2016.11.17 日本電子出版協会

1. What should Japan do
about EPUB accessibility?
IUJ/JEPA/ATDO
MURATA Makoto

2. Standardization in ISO/IEC
(Standardization at ISO/IEC)
 EPUB Accessibility 1.0
 In ISO/IEC, probably a Technical Specification (as part of EPUB 3.1).
 EPUB Accessibility Techniques 1.0
 Possibly a Technical Report in ISO/IEC?
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3. Current status of EPUB T2S in Japan
 iBooks and Kindle on iPhone/iPad provide T2S, while no other major EPUB
reading systems do.
 DAISY readers provide T2S and will be able to handle EPUB soon.
 Both ruby annotations and annotated text are rendered by some RSs, which
can be confusing.
 T2S sometimes makes mistakes in reading ideographic characters.
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4. T2S Issues Specific to Japan
 Multiple possible phonetics for one ideographic character. How can RSs
choose one possibility?
 SSML and PLS are supported by a Japanese government project, but are not
supported by EPUB reading systems or DAISY readers.
 I hope that more made-in-Japan RSs support SSML and PLS.
 Synchronization of text and voice is hampered if there is no API for horizontal
scroll.
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5. Current status of EPUB comics
 Images containing both pictures and rasterized text
 No accessibility.
 But do we need accessibility (by novelization?), or should we help kids to
speak with their friends by providing outlines and introductions of characters
in an accessible manner?
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6. Current status of EPUB novels
 Characters are mostly in JIS X 0213
 Text images are used for a number of reasons and they hamper accessibility.
 We have to consider each reason and provide an accessible alternative.
 SSML and PLS are not used yet.
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7. Current status of EPUB textbooks (not
DAISY textbooks)
 EPUB textbooks are still prototypes.
 They try to mimic sophisticated layout of existing paper textbooks.
 What about accessibility?
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8. Relationship with the EPUB Japanese
provile (EBPAJ guideline)
 EPUB publications based on the profile do not conform to EPUB Accessibility
1.0.
 Some low-handing fruits should be adopted as part of the profile.
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9. Can we conform to EPUB Accessibility
1.0?
 Some requirements are demanding, but most of them are non-mandatory.
 Which requirements should we begin with?
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10. Possible Additions to EPUB Accessibility
Techniques 1.0
 Techniques specific to Japanese requirements should be added.
 Values of accessibilityFeature/rubyAnnotations
 No ruby, partial ruby, or full ruby?
 Is ruby in the original is expanded, deleted or preserved?
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