American unis cautioned against inaccessible eBook readers

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Thursday, 1 July 2010 17:30pm

On Tuesday the US Justice and Education departments have written a letter voicing concerns that some universities are using devices that don’t meet accessibility standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This is a response to a settlement made by four universities which agreed not to purchase, require or recommend any eBook that does not provide this access.

 

As eBook technology becomes more commonplace in education and social activity, government and educational bodies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of technology that supports people with disabilities.

 

Apple is becoming renowned for producing devices with advanced accessibility features that come as a standard part of the device. This applies to their operating system, Mac OS X, as well as devices such as the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

 

The iPad, with its built-in screen reader that works with Apple’s free eBook reader (iBooks), is a viable alternative, if more expensive than pure eBook readers such as the Kindle DX or Kobo. iBooks is now also available on the iPhone and iPod touch.

 

Apple provides a set of resources for educators using Apple products for education. These resources include videos that explain how to use inbuilt accessibility features, including VoiceOver, the screen magnifier and desktop settings. To access these videos, visit the Apple in Education resource centre. Be sure to click on the right-hand arrow to see more videos, including those on accessibility.

 

For more information about the accessibility of Apple devices, visit the digital technology section on our website.

 


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