<font size="2"><font face="trebuchet ms,sans-serif">[Forwarding from Brian Kelly. --Peter Suber.]<br></font></font><br><div class="gmail_quote"><br>From time to time there are discussions on this list on the accessibility of<br>
content hosted in repositories. However such discussions tend to die out, in<br>
part, I feel, due to the difficulties in addressing the accessibility of<br>
PDFs in a scalable way - I suspect few authors add alt text to images in<br>
their word processors, for example and repository managers aren't in a<br>
position to do this.<br>
<br>
However although WCAG accessibility guidelines tended to be prescriptive<br>
(images must have alternative text) the BSI's recently published BS 8878 Web<br>
accessibility Code of practice is more pragmatic and achievable, requiring,<br>
for example, providers of Web services to have an accessibility statement.<br>
<br>
I recently had a quick look for accessibility statements on repository Web<br>
sites but couldn't find anything related to repository items (the statement<br>
I did find were about the repository Web site interface).<br>
<br>
I have written a draft accessibility statement which I am publishing as<br>
something to start a discussion on regarding what repository managers should<br>
be doing in this area. Note the intention is not to add significant<br>
barriers to providing repository content but to document achievable<br>
practices.<br>
<br>
The post is available at:<br>
<a href="http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/web-accessibility-institutional-r
epositories-and-bs-8878/" target="_blank">http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/web-accessibility-institutional-r<br>
epositories-and-bs-8878/</a><br>
<br>
<br>
Comments welcome.<br>
<br>
Thanks<br>
<br>
Brian<br>
--------------------------------<br>
<font color="#888888">Brian Kelly<br>
UKOLN, University of Bath, BATH, UK, BA2 7AY<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk">B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk</a><br>
Phone: +44 1225 383943<br>
Web site: <a href="http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/</a><br>
Blog: <a href="http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/</a><br>
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