Public-facing accessibility information is a key component of the forthcoming European Accessibility Act. The provision of a user-focused accessibility statement is integral to meeting these requirements and ASPIRE are delighted to have worked closely with a host of publishers and publishing platforms to ensure that their accessibility statements are meeting the needs of their users. 27 publishers and platforms have now achieved a gold rated, 100% ASPIRE score for the quality of their accessibility information. This information supports readers, informs library procurement, and illustrates your commitment to accessible publishing. Your accessibility statement is your opportunity to tell your accessibility story. Make a statement. Explore the ASPIRE project: https://lnkd.in/eyjVq_d ASPIRE list for publishers: https://lnkd.in/evz--j4 ASPIRE list for platforms: https://lnkd.in/eueuKhn Learn more about the EAA + accessibility statements: https://lnkd.in/egGEU2at

We're delighted to announce that University of London Press have achieved a gold rated, 100% ASPIRE score for the quality of their accessibility statement. As we mention in their blog post (link below), it is rare for a publisher or vendor to achieve a 100% ASPIRE score at their first attempt. Their achievement is a reflection of their commitment to accessible publishing and we are delighted for all involved. Congratulations to Emma Gallon, Jamie Bowman, Katharine Nelson, and the whole team at UoL Press! Explore the University of London Press website statement and learn more about their commitment to accessibility: https://lnkd.in/g5DZW-i2 Explore their blog post discussing embedding accessibility in their publishing programme: https://lnkd.in/d5yxVxmQ Visit the ASPIRE publisher list: https://lnkd.in/evz--j4 Learn more about the ASPIRE review process + get your accessibility statement ready for the European Accessibility Act: https://lnkd.in/eyjVq_d #ASPIRE #MakeAStatement

We're delighted to announce that VitalSource have achieved a gold rated, 100% ASPIRE review for the quality of their accessibility statement and information. VitalSource have always strived to embed accessibility in their offerings and their 100% ASPIRE score demonstrates their continued commitment to making course content available to all. Many congratulations to the whole team! Read the press release from VitalSource: https://lnkd.in/ed7ihuAa Explore the ASPIRE list of publishing platforms: https://lnkd.in/eueuKhn Learn more about VitalSource's accessibility work: https://lnkd.in/exQhgVzv

Searching for Accessibility searchBOX is a free directory of accessibility information about the publishing industry. The service provides accessibility information for publishers and platforms, such as links to accessibility statements and involvement with organisations such as RNIB Bookshare, so that librarians can efficiently source accessible content for their students. The searchBOX Finder service is included within the accessibility statements of a wide range of higher education institutions in the UK and has been has been embedded in the library directories of University of Kent, City University of London, and UCL. Everyone likes a list at this time of year, so we've been exploring the page search data for searchBOX and the following vendors rank highest in searches by librarians and users in 2024. These searches represent users seeking accessibility information of vendors (such as an accessibility statement or contact details) and indicate platforms with high usage. JSTOR is the most searched for vendor on searchBOX in 2024, closely followed by VLebooks and ProQuest Central. We’ve added in the availability of accessibility statements on the platforms, and it’s great to see that the customer searches in the majority of cases are leading users to accessibility information. We’ve also mapped the results to ASPIRE accreditation, and you’ll notice that those vendors with ASPIRE accreditation for the quality of their accessibility statement rank higher in the list. As the European Accessibility Act looms in 2025, the provision of accessibility information is critical for compliance. Your statement is your opportunity to tell your accessibility story and provide user-focused information to your customers. Are you on the list? searchBOX Directory: https://lnkd.in/ezVyBuW searchBOX Finder: https://lnkd.in/gpcAwRQg The ASPIRE project for accessibility statements: https://lnkd.in/eyjVq_d Browse the ASPIRE list for platforms: https://lnkd.in/eueuKhn List of most searched platforms on searchBOX: 1. JSTOR 2. Vlebooks 3. ProQuest Central 4. Ebook Central 5. Kortext 6. Ovid 7. Taylor & Francis eBooks 8. EBSCO Ebooks 9. BibliU 10. Elsevier ScienceDirect 11. Gale Academic OneFile 12. SpringerLink 13. Cambridge Core 14. MathSciNet 15. Directory of Open Access Journals 16. Wiley Online 17. Oxford Academic 18. Taylor & Francis Online 19. ABI/INFORM Collection 20. De Gruyter 21. Sage Journals 22. Fulcrum ACLS Humanities Ebooks 23. Business Source Complete 24. Directory of Open Access Books 25. O'Reilly for Higher Education 26. SDC Mergers and Acquisitions 27. Brill 28. Sage Research Methods 29. Bloomsbury Collections 30. Clinical Key Student 31. Cambridge Higher Education 32. MIT Press Direct 33. Cite them right online 34. Emerald Insight 35. IEEE Xplore 36. Sage Knowledge 37. The Economist Online 38. HeinOnline 39. Office for National Statistics 40. Westlaw

