Are eReaders for Law eBooks Accessible?

On ALA's E-Content blog, Christopher Harris writes that "[p]eople with vision, dexterity, or cognitive disabilities need certain specific features, and ebook readers are all over the map in what they offer and how they offer it." He offers the following tips:

• For people who are blind, the text must be spoken aloud, and descriptions provided for images and graphs. Controls must be distinguishable by touch. (Some touchscreen devices now provide a way for controls to announce their function without activating them.)
• For people with low vision, the text must be high contrast and magnifiable ,or in a large, easy-to-read font.
• For people with cognitive disabilities, controls must be easy to use. Text must be able to be spoken aloud and highlighted as it is spoken.
• For people with dexterity impairments, controls must be easy to operate, and not require more than one action at a time, or complicated actions. Devices must be easy to lift, hold, and operate with one hand.
• For people with hearing loss, audible alerts and alarms should have a visible form as well. Any audio content should be available in text.

For more, see Making Ebooks Accessible. [JH]