AAP Update on Accessible Textbooks

"Phase l of the Association of American Publishers' Alternate Format Solutions Initiative (AFSI) is being completed . The findings and options developed during the initial research phase are to be presented to the AAP's Higher Education publishers for study. The shape of AFSI's Phase II will largely be defined by the results of Phase 1, and the nature of and timetable for Phase ll's next steps are expected to emerge shortly. This session will provide an opportunity for attendees to get updated on the efforts so far and to contribute their insights, pose questions, engage in discussion, and thereby contribute to the AAP's ongoing collaborative effort to develop a practical set of effective solutions to the real challenges of getting textbooks into alternate formats on a timely basis for post-secondary students with disabilities."

Rick Bowes provided a very broad and informative report of where the publishers stand in terms of their interest and comfort with postsecondary DSS alt-text/E-text creation and provision. In general it appears that the two sides are getting more comfortable with each other and the gap is starting to narrow with some concessions on both ends. The publishers look-up service has made locating the right people and communicating with them to get digital files of textbooks much easier - but is not being used as much as they woould like. Though not perfect – this service was and continues to be a concrete example of what the publishers and educators can do when they find common ground. (Not so subtle hint --- this service will only continue and improve if we on the postsecondary disability services side use it and provide appropriate and honest feedback.)

Publishers are looking to implement 'next steps' by mid-year 2007 and are looking to DSS (through Rick) to provide additional information about what we do with the files (both those we produce in-house and those we obtain via the lookup service) and how we workflow both. Rick will be contacting DSS and Higher Education entities in the coming weeks with questions and scenarios for response. All he desires is honest feedback and your questions and suggestions. ATHEN firmly supports the work he is doing and thanks him (and the publishers) whole-heartedly!

The Bel Air room in the LAX Marriott was quite full for this report with attendees and representatives from a good cross section of postsecondary service providers, industry representatives, non-profit entities and other interested parties. Shortly after his presentation, the room was abuzz with the sort of questions and feedback Rick is seeking.

In-hand with this work, AHEAD will soon (Ron hopes) be rolling out the next version of the E-Text Survey [PDF link]. The British contingent (E.A. Draffan and the chaps from the Royal National Institute for the Blind) brought to our attention the work being done across the pond. Gaeir Dietrich summarized a number of issues quite nicely and reminded everyone how fast the technology is moving – for example how well the newest version of Adobe Reader (v. 8) audibly renders tagged PDF. If anyone reading this blog took took notes at the meeting I'd appreciate you sending them to me for posting. Thanks.

One point that Rick got across is that of money. For good or bad – the publishing houses are businesses and they need assurance (and evidence) that at best they are going to see some profit from their efforts and at worst that they will not be throwing money down a hole. The publishers are more and more open to the burgeoning best practices in the field and want to provide what our students need. However, all of this comes with a cost – be it in human resource terms of having publisher based staff to gather materials and create the formatted files – to hardware and software and document storage – to the development of practices on their end from development, to assembly to security to delivery to tracking and on and on. Rick pointed out that if even one of the publishers is able to configure a profit from their efforts then the others will jump on the band wagon “within hours”.