Many e-book platforms have built-in accessibility tools.
We provide access to ebooks on lots of different platforms with different designs and functionality.
Platform providers are encouraged and expected to publish information describing the accessibility of their platforms to users with disabilities via a platform accessibility statement.
Below you will find a link to the various accessibility statements of the providers we use at the University of South Wales and an outline of the tools built into some of these platforms.
ProQuest Ebook Central offer books in either EPUB or PDF format.
These can be changed in your browser settings or by using plugins or extensions to change colour and contrast
Ebook Central can be navigated by keyboard only – the tab, enter, and arrow keys can:
The ProQuest Ebook Central website is compatible with screen readers. Click here for more information
While Ebook Central does not offer an embedded text-to-speech tool, text-to-speech is:
Although Ebook Central does not have a built-in text-to-speech reader, you can switch to accessibility mode to use the software easily with assistive software.
Enabling accessibility mode:
VLeBooks platform supports PDF eBooks which are formatted to read online and support the accessibility functionality within the VLeBooks Reader.
PDF format books have distinct pages, which allow for page-level citations. They have a fixed page size that may not work well on all devices or screen sizes/zoom levels. PDF eBooks are compatible with screen readers using an ASCII text layer.
As more publishers are supporting EPUB and providing content in that format, we are working towards being able to offer both formats for both online reading and download.
VLE books offer you individual accessibility settings as follows - turn these on or off within individual ebooks
VLeBooks have over 20 levels of magnification using the built-in zoom function, available when reading via the platform, which is operated through the universally recognised zoom icons. Windows & iOS magnifier can also be used.
The zoom function is designed to work as both a reduction and a magnification tool. The actual font size is dependent on device but typically a reading font size of between 4 to 36 is achievable.
DRM free PDFs can be downloaded by users and opened in Adobe Reader or Microsoft Word, where reflow may be possible.
As the platform does not currently support EPUB formats, reflow is not available. VLE are working towards enabling this.
VLE books has inbuilt text-to-speech, available through ‘Read Online’ which can be used from both desktop and mobile views. The Read Aloud feature enables the user more freedom to roam desktops or browsing devices where traditional assistive software would have been required. Read aloud is a core feature built into the online platform allowing for wider audience access to audible facilities where assistive software may not have been possible or practical.
eBooks downloaded to eReader software such as Adobe Digital Editions can be read by most other software
There are a range of accessibility options available to users which make searching and navigating the platform easier.
To access these options, select Edit Accessibility Settings on the left side of the screen. This feature enables users to set their own preferences for the platform.
Options include:
The options are applied permanently or until users make a change.
When reading via the platform, users can change the background colour to suit their requirements. Select ‘Read Online’ and access the colour palate in the top right-hand corner of the screen. This will open a pop-up panel which allows users to select a reading background from one of seven 7 different dyslexia-friendly colours.
To amend contrast in the reader, users will need a browser plugin such as ‘High Contrast’ on Chrome https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/high-contrast/djcfdncoelnlbldjfhinnjlhdjlikmph?hl=en
Watch or listen to our helpful video on our Accessibility Options https://www.brownsbfs.co.uk/help/vlebooks-videos/vlebooks-video-accessibility
Bibliu is fully compatible with external text-to-speech software for navigation within the app.
This feature is only currently compatible in the desktop app and not the mobile app.
In built reading feature-there is an inbuilt text to speech and speed reading features in the reader view of the app. These can be found in the menu which appears when a section of text is selected. Alternatively, you can highlight the text and then you can right click to open the reading features.
The BibliU library is designed to be easily navigable using keyboard commands when you are viewing content on a desktop or laptop:
Selecting the 'TT' icon at the top of the page will enable you to access the Reader Settings. Once the magnifying glass icon is selected, you can zoom in and out of the page using the left and right arrows on your keyboard or using your mouse or finger. It is also possible to select 'Flux' and 'Night' modes from here or choose custom colour settings for the text. Clicking the esc key will close this menu.
Digital Editions uses the accessibility features on Windows and Mac operating systems to provide accessibility, including support for high contrast modes and support for resizing of book text.
Digital Editions also offers enhanced keyboard support (with tab navigation, keyboard shortcuts, and high-contrast support).
To use Adobe Digital Editions with screen readers (text-to-speech), download and use one of the following tools:
Zoom in and out by clicking the page icon next to the search box in the top right and selecting how you would like to view the book.
Type a search term into the search box in the top right then press enter. Move between search results by clicking the arrows to the right of the search box.
To search your book, enter text in the top-right text box, or choose Reading > Find on Windows (Edit > Find on Macintosh). The reading panel highlights the found text. To navigate to each instance of a search term, click the left or right arrows on either side of the search box, or choose Reading > Find > Find Next or Find Previous on Windows (Edit > Find > Find Next or Find Previous on Macintosh)
