[community] Alternatives to PDF

Thu Jun 11 01:30:38 UTC 2020

If you're looking for EPUB readers,  Dolphin Easy Reader should work okay. Free app for iOS and Android, and they have a PC version too.
https://yourdolphin.com

Their marketing targets assistive tech users, but it's a very decent player. It connects directly to CELA/CAEB here in Canada (CELA provide alternative format content for print disabled users through our public libraries - it used to be the CNIB Library but it got taken over by the public libraries and expanded. It also connects directly to Bookshare in the US  and to Project Gutenberg. Side loading, and opening downloaded Ebooks is also supported. In addition to EPUB, it also plays DAISY audio and DAISY text books. It also supports both streaming and downloading of books.

Bob

Bob Dodd
Manager, Digital Accessibility
CNIB Frontier Accessibility
1929 Bayview Ave., Toronto, ON M4G 3E8
T: 647-839-6322
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On 2020-06-10, 9:05 PM, "community on behalf of Lisa Snider" <community-bounces at lists.idrc.ocadu.ca on behalf of lsnider at gmail.com> wrote:

    Hi Brandon,

    EDGE was great but they pulled support about in October 2019, which was disappointing.

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/4517840/microsoft-edge-download-an-epub-app-to-keep-reading

    So we are back at square one for viewers that most people can use.

    Most people I know have major issues with most, except Voice Dream Reader can be okay for some. Ibooks isnt bad, but has some issues, and most people I know use PC of some sort. It depends which technologies you are using as well.

    They are trying to rebuild Readium, which was accessible for most screen reader users, but I believe that is still in the works. However, I never got a chance to test it with other tech and now hopefully they will have it work with voice control on mac and pc.

