European accessible information network EUAIN: European Accessible Information network FNB Netherlands 01.

european accessible information network

EUAIN: European Accessible Information networkFNB Netherlands

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Introduction

Introduction & Overview

What is EUAIN?

Who is involved?

What EUAIN offers

Activities, events and actions

Expert User Group

Getting involved

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What is EUAIN?

EUAIN is a Co-ordination action funded under the eInclusion thread of the the European Commission 6th Framework IST programme

EUAIN targets the publishing industry in order that best practice can be exchanged from specialist organisations into industry in order that the processing of accessible content and information can be improved

EUAIN aims to provide a platform for exchanging knowledge, expertise and practical tools for accessible content processing

european accessible information network01

Co-ordination & Training activities

Integrated and coherent set of components

studies, analyses, benchmarking

exchange and dissemination of information and good practice

organisation of conferences, seminars and meetings

organisation of joint initiatives

Training activities in direct relation to co-ordination activities

Exchange and dissemination of best practice


EUAIN: 4 Key Objectivesto bring together all the players in the information provision chain in order significantly to enhance the provision of accessible information at a European level

to create a self-sustaining network to offer expertise, shared knowledge, tools and distribution platforms...for content creators

to raise awareness at local, national and European levels of emerging formats and standards...and ensure that technological protection does not impede access to information by people with print impairments

to stimulate adoption of new distribution channels and business solutions to achieve faster and less expensive production and distribution of accessible information


PartnersPartner 1: FNB Netherlands (co-ordinator)

Partner 2: Integrated Study: Austria-wide Institute for information Systems and Supporting Print Disabled Students. Austria

Partner 3: BrailleNet Association(BrailleNet), France

Partner 4: ONCE, Spain

Partner 5: Dolphin Computer Access Group(DOLPHIN), United Kingdom

Partner 6: Silesian University of Technology, The Institute of Informatics(SUTII), Poland

Partner 7: The Royal National Institute of the Blind(RNIB), United Kingdom

Partner 8: Stichting Force(FORCE), Netherlands

Partner 9: Universitaet Bremen, Technology Centre Informatics(TZI), Germany

Partner 10: Federation of European Publishers(FEP-FEE), Belgium


Areas being considered

Establishing parameters for accessible content processing

Set of working groups...to systematise knowledge and

identify and address unmet need on:

document structuring,

adherence to emerging standards,

production support,

DRM,

secure distribution platforms


What EUAIN Network offers

Addressing key themes: standards, protection, production and distribution

Reports and recommendations

Modular training materials

Informative webportal, discussion groups

Materials for different sectors: ePublishing, eLearning, eGovernment, Digital Libraries

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ePublishing

Collaborating with publishing industry in order to meet requirements and commercial imperatives

Helping to integrate accessibility within established mainstream solutions

Providing frameworks and environments in order to deal with the different content flavours provided by publishers

Providing technologies and tools to bring content to (re)usable repositories and archives

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eLearning

Building environments and end user consumption methods which target content to the specific needs of a specific user, or target group (such as people with dyslexia)

Building extensible environments with solid content processing frameworks

Embracing metadata standards for content markup to facilitate re-use of content

Creating accessible metadata increasingly important

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Current activities

Hosting targeted workshops on key themes

Surveys to establish publishers’ requirements and workflows

Survey on application of EU Copyright Directive

Encouraging stakeholder communities to collaborate

Setting up demonstrators (March 06)

Providing advice on specific problems

Creating modular training materials


Practical outcomesTwo key reports completed on Standards for Accessible Information Processing (Oct 05) & Protecting and Accessing Content (Nov 05)

Two new draft reports (March 06) on Production Techniques & Workflows (March 06) and Secure Distribution Channels (Feb 06)

Contribute to development of standards at European level, especially through CEN WS/DPA

Contribute to EC Communications on Future of Publishing and i2010 Digital Libraries

