Macmillan Learning commits to accessible ebooks for students

In the US, Macmillan Learning has committed to ‘born accessible’ ebook options for students with disabilities, as the first publisher to become Global Certified Accessible, reports Publishers Weekly.

Born accessible books are developed to ensure that students, regardless of their ability, have the same access to information. The Global Certified Accessible program was established by non-profit Benetech. The program evaluates whether ebooks are designed to be accessible for learners with reading barriers such as blindness, low vision, dyslexia or a physical disability.

‘In this digital age there’s no reason that students with disabilities shouldn’t have the same access to learning materials as their peers,’ said Macmillan Learning general manager Susan Winslow.

‘Through working with Benetech, we saw how our internal processes could be improved to make materials even more accessible, and made all the necessary changes. While we’re very proud of being the first to have the designation—we’re more proud that we now better serve all learners.’

As part of the certification process, Benetech assessed Macmillan Learning’s workflow for creating accessible books, evaluating and providing feedback on more than 100 accessibility features. The certification applies to all books created using Macmillan Learning’s updated process, which includes all ebooks with a 2019 copyright.

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