At the 2023 Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) Annual Meeting, a panel discussion titled "What Does Accessibility Mean to Our Community?" provided valuable insights from disability services staff at Portland Community College (PCC). Their perspectives shed light on the challenges faced by students and faculty members with disabilities and underscored the importance of collaboration between publishers and institutions to enhance accessibility in scholarly materials.
Kaela Parks, Director of Accessible Ed and Disability Resources, Portland Community College: Emphasized the right of students and employees to access scholarly materials in accessible formats, stressing the need for proactive remediation to eliminate barriers. Highlighted the burden of individual accommodation requests and advocated for a collaborative approach between publishers and institutions to ensure equitable access for all.
Jason Khurdan, Manager of Rutgers Access and Disability Services, Rutgers University: Highlighted the complexities of implementing AI-driven tools and companion apps in educational settings, underscoring the importance of quality assurance and accessibility testing. Stressed the need for publishers to address accessibility challenges, particularly in math content, and ensure compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers.
Jordana Qi, Access Coordinator, Disability Services Office, Rochester Institute of Technology: Advocated for embedding accessibility into product design processes, particularly for math content, to accommodate diverse user needs. Urged publishers to collaborate with disabled users throughout the design and publishing phases to broaden access and enhance product usability.
Joel Crawford-Smith, Senior Web Accessibility Administrator, Duke University: Highlighted the importance of adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure equal access to web content, including documents. Advocated for proactive integration of accessibility features during the document authoring process to streamline accessibility and reduce barriers for individuals with disabilities.
In summary, the perspectives shared by campus disability services staff underscore the need for publishers to prioritize accessibility in scholarly materials. Collaboration, proactive remediation, and adherence to accessibility standards are essential steps towards ensuring equitable access to information for all individuals, regardless of ability.
