Books without Barriers: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Publishing

Authors

Julie Ganner
Agata Mrva-Montoya
Maryanne Park
Kayt Duncan

Document Type

Book

Date of this Version

2023

Citation

Institute of Professional Editors and Australian Publishers Association, 2023

Also available at https://www.iped-editors.org/resources-for-editors/books-without-barriers/

Comments

Copyright 2023, the authors. Open access

License: CC BY 4.0

Abstract

Introduction

The accessibility of a publication depends on how suitable and easily adaptable it is to the different ways in which people read. Publications that meet the needs of people with print disability are inclusive because they offer an equitable reading experience to all readers, irrespective of how the person accesses the content.

Print disability¹ occurs as a result of the interaction between people living with temporary or permanent health conditions and the barriers to reading they may experience when content is made available in print form only. Print disability can be:

• visual (including blindness, low vision and medical conditions such as macular degeneration)
• perceptual or related to learning difficulties (caused by conditions such as dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorder)
• physical (for example, conditions that make it difficult to manipulate and interact with printed materials or to focus or move the eyes).

People with print disability may need to access content using assistive technologies. An assistive technology is any equipment, device or system that supports the functioning and independence of people with disability. Assistive technologies for reading include print magnifiers, screen readers, braille, large print and talking books. (Refer to the chapter Know your audience for further information on the ways in which people with print disability read.)

Everyone should be able to engage fully with the stories and information we create, irrespective of the sense(s) – vision, hearing and/or touch – used to read them. We therefore need to know how to prepare text, images and file formats in a way that ensures auditory or tactile readers, or people who read visually but have a condition that impairs their vision, don’t miss out on key information.

Transforming the way content is written and produced is also an investment in the wellbeing and prosperity of writers, illustrators and their publishers. There is a competitive advantage in ensuring books can be read through all sensory channels, including formats such as large print, ebooks and audio. Making content accessible to people with print disability will allow more readers of all ages to find, purchase and experience the work of writers and illustrators from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand – whether for personal enjoyment, information, cultural enrichment or formal education.

¹ The term “print disabled” was coined by George Kersher of the DAISY Foundation.