The European Accessibility Act is approaching. Slowly. Inexorably. Like an Imperial Star Destroyer. We've been thinking about the EAA and accessibility statements. What does the publishing industry need to do? Has anyone written about the EAA and accessibility through the lens of Star Wars? No? Then here it is... European Accessibility Act + accessibility statements: An ASPIRE overview featuring tenuous Star Wars references https://lnkd.in/egGEU2at #MakeADifference #MayTheForceBeWithYou

Episode 6 of the Digital Publishing Podcast just dropped. This time I get to interview one of the loveliest people in publishing, Huw Alexander, Managing Director and founder of the brilliant firm textBOX, to nerd out about all things image description. We cover his publishing journey, starting your own business, and big changes in the industry (of course including AI...). Don’t miss this one! https://lnkd.in/e-xF4HrV #digitalaccessibility #publishing #digitalpublishing #podcast #digitalpublishingpodcast #a11y #imagedescription #alttext #ebook #epub #eprdctn

We're thrilled to announce that the EBSCO Ebooks platform has achieved a gold-rated, 100% ASPIRE score for the quality of its accessibility statement. This is the fourth time that the EBSCO Ebooks accessibility statement has recorded a 100% ASPIRE score and it underlines EBSCO's continued commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all their users. Many congratulations to Emma Waecker and the whole team at EBSCO Information Services. Always a pleasure to work with you! Learn more about EBSCO Ebooks: https://lnkd.in/givqqEcX Explore the EBSCO Ebooks statement: https://lnkd.in/er35RicN Learn more about the ASPIRE project: https://lnkd.in/eyjVq_d Explore the ASPIRE list for platforms: https://lnkd.in/eueuKhn #ASPIRE #MakeAStatement #AccessibilityStatements #EBSCO

Is your organisation part of the ASPIRE 100 Club? The ASPIRE project launched in 2018 and reviews the quality of the information included in an accessibility statement by publishers and platforms. In the age of the European Accessibility Act, telling your accessibility story is more important than ever. Your accessibility statement is a gateway to your customers and a window on your content. Your statement needs to be user-focused, encourage engagement, and communicate your work + investment. 26 publishers + platforms have now recorded a gold-rated, 100% ASPIRE score for the quality of their accessibility statements. This unique accreditation informs procurement decision-making and demonstrates a commitment to inclusive content. Learn more about writing a user-focused statement with the ASPIRE reference guide to writing accessibility statements: https://lnkd.in/egYhUPYW Explore the ASPIRE lists and find out more about the publishers + platforms excelling in accessible content and interfaces: ASPIRE publisher list: https://lnkd.in/evz--j4 ASPIRE platform list: https://lnkd.in/eueuKhn Learn more about the ASPIRE project + contact us with any questions you may have: https://lnkd.in/eyjVq_d #ASPIRE #MakeAStatement