Hi Sheila
Thanks for the response. I agree that a coordinated approach might be
better.
Note that I wrote a blog post a while ago about the accessibility of
PDFs in institutional repositories, suggesting the need, for example, to get
publishers to ensure that their templates for MS Word and Latex files
embedded richer structure, rather than just described font sizes. See
http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2006/12/12/accessibility-and-institutional-r
epositories/
Also note that WCAG 2.0 should be coming out this year - and this has
been updated in the light of experiences, and no longer mandates use of W3C
formats, but recognises that formats such as PDF can be useful, but should
be used in an accessible fashion.
Perhaps when WCAG 2.0 is formally announced, this would provide an
opportunity to engage with publishers (and professional bodies) in a
positive way, rather than legal threats.
Who'd be willing to coordinate such advocacy work?
Brian
--------------------------------
Brian Kelly
UKOLN, University of Bath, BATH, UK, BA2 7AY
Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: +44 1225 383943
Web site: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
Blog: http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sheila Thomas [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 23 April 2008 08:56
> To: Brian Kelly; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: Conference proceedings presented as very large PDF files
>
> Brian Kelly wrote on 23 April 2008 08:05
>
> > I'd assumed that your question "How are other people dealing with
> > conference proceedings published on CD where all the papers
> are lumped
> > together in one PDF file?"
> > meant how do you persuade publishers to do the right thing, rather
> > than how do you tidy up their mess.
>
> Yes.
>
> > You could use the accessibility argument. There's a legal
> > requirement to ensure that people with disabilities (PWDs) aren't
> > discriminated against unfairly. Processing these large PDF
> files can
> > be a particular problem for PWDs. Use of a more open format (HTML)
> > would be better, but individual PDF files would make it
> easy for PWDs
> > to navigate and find the paper they're interested in.
> > Might be worth a try?
>
> Thank you for the suggestion. Rather than an individual
> approach from TWI library to each offending publisher, I was
> hoping we might mobilise the might of CILIP for a general
> approach. Coupling the accessibility aspects of website
> design with conference CD presentation might be sensible. It
> would be nice to find a way of drawing publishers'
> attention to the issue by some means other than a court case
> against someone who fails the accessibility test! I doubt
> that a letter to the Times will do the trick.
>
> Some of the conferences we have trouble with are published by
> professional bodies or institutions responsible for
> organising the conference, rather than publishing houses, so
> in these cases the individual approach may be the only way.
>
> --
> Sheila Thomas BA MCLIP MWeldI
> Weldasearch Manager
> [log in to unmask]
> TWI Ltd, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL, UK
> http://www.twi.co.uk
>
>
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