical and human
assistance (which “must be provided”).
• “Digital materials and even library Websites raise similar access issues. Knowing
what percentage of the service community might call for such assistance helps plan
fund allocations.”
Depth of coverage (4)
Vicki Gregory, Collection Development and Management for 21st
Century Library Collections. An Introduction. (2011).
2 pages discussing ADA issues, focusing exclusively on
 Alternative formats (large print, video)
 Variety of hardware and software
 National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
No apparent awareness that the design of resources matters.
Summary and Proposed Best
Practices
Summary
• The vast majority of CD policies in small-to-mid-sized public universities do
not address accessibility. (The UW comprehensives did relatively well.)
• Even if they do, accessibility is often not considered during the selection
process.
• The assumption is sometimes made that vendors are now aware of the
problems and have designed accessible products.
• Accessibility claims are not collaborated through vendor-independent
venues.
• The importance of accessibility is not consistently communicated to
vendors.
• Most books on CD do not address accessibility at all.
• Those which do rarely do so consistently and in sufficient depth.
• The terminology used is often to vague to be of any practical value.
Best Practices
What to ask for?
• Conformance to the latest accessibility
guidelines/standards
– Currently WCAG 2.0, level AA
– the (new) Section 508
• Functionally usable with currently used
assistive technology (Ron Stewart’s
recommendation)
Required or desirable
1. E-resources must conform to WCAG 2.0.
2. If possible, e-resources should conform to
WCAG 2.0.
3. Selectors must consider accessibility along
with other criteria.
What to ask vendors
• Does your product conform to WCAG 2.0, Level AA,
guidelines?
• Has your product been tested for usability by people with
disabilities using assistive technology
• Could you please give a brief demo how your product works
with the NVDA screenreader?
• Your website states that you are working on improving your
product’s accessibility. This statement has been there for at
least a year. What specific progress have you made?
Special point to make when talking with librarians
about online accessibility
• Build-in accessibility features may work fine if for people who
can see the screen.
• Blind people, who can’t see the screen, would want to access
the resource with their own assistive technology.
• Just relying on program’s build-in accessibility features is not
enough.
From UWSP’s CD Policy
The University Library shall comply with the UWSP Online Accessibility Policy, which requires
developers and selectors of online resources to strive for compliance with relevant Section 508
standards. The University Library is working towards the establishment of an online information
infrastructure that is accessible and usable for all, including people with disabilities. Decisionmaking pertaining to the development or procurement of online resources will, if applicable,
involve the following:
•
Gaining familiarity with, and implementing, state-of-the art accessible design practices for
the product in question.
•
Taking into account the accessibility of products or services under consideration.
•
Requiring vendors to provide documentation pertaining to their products' accessibility
(conformance to Section 508).
•
Inquiring about their products' usability for users of assistive technology (outcomes of
usability testing).
•
Consulting the literature about the accessibility of the considered resources.
•
Discussing more accessible alternatives.
•
Documenting the reasons for selecting an inaccessible resource in the Library's Collection
Development Committee minutes.
•
Including accessibility as a desired resource quality in RFPs (Requests for Proposals).
Information about accessibility
•
•
•
•
•
Vendors
Research
Accessibility to Library Databases Wiki
Libraries for Universal Accessibility
Usability testing on campus
– Collaborate with Assistive Tech/Disability Service
staff
– Your own testing (NVDA)
Any questions?