Creator: Publishing Community Group
Date Updated: January 25, 2023
Overview
Displaying accessibility metadata is becoming increasingly important as more digital content is born accessible. The User Experience Guide for Displaying Accessibility Metadata 1.0, published by the Publishing Community Group under the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Community Group, discusses the importance of accessibility metadata for persons with print disabilities and how to display this information for readers.
The information in this resource is summarized from the User Experience Guide for Displaying Accessibility Metadata 1.0 report.
Quick Facts
The recommendations and guidelines presented in this report help persons with disabilities find accessible content. For example, if you display the accessibility metadata with your catalogue details, it lets readers know or decide if they can open, navigate, and read the items using assistive technologies (also known as access technology). Libraries can go one step further and enable their catalogue to search and filter using the accessibility metadata, so persons with disabilities can find what they are looking for.
The metadata properties covered in this report are:
- Screen Reader Friendly: This metadata type will let your patrons know if they can read the content with a screen reader. The value can be “Yes,” “No,” or “Unknown.”
- Full Audio: This metadata type lets your patrons know if they can listen to the full content. The value can be “Yes.” If full audio is not available or unknown, then do not include this type.
- Accessibility Summary: This describes the accessibility features the content contains (e.g., it follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)). The value you display it the full summary.
- Accessibility Conformance: This metadata type points to any accessibility standards the digital content follows (which is also the value). E.g., the WCAG or EPUB standards.
- Certified By: This metadata type lists who certifies the accessibility of the content. The value can be a publisher name (in-house certification) or an external company.
- Certifier Credential: This generally links to the credentials of the “Certified By” company.
- Certifier Report: This metadata field links to a web page or HTML version of the certification report by the company in the “Certified By” metadata type.
- Hazards: This metadata type lets your library patrons know if there are any accessibility hazards in the content (e.g., flashes in a video, loud background sound, etc.).
- All Accessibility Metadata: This metadata type lists the rest of the accessibility metadata the content contains. The value is often a link to the full list.
Read the User Experience Guide for Displaying Accessibility Metadata 1.0 report.
Reference
LaPierre, C., & Pellegrino, G. (Eds.). (2021, September 27). User Experience Guide for Displaying Accessibility Metadata 1.0. User experience guide for displaying accessibility metadata 1.0. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.w3.org/2021/09/UX-Guide-metadata-1.0/principles/