Promote use of new open source solutions and standards for all sectors


Events Year 1Kick-off Meeting, Amsterdam

IST 2004, Den Haag

eAccessibility Workshop, Paris

DAISY & MS Workshop Meeting, London

HIgh Level DRM Group, Brussels

Generating Structures Workshop

JTC1 SWG Kick-off, Sheffield

eInclusion Information Day, Brussels

ELPUB Electronic Publishing 2005, Leuven

Open Source Systems Conference, Genoa

MPEG 73, Poznan

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Music Network, Vienna

FEP AGM, Barcelona

ITDesign4All, DEXA, Copenhagen

AAATE 2005, Lille

IFLA SLB, Gothenburg

MPEG 74, Nice

Frankfurt Book Fair

AIIM, Enterprise Content Management, London

Techshare, Birmingham

Access Music, Leipzig

AXMEDIS Panel Session, Florence


CEN Workshop DPACEN Workshop on Document Processing for Accessibility

The CEN WS/DPA workshop examines the ways in which this convergence is helping to build consensus and create new standards and technologies for the provision of information in formats that are more accessible for everyone.

CEN WS/DPA takes the broadest definition of content creators and aims to produce guidelines to help them to provide accessible information.

Two meetings held (May 05 and January 06)

Work begun on establishing requirements for accessible document processing

Formal liaisons being established with JTC1 SWG Accessibility, MPEG, PDF/UA, DAISY, OASIS Open Document


Mainstreaming accessibility

Structuring documents (manual, semi-automatic, automatic)

Applying relevant industry standards (OASIS Open Document, MPEG, CEN, DAISY, PDF/UA, WAI/WCAG)

Convergence within content workflows (creation, production, distribution

Addressing real needs of stakeholder communities across different sectors

Applying accessibility from scratch and delivery on demand

Ensuring consistency of content and future interoperability

european accessible information network01Example: Lightning Source: POD supply for large print

New POD supply chain for large print books

POD opens up many more titles to large print delivery

Reflowing of publishers source file to LP format

LP title placed into Lightning Source systems for sale and distribution

UK pilot end 05: 1,000+ titles, 15 publishers

It’s just another book…

european accessible information network01Example: Lightning Source: POD supply for large print

Benefits for publishers:

Virtual stock, minimal risk, minimal investment

Fulfilment of legal obligations

New revenue stream, new product

Part of existing supply chain

Benefits for resellers

Fulfilment of burgeoning demand

New revenue stream, new product

Part of existing supply chain


What we have learnedAccessible Content Processing requires a knowledge of several domains: real multi-disciplinarity required

Mainstream accessibility at a Macro Level; Embracing Standards, Communication with Industry

Accessibility as a Process not a product; The framework is more important than the format, focus is on integration

Accessibility is a pre-requisite for usability

Need to be more involved in policy-making discussions; perhaps reduced role for legislation in future

INDUSTRY does not understand ACCESSIBILITY: and VICE VERSA

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Unmet NeedsFlexible frameworks for content processing and management are required

These frameworks can provide for many user requirements at both the input and output stages

Access to structured digital formats

Access where and when it is needed

Access to secure content

Access to source materials

Improved interaction with customer base increases revenue, meets needs and opens new markets

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Expert User Group 1Jenny D’Arzentas, University of Aegean

Claus Gravenhorst, CCS Content Conversion

Spyros Raptis, ILSP Athens

Kate Grant, Nine Tiles Network

Hans Timmermans, Utrecht School of the Arts

Hans-Gunther Dierigen, TU Dresden

David Fuschi, GIUNTI Multimedia

Arnaud Valette, EDITIS Publishing Group

Giovanni Tummarello, Univ. D’Ancona

Josh O’Connor, NCBI Ireland


Expert User Group 2Pete Kerscher, Design For All

Giorgio D’Abormida, D’Agostini Publishing Group

Erik Timmermans, Nederlands Uitgeversverbond

Vadim Oussik, All Russia State Libraries for the Blind

David Taylor, Lightning Forge

Carlo Daffara, COSPA consortium

Paul Blenkhorn, UMIST

Atta Badii, University of Reading


Getting involvedLet us know about the work you are doing

Subscribe to RSS feeds and check www.euain.org for news

Join in discussions (EUAIN webportal)

Join and comment on discussions in CEN WS/DPA

Attend forthcoming workshops and events where possible

Distribute EUAIN Dissemination materials at relevant events

Join work of the Expert User Group

Potential for collaboration on future Research projects (VIIth Framework)


Thank you

www.euain.org

[email protected]

European accessible information network EUAIN: European Accessible Information network FNB Netherlands 01.

Documents

euain network

dissemination of information

accessible metadata

information systems

european commission

selfsustaining network

information provision

netherlands partner