Scheduled at 9:00am in Denver 1-3 on Tuesday, November 17.
#43048Speaker(s)
- Christine Foushi, Principal Consultant, OneStep Beyond
- Darrin Evans, Director Virtual Learning Community Professional Development Center, Wake Technical Community College
- Rachel Comerford, Senior Director of Accessibility, Macmillan Learning
Session Details
- Length of Session: 5-6-hr
- Format: Lab
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: Pre-conference
Summary
This workshop provides a comprehensive, hands-on class in the "born accessible" publishing lifecycle, moving from foundational source content to advanced digital remediation of EPUBs & PDFs. Participants will begin by mastering the art of alt-text creation and creating content within Microsoft Word before transitioning into the technical "how-to" of converting those files into EPUBs or PDFs (if desired) as well as reading and remediating down the road.
Abstract
As we stare the extension of Title II in the face and the continued digital academic landscape, the transition from static documents to inclusive, flexible formats is no longer a luxury—it is a requirement. This six-hour workshop provides a masterclass in the "Born Accessible" workflow, guiding participants through the complete lifecycle of digital content creation. Attendees will move from foundational Microsoft Word structuring and the nuances of semantic alt-text to technical EPUB conversion and advanced AI-assisted remediation. Using free, industry-standard tools like WordToEPUB, Thorium Reader, and Ace by DAISY, participants will engage in hands-on labs to convert and validate structured files. We will further explore leveraging Artificial Intelligence as a "tool in the toolbox" to accelerate tasks, such as generating contextual alt-text and complex table tagging. We will also deep-dive into the "I have an EPUB... Now What?" phase, where attendees will learn to validate files with EPUBCheck and Ace by DAISY and perform direct code remediation. We will also explore PDF accessibility check and remediation. The workshop concludes with an exploration of the end-user experience in PDF, and demonstrating how the unique features of the EPUB format—such as text-to-speech, adjustable layouts, and robust screen reader compatibility—create a truly inclusive and engaging reading journey for all students.
Keypoints
- Build "Born Accessible" source documents from the ground up.
- Learn to create and remediate high-performance EPUBs using free industry tools.
- Explore end-user perspective of digital formats using assistive technology.
Disability Areas
Cognitive/Learning, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Mobility, Vision
Topic Areas
Alternate Format, Artificial Intelligence, Assistive Technology, Faculty Development & Support, Teaching about Accessibility in Curriculum, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Christine Foushi
Christine Foushi, a self-proclaimed publishing nerd, is a journalist by trade, has worked within the higher education technology and publishing industry for the last 20 years, and is an advocate for accessibility. Ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all is her passion not only in her career, but within her community and personal life. She's the Principal Consultant of OneStep Beyond, an organization intended to empower individuals and organizations to navigate the digital landscape through innovative technology solutions while maintaining a commitment to accessibility.
Darrin Evans
Darrin Evans is an Accessibility Technologist and the Director of the North Carolina Virtual Learning Communities Professional Development Center. Darrin has a Master’s in Instructional Technology Darrin has over 15 years of experience in eLearning and accessibility of digital content. The Virtual Learning Community is a partnership between the 58 community colleges of the North Carolina Community College System and Wake Technical Community College. Darrin enjoys technology and is always looking for ways to make digital content more accessible to all learners. In his spare time he is a very slow marathon swimmer.
Rachel Comerford
Rachel Comerford is the Senior Director of Accessibility Outreach and Communication at Macmillan Learning where she leads cross-functional efforts to ensure students of all abilities have access to their course materials. In 2020, BISG awarded Rachel the Industry Innovator award for her work helping Macmillan Learning to become the first Global Certified Accessible publisher by Benetech. Under her leadership, Macmillan was recognized by WIPO’s Accessible Book Consortium with the International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing in 2020 for their work towards providing educational materials that any student can use. She has over a decade of experience in the print and digital publishing world. Prior to coming to Macmillan as an editor, she held a variety of editorial and sales positions at WW Norton and Pearson.