General
There are digital formats that are not intended for users to modify the content. There is a wide offer of such kinds of digital formats to implement graphic, audio, video and interactive documents. We focus here on book-like documents such as digital books, comics, class notes and handouts, etc. PDF, EPUB and Web are the most common digital formats in which learning materials of this kind are made available to students. Here you may find the 3 main accessibility aspects to assure everyone can use the publications.
Related topics
Key tips
- Accessible publishing
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Educational institutions should ensure that all students are able to make use of the full capabilities made possible by those formats. This is not just limited to reading content linearly from beginning to end but also to:
- navigating the document by jumping directly to the different sections,
- searching for information in the content,
- making annotations and
- making use of assistive technologies.
- Make the publication accessible
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No matter what digital format is used to publish it, applicable accessibility best practices and guidelines should be followed. Be sure that the content is POUR. See: Accessible digital content.
- Provide accessible channels to get the publication
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Be sure that the LMS or the CMS used to deliver the educational content is accessible. Students of all kinds should be capable of finding and accessing the publication. See: Inclusive teaching guidelines and best practices.
- Make sure the students have capable devices to fully use the publication with or without the use of assistive technology
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It is of paramount importance to be sure that all students are able to open and use the publication with their settings. The devices, hardware or software, they have should be able to operate the digital format. Common solutions to these issues are:
- providing accessible software to operate the publication
- making sure that the assistive technologies used by students are compatible and
- providing appropriate assistive technology to students who need it.