In February we participated in the fourth edition of Accessible Publishing Summit 2022, the big event organized by NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) that involves the various stakeholders of the international publishing value chain.

If in past editions the Summit was held behind closed doors and could be attended by invitation, from this edition NNELS has decided to make some sessions open to the public. In the first two days of the Summit, there were many public meetings, dedicated to the evolution of trends in accessibility, while the last day was reserved for private working groups where experts from all over the world were able to discuss more technical issues. The Summit was created precisely with the aim of encouraging the exchange of ideas and know-how between professionals and companies operating in different countries.

The key themes of the event

The new laws strengthen the demand for accessible content and encourage the production of accessible digital publications, requiring the entire supply chain to adapt. This is one of the key themes in many sessions, addressed from different points of view: from those who work in the publishing sector (Industry Updates & Expert Perspectives) and from those who have to use these services (User Perspectives Panel Discussion).

The International Perspectives session highlighted the very different scenarios and the various challenges that professionals in the book world must face depending on the market they operate in. The panel saw the participation of speakers from very different contexts (Italy, Australia, Brazil and the United Kingdom), including the participation of Cristina Mussinelli, Secretary General of Fondazione LIA, who illustrated the Italian situation and the work of LIA.

The two Demonstration Sessionshad a more technical focus and are dedicated to EPUB, the mainstream format for digital publishing. Held by NNELS accessibility testers and consultants, these sessions showed the possibilities and current limitations of the two types of EPUB on the market, reflowable and fixed layout.

Watch the recordings

The sessions in the list below were public and their recordings are now available on NNELS YouTube channel

• Industry Updates & Expert Perspectives
• EPUB Accessibility Demonstration Session #1: Reflowable EPUBs
• EPUB Accessibility Demonstration Session #2: Fixed Layout EPUBs
• User Perspectives Panel Discussion
• International Perspectives Panel

Here the playlist “Accessible Publishing Summit 2022”: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQHK1Nw6GF4vAQDecx0zy35W3x_duzMBF