Inclusive Publishing in Australia: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

Despite the developments in digital technologies, people with a print disability such as blindness or low vision have limited access to reading material in accessible formats. This “global book famine” affects their opportunities for learning, participating in the social and economic life of society, and leading a balanced life. With limited research in this area, and poor understanding and collaboration among alternative content producers and publishers, a potential opportunity exists to transform the creation and production of accessible content in Australia. This exploratory study of Australian book publishers seeks to better understand the issues affecting the production of accessible content. While the results from this sample cannot be generalised to the whole publishing industry in Australia, this study offers valuable insights into the level of engagement of the publishing industry in the implementation of accessibility standards, and identifies the key drivers and challenges that publishers encounter.