The Importance of Accessibility
Written by Charlie Lambert
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May 27, 2021
The ability to see and comprehend text is something most of us take for granted, our brains automatically decode the words and sentences even whilst on autopilot and extensive information can be converted from pages into knowledge through study. The joy of encountering characters and exploring places and narratives teaches us about everything to do with empathy, romance, humour and culture. In a nutshell, it is essential to a person’s full and continual development. However, not everyone is afforded this freedom so we will endeavour to understand why it is so important.
To start, a definition of the beneficiaries of accessibility is required to understand its purpose. A Print Disability is a difficulty when reading printed material due to an inability to see, read, manipulate or comprehend the text. Examples of this include a physical disability, for example, Visual Impairment (VI) or Multiple Sclerosis (MS), or neurodiversity such as Dyslexia. The latter alone affects around 1 in 10 people in the UK, meaning a large proportion of a publisher’s potential readership is being neglected if accessibility is ignored.
The challenges faced by people in need of increased accessibility are not limited to the day-to-day tasks we might imagine but go as far as emotional trauma from low self-esteem and detachment from society due to lack of inclusion. Coupled with this is a disrupted education caused by an absence of available material resulting in a significant percentage of the population that is under-skilled through no fault of their own. In fact, disabled people are 50% less likely to be employed and 50% more likely to experience poverty (BBC, 2020). On a macro-level, this represents an estimated 7% in wasted GDP from underemployment (WEF, 2020). Consequently, there is also a strong economic argument to be made for investment in equal access to the written word as the opportunities it provides can translate into to contributions to the economy in addition to wellbeing for individuals.
Unequal access to information is also unethical, as Hugo Setzer, President of the International Publishing Association points out – “Publishers should embrace accessible publishing because of its moral significance. Books bring us joy, inspiration and knowledge and they make us think, imagine and create. Books are magical, but sadly over 285 million Visually Impaired People worldwide have access to less than 10% of published work”. For context, that’s greater than the populations of the UK, Germany, France and Italy combined who have been denied the same opportunities to entertain and educate themselves.
The Marrakesh Treaty has gone some way to alleviating these problems. Since 2013 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) have adopted policies allowing exceptions to copyright law so that materials can be reproduced for the purpose of enabling print disabled people to access information traditionally restricted by their written format. Now spanning over 100 countries, the legislative changes were in part prompted by the statistic that only 7% of printed books are converted to audio. The European Accessibility Act goes further, aiming to reduce barriers for people with disabilities by regulating the accessibility of everything from e-books and ATMs to the publishing and banking industries themselves (European Commission, 2019). 72% of people agree that this will improve lives, understanding it as essential to full participation in society. Speaking at the UN Headquarters in New York, music legend Stevie Wonder called the Marrakesh Treaty “life changing”. He furthered, declaring “I beat the odds, imagine if others like me were given the opportunity to function at their full potential, how much better would our world be?” (WIPO, 2016).
There is still some way to go. Lack of awareness means accessibility is often an afterthought and constant progression in technology leads to difficulty in its implementation. However, as the popularity of audiobooks increases, so do the opportunities for accessible reading to prevail. The exceptions to copyright law have also negated the need for production to be commercially viable, enabling organisations such as Calibre Audio to empower people with access to a wide range of audiobooks without fear of litigation, shareholder rebellion or profit maximisation.
As a result, the reward is found in the contributions to improving the quality of life for people who have endured the loss of their sight or who are similarly prevented from reading books. We often receive messages of appreciation and record them all. One member told us: “When my close vision failed, it was like a door slammed in my face. I felt so helpless and had so many problems every day. Worst of all, after 80 years, I could not read. I could no longer follow my special interest as a historian, satisfy my curiosity, or simply have fun and relaxation with a book. When I joined Calibre Audio, it was as if they kicked open that door and turned the light on - my world with all its difficulties had changed, I had my books back.”
Ultimately, accessibility is about equality, the opportunity to experience the same satisfaction and life chances as the rest of society. It is so fundamental that it is often overlooked, but when such basic human rights are lost, they are devastating. Therefore, it should be a priority. Starting with awareness of its importance we should continue to support campaigns and organisations dedicated to causing change and make sure we do everything we can to invest in ensuring everyone’s experience is positive. Whether your website needs adapting, or assistive facilities need installing in your building, we can all contribute to improving the lives of people around the world.
References
https://www.internationalpublishers.org/blog/entry/embracing-accessible-publishing (Setzer, 2021)
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200513-why-the-coronavirus-can-make-the-world-more-accessible (BBC, 2020)
https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=14795&langId=en (European Commission, 2019)