Research on dialogues and rules to ensure accessibility of e-book

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26730165
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Library and information science/Humanistic social informatics
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka (2015); Ritsumeikan University (2014)
• Principal Investigator: Aoki Chihoko 静岡県立大学, 国際関係学部, 客員研究員 (00584062)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 電子書籍 / アクセシビリティ / 障害者差別解消法 / 著作権法 / 障害者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In 2015, 90% of the bestselling e-books in Japan were published in accessible format. Accessibility functions are also listed, so users can find out whether a book is accessible or not before buying it. However, e-book readers still have some way to go in this area. To find out the best way to address the issue, the author organized meetings on accessibility of e-books gathering representatives of publishers and e-book stores, e-book reader developers, and persons with disabilities. The participants chose nine most required functions to ensure accessibility.
Debates about accessibility often refer to the Copy Right Act or the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disability. When people focus on the Copy Right Act, discussions tend to perceive accessibility within the framework of Social Welfare, and the need to develop a business model for accessible publishing is rarely stressed. This tendency, although well-meaning, in fact merely reaffirms the status quo.

Free Research Field

障害学