Putting the “A” in DEIA: Accessibility as a Necessity in the Scholarly Communications Workflow

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https://www.choice360.org/webinars/putting-the-a-in-deia-accessibility-as-a-necessity-in-the-scholarly-communications-workflow/

Webinar Description:
Accessibility is a topic of increasing prominence within the scholarly communications industry. This is a result both of the increased focus on equity, diversity and inclusion within the information sector, and also of lawsuits arising from legislation – like the Americans with Disabilities Act and European Accessibility Act – to compel digital content providers to make their content accessible. Where previously accessibility was ‘nice to have’, providing accessible materials is now a core part of every provider’s mission across the scholarly supply chain in order to reach the maximum possible audience and to make sure that students and researchers have access to the information they need to perform to their full potential.

This roundtable will focus on the entire scholarly communications workflow, considering the tools a researcher with a disability might use, from publisher, library, university, supplier and end-user perspectives.

This webinar will explore the following topics:
- What can publishers do to ensure accessibility and equity from submission to production?
- What kinds of disabilities do publishers and libraries need to consider?
- How and in what way do individuals with accessibility needs access content? What should information providers do to ensure accessibility for end users?
- How can a library ensure their collection development policies take accessibility issues into account?
- What are the business incentives of conforming to accessibility standards in our published materials, and what are the legal implications of not doing so?
- What are the differing challenges faced by small publishers or information providers compared with their larger counterparts?

Attendees will take away insights on why accessibility is necessary, what efforts the publishing industry is making to ensure scholarly communications are more accessible across the workflow, and how they can start to think about accessibility in organizations of all sizes.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Technical Introduction
02:42 - Opening remarks from Elsevier's Gwen Evans
04:16 - Agenda and speaker introduction from Elsevier's Simon Holt
09:12 - Presentation from Taylor & Francis's Stacy Scott
17:21 - Presentation from University of Michigan's Sile O’Modhrain
26:56 - Presentation from Gallaudet University's Elizabeth Henry
37:39 - Panel discussion/audience Q&A

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