This Hub has been created and is regularly reviewed by BIC’s Focus on Accessibility Group and will be updated/modified over time as further resources and information are made available or brought to the attention of the group.
BIC’s Focus on Accessibility Group recognises that there such a wealth of information available online that some may find it overwhelming and difficult to make sense of or determine which content is authoritative etc: “Where to start?”
With this in mind then, this Hub is intended to be a helpful “one-stop shop” resource area for individuals and organisations wishing to create, distribute and bring to market accessible content.
If there are any topics or resources that you would like to us to add/include here, please get in touch via info@bic.org.uk.
BIC’s Focus on Accessibility Group
BIC member organisations participating in this group (which meets online every 4 weeks) include representatives from:
- Cambridge University Press and Assessment
- EDItEUR
- Gardners
- Hachette
- HarperCollins
- Penguin Random House
- Rakuten Kobo
- Taylor and Francis
Other BIC member organisations wanting to participate in this group should contact info@bic.org in the first instance to find out more.
Useful Organisations Working on Accessibility
There are numerous organisations/3rd parties operating in the accessibility space. As a neutral organisation, BIC is not able to endorse/recommend 3rd party vendors/system providers or consultancies, but what follows is a list of organisations that BIC considers to be authoritative sources of expertise and knowledge:
DAISY, PAAG ,W3C ,The LIA Foundation, The Federation of European Publishers, The European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), Benetech – Global Certified Accessible and EDR lab , Inclusive Publishing, EDItEUR
Training Courses
What follows is a list of the training courses that have been brought to our attention – a combination of free and paid-for. Whilst BIC cannot actively endorse these courses they are provided by reputable organisations.
Accessible Books Consortium Course on Accessible Publishing Concepts
This course is found on the DAISY Learning platform and is a free, high level introductory course to accessible publishing
Digital Accessibility Foundations
A free, online, self-paced course from W3C WAI for developers, designers, UX, writers, managers, advocates. Designed for technical and non-technical learners, including students, instructors, professionals, and people with disabilities. Course is free with optional certificate.
Course List (compiled by W3C) of Digital Accessibility Education, Training, and Certification – Lists courses from different providers.
Accessibility Courses and Certifications – a comprehensive overview of training and resources currently available (both free and paid-for), compiled by the folk at Make Things Accessible.
Impact on end user
Making content accessible shouldn’t simply be about conforming to legislation. Find out more about what having timely, accessible content means to the end users:
- https://www.rnibbookshare.org/cms/learners-stories-board
- https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories
- https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/stories
Industry Standards
What follows is a list of key industry standards for creating accessible content: