The potential market for eBooks is huge. One in eight people in the UK struggle to enjoy standard print books due to sight loss, dyslexia, or a disability that makes it difficult to hold a book or turn a page. As more readers who struggle with standard print turn to eBooks, this business case shows why accessibility is essential for any publishing strategy
"There are good commercial, ethical and legal reasons for publishers to increase the accessibility of all publications, whether print or digital. Every publisher - whether large or small, for profit or not - can do this."
Alicia Wise, Director of Universal Access, Elsevier
Commercial factors
An ageing population wants to keep reading, and consumers increasingly want to read electronically on a range of devices. Accessibility can be seamlessly incorporated into your digital workflows and products without additional cost whilst broadening your potential market.
The 'grey' pound
The book industry relies heavily on the 'mature' buyer (those aged 61 plus). In 2008, mature buyers accounted for around a third of all books purchased, despite representing only a fifth of the population.
The proportion of people with sight problems rises steeply from around 1 in 30 in the population as a whole to around 1 in 5 in the older age group.
Research shows that it was mature buyers who were the main early adopters of dedicated eBook readers. Anecdotal feedback suggests that the ability to increase font size was a big factor in their adoption. Our information resource for eBook readers compared gives details of which devices have accessible features.
Print impairment figures
It is estimated that one in eight people in the UK struggle to enjoy standard print books due to sight loss, dyslexia, or a disability that makes it difficult to hold a book or turn a page.
Sight loss
eBooks and Text to Speech
Readng technology is creating a more inclusive society. Products like Amazon's Kindle Keyboard and Apple idevices can allow print impaired readers to access the same book at the same time and the same price as everyone else, and to read books in a way that suits their individual needs.
The Publishers Association, The Society of Authors, The Association of Authors' Agents and The Right to Read Alliance have recommended that publishers routinely enable text to speech on all eBooks, at least where there is no audiobook edition commercially available.
While many publishers already enable text to speech on all their eBooks as standard, it is hoped that the text to speech recommendation will encourage all publishers to reach more readers by enabling text to speech on their eBooks.
Text to speech delivers a different experience to a reader in comparison to a human voice audio book. Listen to examples of synthetic voices to compare the available range.
Watch on YouTube: eBooks for blind and partially sighted people video and see what users think.
Accessible titles research
RNIB has commissioned research into the availability of accessible publications. In 2011, 76 per cent of the top 1,000 titles were available in braille, audio and large print, including titles available in these formats using eBooks.
However the full report for the 'Accessible publications 2011' research study found that just seven per cent of all books are available in braille, audio and large print, including titles available in these formats using eBooks.
The number of titles available to blind and partially sighted people is low in comparison to the range that sighted people enjoy and RNIB can only transcribe around 1,000 books a year into formats such as RNIB Talking Books (DAISY format), braille and large print. So, readers who have to rely on specialist provision have a restricted choice.
UK publishers and the eBook industry have worked with RNIB to make progress in recent years, especially with recent popular titles and when including accessible eBooks. RNIB will continue to work in partnership with publishers and the eBook industry to ensure that blind and partially sighted readers have the range of choices enjoyed by everyone else.
Legal factors
In terms of access to books, blind and partially sighted people are protected by disability legislation and copyright legislation.
The Equality Act 2010 came into force in the UK on 1 October 2010, replacing the Disability Discrimination Act. Under the Act, it is unlawful for the providers of goods and services (including publishers) to discriminate against disabled people by refusing to provide a service, in the standard manner, or on terms on which the goods or services are provided.
Service providers must also provide auxiliary aids and services (such as information in an alternative format) where this would enable or facilitate the use of a service by a disabled person.
The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 amends the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to allow for the making of:
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accessible copies by individuals for personal use
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multiple accessible copies by approved bodies (such as RNIB).
An individual making an accessible copy under the Act must be in lawful possession of a published edition of a work and there must be no accessible copy commercially available.
Under the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations, where the application of a technical protection measure (TPM) to a copyrighted work prevents a person from carrying out a permitted act, such as the making of an accessible copy, then the individual or a representative body may issue a compliance notice to the Secretary of State.
Next steps
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