A new research project is seeking to better understand the issues affecting the production of accessible content in Australia and asking publishers to contribute by completing a survey.
‘Inclusive Publishing in Australia: A Benchmarking Study’ has been developed in collaboration with the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc. and the Australian Publishers Association’s (APA) Australian Inclusive Publishing Initiative (AIPI). Research for the project will be undertaken by Agata Mrva-Montoya, who is currently on leave from her role as publishing manager at Sydney University Press.
Mrva-Montoya told Books+Publishing the first stage of the project would be a survey of publishing staff involved in the production of books. ‘Participation is invaluable regardless if you are already involved in accessible publishing, have been thinking about it, or have no immediate plans to get started,’ said Mrva-Montoya.
A second survey, ‘Accessible Publishing in Australia’, will be aimed at staff of disability organisations directly involved in the conversion of books into accessible formats for those who are blind or have low vision. The survey will gauge satisfaction with the assistance provided by Australian publishers in the provision of content for conversion, and will identify key barriers and facilitators in producing accessible formats.
Overall, the research project aims to identify the key challenges that the publishers encounter in the production of accessible content and develop a framework and practical resources for publishers to assist with the development of ‘truly inclusive’ publishing workflows.
The survey closes 31 July.
