[senit] Switch accessible electronic books

I'd like to start a debate about how switch users, and other users of
assistive technologies (e.g. communication aids, IntelliKeys, eye-gaze
systems, speech recognition, head-operated mice) can access electronic
books.

We recently completed a project ("Books for All" - see
http://www.booksforall.org.uk) which looked at the need for accessible books
and curriculum materials for pupils who can't use standard printed stuff.
There have been several outcomes, and one of them is that CALL, together
with Learning and Teaching Scotland, and SCRAN are going to build an
exemplar online library of materials in accessible formats.

The library will have books in different formats - e.g. PDF, plain text for
printing Braille, MP3, etc and we want some examples of switch-accessible
books, so here's a very basic question: what format should these switch
accessible books be in? PDF? Clicker? SwitchIt Maker? MS Reader? Daisy?

I think a single switch user (or two switch, or someone using IntelliKeys,
communication aid, eye-gaze or head-controlled mouse etc) should be able to:

   1. Open an electronic book from the library on their computer (or from an
online library)

   2. Start reading where they left off

   3. Navigate through the contents and structure

   4. Go to a particular chapter or page

   5. Turn the pages

   6. Swap between the current page and the contents page

   7. Change views (e.g. single or two page view, zoom in/out)

   8. Use Find/Search and index tools

   9. Add bookmarks, text notes and comments

At the moment, we can build switch accessible books in say Powerpoint and
use a switch to swap slides, but the switch access is pretty limited and
there's not a lot of control over functions other than turning pages. Or we
could use SwitchItMaker or Clicker but both of these require each page to be
made manually by cutting and pasting. Or we could use existing eBook readers
like MS Reader, PDF or EasyReader and program a Crick switch box to give the
keystroke commands for turning pages etc. But this doesn't help a single
switch user do more than just turn a page. Or we could create a scanning
selection set using The Grid, or SAW, say, or use another switch access
system like EZ Keys or AssistiveWare in order to access the book using for
example Acrobat Reader.

I don't know the best way to tackle this, collectively: do we want an
'add-on' utility, say, to Acrobat Reader so that a switch user can navigate
around a PDF and access it? Or switch accessible Reader that can read PDF,
or DOC, or Daisy books. Or a brand new specification for a switch-accessible
electronic book format together with switch reader programs to read the
books?

Comments please!

I've created a blog for Books for All, so if you would like to comment or
get more info see the blog at http://pauln.edublogs.org/. 

PS It's a little known fact that you can create an accessible version of
copyright material for a pupil 'who is unable, through physical disability,
to hold or manipulate a book"  without having to ask permission from the
publisher. See http://www.books4all.org.uk/html/copyright.html and
http://www.cla.co.uk/Schools_licences.php, which means that there is no
legal obstacle to us all collectively creating and distributing accessible
electronic books. So lets get on with it!

Paul

_______________________________________________

Paul D. Nisbet

Senior Research Fellow

Communication Aids for Language and Learning (CALL) Centre

Moray House School of Education

University of Edinburgh

Paterson's Land, Holyrood Road

Edinburgh EH8 8AQ

Tel. 0131 651 6236     Fax 0131 651 6234

email Paul.Nisbet at ed.ac.uk

http://callcentrescotland.org.uk 

http://www.AdaptedDigitalExams.org.uk 

http://www.booksforall.org.uk  

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