Hi Axel,

Our E-reserve just uses PDF format. Last year this was really problematic and we had to test the Acrobat 5.0 OCR plug-in (Paper Capture 3.0) which was a unsuitable both to students and Library staff.

This year we purchased Omnipage 11 which will OCR an image only PDF file and we teach students to do this themselves. Its not always very accurate depending on the quality of the original scanned material but it seems to be working quite well.

Trevor

Trevor Wilks - Manager
Adaptive Technology Centre
Student Support Services
Student, Alumni and Community Services
University Services
Auchmuty Library
University of Newcastle
University Drive Callaghan
NSW 2308 Australia
Ph-02 49218684
Mobile-0418 753739
Fax-02 49217410
Email- [log in to unmask]

Trevor Wilks - Manager
Adaptive Technology Centre
Student Support Services
Student, Alumni and Community Services
University Services
Auchmuty Library
University of Newcastle
University Drive Callaghan
NSW 2308 Australia
Ph-02 49218684
Mobile-0418 753739
Fax-02 49217410
Email- [log in to unmask]

>>> [log in to unmask] 04/13/02 08:38am >>>
Hi there,

Electronic library reserve systems continue to be a very problematic
with regard to accessibility. When, last fall, I talked to a
representative of Docutek, which I believe to be the leading company in
this area, my assessment of the situation was that this company has so
far not undertaken substantial efforts to make its products accessible.
In response to my recent inquiry (a few days ago), the Docutek rep
provided me with the attached document (a word doc containing a table).
It appears that Docutek has undertaken major steps towards compliance
with the Access Board standards with their e-reserve product (even
though the company's web site continues to be utterly inaccessible).

Have any of you any comments on the accessibility of Docutek's ERes
product or of e-reserve systems in general?

Greetings,

Axel


PS: In my response to the Docutek rep, I included the following points:

1. Would you please let me know when your company will have completed
the process of adding (meaningful) alt tags to non-text elements?

2. 3. Unfortunately, your website itself is fraud with accessibility
problems. Users with screen readers are likely to hear the following (or
something similar to it):

[INLINE] [LINK]
   [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE]
   [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE]
   [INLINE] [INLINE]
   [INLINE] [LINK] [INLINE] [LINK] [INLINE] [LINK] [INLINE] [LINK]
[INLINE] [LINK] [INLINE] [INLINE]
   [INLINE] [INLINE]
   [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE]
   [LINK]
   [INLINE]
   [LINK] [LINK]
   [INLINE]
   [INLINE]
   [LINK]
   Join the Docutek User Group! To join, simply send email to
   [log in to unmask] with the word Subscribe in the subject line.
     Copyright 2001-02: Docutek Information Systems, Inc.  All Rights
   Reserved.  [LINK]

May I point out that the accessibility of a company's web site is taken
by me, and by many of my colleagues, as a first indication of how
serious this company is about accessibility for all.

3. I'm still concerned about the optional DocuFax module. Speaking as a
librarian, and in general terms, any attempt to create a fully
accessible information system needs to consider not only the
accessibility of the web pages that lead up to the ultimately desired
information resource but also the accessibility of the information
resource itself. For e-reserves (and your product is no exception in
this regard), this is a big problem. Solutions are not that easy to come
by. (I don't think that fax-based systems could be part of the
solution.) But one thing, I believe, is for sure: Especially in an
environment that is more and more shaped by federal accessibility
requirements under Section 508 (in addition to ADA), the companies that
will develop a solution are going to have the edge over their
competitors (unless they do not care about doing business with the
feds).



**********************************
Axel Schmetzke, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Library
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
900 Reserve
Stevens Point, WI 54481
[log in to unmask]
Tel: 715-346-4658