Approaching Accessibility For Your IR

Abstract

Accessibility standards are commonplace. While this progress is something to be championed, it can leave an institutional repository in a difficult situation. How do you uphold accessibility standards when you are not in creating the materials that are being added to your IR? This session will start by looking at the policy and potentially political considerations, as well as the practical aspects of implementing the policy. How do you implement the standards? What stake-holder buy in do you need? Is there technology that can help? Are you actually able to acquire the technology? Who is going to pay for the technology? Will AI truly save us all? And, because of the inevitable way that things like this usually go, how do you formulate Plans B-D just in case things do not go according to plan/take longer to implement? This presentation is coming from librarians who are currently working through this process and will outline what we've done so that others (hopefully) don't have to experience the same. Commiseration and comments from the audience will be highly encouraged.