Enhancing e-book accessibility
Insights from user practices and needs across different communities
Absztrakt
This research aimed to understand the user experience with e-books among mobile device users and the needs of blind and partially sighted e-book users. It sought to answer: How do these users access e-books? What are their typical reading practices? What are the special needs of blind and partially sighted users? How does file format affect their reading experience? What mobile devices do they prefer?
For this purpose, surveys were conducted using two questionnaires developed with 1KA software. Translated into the languages of EODOPEN project partners, they were distributed among users from 15 partner organisations in 2020. The results were analysed using PSPP, a free alternative to SPSS.
The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of e-book reader preferences, behaviours, and challenges. Digital libraries are preferred for accessing e-books. Both groups favour offline reading sessions longer than 30 minutes, with structured navigation being crucial. PDF is the most favoured format, followed by EPUB. Preferences vary by visual impairment, with some preferring text-only formats like TXT and RTF. Notebooks and smartphones are popular devices among both groups.
Kulcsszavak:
e-books, accessibility, user behaviour and needs, mobile device usersHivatkozások
Abraham, C. H., Boadi-Kusi, B., Morny, E. K. A., Agyekum, P. (2022) Smartphone usage among people living with severe visual impairment and blindness, Assistive Technology, 34(5), p. 611-618. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2021.1907485
Alabi, A. O., Mutula, S. M. (2020) Digital inclusion for visually impaired students through assistive technologies in academic libraries, Library Hi Tech News, 37(2), p. 14-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-11-2019-0081
Amazon (s.a.) Help & Customer Service, Learn about sending documents to your Kindle library, Amazon, Available at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G5WYD9SAF7PGXRNA (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Ba Matraf, M. S., Hashim, N. L., Hussain, A. (2023) Visually impaired usability requirements for accessible mobile applications: A checklist for mobile e-book applications. Journal of Information and Communication Technology, 22(3), p. 421-447. https://doi.org/10.32890/jict2023.22.3.5
Campbell, A., Adams, C., Bradley Montgomery, R., Cooper, M., Kirkpatrick, A. (Eds.) (2023) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, In: (WCAG) (2023) 2.2 W3C Recommendation 05 October 2023, https://www.w3.org/TR/2023/REC-WCAG22-20231005/
Christy, B. Pillai, A. (2021) User feedback on usefulness and accessibility features of mobile applications by people with visual impairment, Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 69(3), p. 555-558. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.IJO_1042_20
Coates, J., Felsmann, C., Hackett, T., Keninger, K., Martinez Calvo, F., Owen, V., Taylor, A., Pereyaslavska, K., Berg, F. van den, Owen, V. (2018) Getting Started: Implementing the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities: A practical guide for librariansInternational Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Available at: https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/443 (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Directive 2001/29 (2001)Harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society, European Parliament, Council of the European Union, Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32001L0029 (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Directive 2016/2102 (2016) The accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies. European Parliament,
Council of the European Union, Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2016/2102/oj (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Directive 2017/1564 (2017) Certain permitted uses of certain works and other subject matter protected by copyright and related rights for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled and amending Directive 2001/29/EC on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society, European Parliament, Council of the
European Union, Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2017/1564/oj (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Directive 2019/790 Copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market and amending Directives 96/9/EC and 2001/29/EC,
European Parliament, Council of the European Union, Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/790/oj (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Directive 2019/882 Directive on the accessibility requirements for products and services, European Parliament, Council of the European Union, Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/882/oj (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Dreyling, J., Hackett, T. (2022) Success for People with Print Disabilities: The Marrakesh Treaty, In: Coates, J., Owen, V., Reilly, S. (2022) Navigating Copyright for Libraries: Purpose and Scope, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Saur, p. 245-271. ISBN: 9783110732009 https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110732009
Ferri, D. (2024) The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled in the European Union: Reflecting on Its Implementation and Gauging Its Impact from a Disability Perspective, IIC 55, p. 89-109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40319-023-01410-y
Hari, A. (2021) Povečanje dostopnosti elektronskih knjig osebam s slepoto ali slabovidnostjo z ustreznimi postopki v procesu digitalizacije, (Increasing the accessibility of e-books for the visually impaired through appropriate procedures in the digitization process), Knjižnica, 65(3–4), 9-32. (in [Slovenian]) https://doi.org/10.55741/knj.65.3-4.1
Kavčič Čolić, A., Glavič, T., Hari, A., Lehenmeier, C., Kožurno, P. (2022) Guidelines and recommendations for the provision of alternative and special formats based on the survey on special needs of users and technical requirements, Deliverable no. 11, project EODOPEN, Creative Europe Program EC Available at: https://eodopen.eu/download/D11-Guidelines-and-Recommendations.pdf (Accessed: 01 April 2024)
Kavčič Čolić, A., Hari, A. (2024) Improving accessibility of digitization outputs: EODOPEN project research findings. Digital library perspectives, 4(2), p. 187-211. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-09-2023-0080