    Cheers

    Lisa

    Sent from my iPhone

    > On Jun 10, 2020, at 9:46 PM, Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com> wrote:
    >
    > Hello,
    > The best Epub reader out there, surprisingly, is Microsoft Edge, like the
    > Edge browser...
    > I have heard that IBooks is the best option on Mac.
    > There are quite a few options, such as Voice Dream Reader, QRead, and Adobe
    > Digital Editions, that can handle less complex content, that does not
    > include interactivity or multimedia.
    > But if you have a document that is just text and images, then Epub is
    > perfect, everyone has an Epub reader on their machine, unless they are
    > using Linux or Android.
    > There is a new addon you can download to make Epubs from word:
    > https://daisy.org/activities/software/wordtoepub/
    >
    > I would not dismiss Epub out of hand. PDFs sadly are required still for
    > many communications, but when there is an option, Epub is perfect.
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/>
    >
    >
    >> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 4:25 PM Peter Coppin <pcoppin at faculty.ocadu.ca>
    >> wrote:
    >>
    >> Teresa, Brandon, Rezvan, Nell, Pina, Lisa, all:
    >>
    >> My practice has been similar to Brandon's over the years (described in his
    >> comment below): If I really need to make a document accessible for screen
    >> reader technology, I convert the document into a webpage if the context
    >> where it will be used permits that. For example, for years, I would convert
    >> assigned readings for courses into HTML documents within the Learning
    >> Management Systems (Canvas in this case) for many of my courses. That way I
    >> could examine the code and make sure that descriptions were provided in all
    >> of the appropriate places, tables were configured, etc. This is not overly
    >> arduous but it can take time if you are teaching a large number of classes
    >> at one time or are less familiar with WCAG, etc. (and/or if there is no
    >> institutional support for this and/or if you are doing this solo).
    >>
    >> These days, if I am running short on time (too short for the HTML
    >> technique) I sometimes post things in MS Word if I can (following the
    >> recommended practices noted in the thread below). And like others, if I
    >> don't have time for the HTML conversion, and if Word is not an option, I
    >> run reading through the Adobe Abrocat tools. However, because I can't
    >> examine the code itself, I've sometimes been skeptical about the result. To
    >> get around this, I try to test it with screen reader software (VoiceOver in
    >> my case) but I am a novice screen reader user myself (as a sighted computer
    >> user, I only use screen reader software when my eyes are tired or when I
    >> need to test documents prior to posting them).
    >>
    >> This is too bad about the problems that Pina pointed out with ePub
    >> readers. My understanding is that epub is essentially a bundled up version
    >> of HTML and so this is a missed opportunity by the industry.
    >>
    >> Several of my students/former students (including Brandon below)
    >> introduced me to VoiceDream Reader a few years ago (an audio epub reader)
    >> which I found to be an amazing epub reader on iPhone and I used it non-stop
    >> until my iPhone bit the dust. As I mentioned, I am a novice screen reader
    >> user and experienced no usability problems with Voice Dream.
    >>
    >> I've talked about this document problem (and worries re: pdf) a number of
    >> times with students, former students and colleagues in industry and the
    >> future probably lies with epub, at least as I think about it while writing
    >> this message. If the epub readers are truly missing the boat, then this is
    >> a great opportunity for some developers out there (possibly someone on this
    >> list!).
    >>
    >> Imagine an epub tool with an interface that was akin to a word processor,
    >> but with a split-pane (or similar interface) where an author could examine
    >> the HTML code (a bit like some LaTeX editing tools, but without the
    >> accessibility problems off LaTeX [at least the last time that I checked]
    >> ).
    >>
    >> Best regards,
    >>
    >> Peter
    >>
    >> Ps: Certainly there are some epub readers that make better use of what is
    >> possible. Does anyone have recommendations?
    >>
    >> ------------------------------------
    >>
    >> Peter Coppin, MFA, PhD
    >>
    >> Director, Inclusive Design Graduate Program
    >>
    >> Associate Professor, Faculty of Design
    >>
    >> OCAD University
    >>
    >>
    >> Director of the Accessible Graphics Initiative (AGI)/Perceptual Artifacts
    >> Lab (PAL): Where theories of perception and cognition mix with inclusive
    >> design
    >>
    >>
    >> 100 McCaul Street, Toronto, Canada  M5T 1W1
    >>
    >> www.ocadu.ca <http://www.ocadu.ca/>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> ------------------------------
    >> *From:* community <community-bounces at lists.idrc.ocadu.ca> on behalf of
    >> Rezvan Boostani <boostani.rezvan at gmail.com>
    >> *Sent:* June 10, 2020 3:14 PM
    >> *To:* Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com>; Teresa Lee <
    >> teresa.lee at alumni.utoronto.ca>
    >> *Cc:* community at lists.idrc.ocadu.ca <community at lists.idrc.ocadu.ca>
    >> *Subject:* Re: [community] Alternatives to PDF
    >>
    >> Hi all,
    >> Humber college has very straightforward online module on creating
    >> accessible files in different applications including word, InDesign and
    >> PowerPoint the following is the link to this module:
    >> http://humber.ca/makingaccessiblemedia/modules/05/11.html
    >> The whole online course is titled "Accessible Design in Digital Media" and
    >> it has 6 different modules for diverse digital content and it is available
    >> at the following link: http://humber.ca/makingaccessiblemedia/index.html
    >> There is also a resource for graphic designers to produce
    >> accessible content by The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of
    >> Ontario. The following is the link to this handbook:
    >> https://www.rgd.ca/database/files/library/RGD_AccessAbility_Handbook.pdf
    >> Best,
    >> Rezvan
    >>
    >> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020, 1:17 PM Brandon Keith Biggs <
    >> brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com> wrote:
    >>
    >>> Hello,
    >>> I use HTML or web pages.
    >>> I don't know if Indesign does Word documents, but that would work as
    >> well.
    >>> Thanks,
    >>>
    >>> Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 6:00 AM L Snider <lsnider at gmail.com> wrote:
    >>>
    >>>> Hi Teresa,
    >>>>
    >>>> Some people are creating EPUBs, and they can be made very accessible.
    >>>> However, the EPUB viewers/readers themselves are still problematic in
    >>>> terms of accessibility. This is why EPUB, in my view, will never gain
    >>>> traction because the viewer has to be accessible. The only one that
    >>>> was fairly good may come back but most people I know didn't use it.
    >>>> Also, currently (as of the date of my email), InDesign produces some
    >>>> of the most accessible PDFs possible. This applies to the newest
    >>>> version of InDesign, not previous versions prior to 2019. In my
    >>>> personal opinion it is the best out there today. Of course, PDFs can
    >>>> be problematic for many people, but in my view businesses won't stop
    >>>> using them any time soon.
    >>>>
    >>>> Hope that helps.
    >>>>
    >>>> Cheers
    >>>>
    >>>> Lisa
    >>>>
    >>>> On Wed, Jun 10, 2020 at 9:50 AM Teresa L <
    >> teresa.lee at alumni.utoronto.ca>
    >>>> wrote:
    >>>>>
    >>>>> Good morning all!
    >>>>>
    >>>>> Just wanted to field for your input on PDF alternatives. What do you
    >> do
    >>>> within your organization when PDFs cannot be accessible due to known
    >>> issues
    >>>> with InDesign - especially for a large document?
    >>>>>
    >>>>> Thanks always for your support!
    >>>>>
    >>>>> Kindly,
    >>>>> Teresa
    >>>>>
    >>>>>
    >>>>> ________________________________________
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