Update on national forum on accessible curricular materials
November 2004
This document provides a brief update on the national forum organised by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in May 2002.
The main purpose of the national forum was to explore ways of improving the availability of curricular materials to university students with a print disability. The forum was attended by 35 of Australia's universities, together with representatives from government, the disability sector, producers of accessible-format material, students with a print disability, and other organisations with an involvement in the area. One of the outcomes of the forum was the establishment of a Steering Committee to ensure that the forum's recommendations were considered, and substantive progress achieved. The Steering Committee included representatives from the university sector, the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC), Blind Citizens Australia, the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc., and the Commission.
After considering the recommendations from the forum, the Steering Committee decided to set up a number of Working Groups, each with a particular area of responsibility.
The Production Working Group has been looking at ways of streamlining the production of materials in accessible formats. Increasingly, universities are taking a more active role in the production process, and the Working Group is looking at the best way of providing training and support for staff involved in accessible-format production.
A second Working Group, the Copyright and Publishing Roundtable, was asked to consider a range of issues related to the way copyright legislation, procedures and practices impact on students with a print disability. The group has developed a document that provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about copyright and print disability. This FAQ is now available on the Commission's website, at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/education/copyfaq.htm
It contains valuable information that will assist producers of accessible-format material, librarians, educators, and consumers, to become more knowledgeable about this important, bus sometimes confusing, area.
A third Working Group was established to develop guidelines for universities in the area of information access. The resulting guidelines have now been endorsed by the AVCC and are being circulated to universities throughout Australia. The guidelines are available on the AVCC website. The link to the Word version is http://www.avcc.edu.au/documents/publications/GuidelineOnInfoAccessForStudentsWithDisabilities.doc and the PDF version is at http://www.avcc.edu.au/documents/publications/GuidelinesOnInfoAccessForStudentsWithDisablilities.pdf
These guidelines are not prescriptive, but are designed to help universities meet the needs of students with a print disability in a more effective way by providing examples of best practice, and suggesting a range of strategies that can be adapted to each institution's unique circumstances.
The Commission is encouraged by the progress that has been made since the forum, and we look forward to further initiatives that will make it easier for university students with a print disability to gain access to curricular materials in formats that they can use. The Steering Committee established after the forum has now been replaced by a less formal collaboration between the Commission and the AVCC. This will allow current projects to continue, enable us to assess progress on a periodic basis, and provide an opportunity for identifying those areas where further work is needed.
