by Emma Hudson, Content & Services Manager
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an ideal time to remind ourselves that the significance of including digital accessibility in educational resources is more important than ever. At Westchester Education, we are proud to champion accessibility in educational publishing and want to take this opportunity to share our own journey and commitment to our clients.
Understanding GAAD
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is an annual event that aims to raise awareness and promote the importance of digital accessibility. It serves as a catalyst for conversations, initiatives and collaborations to make content more inclusive and accessible to all.
Our commitment to accessibility
At Westchester Education, accessibility is a core value and plays a part in everything we do. As a Benetech Global Certified Accessible vendor, we have demonstrated success in consistently producing EPUB files that are in accordance with Benetech’s GCA certification standard, meeting the EPUB Accessibility 1.0 Conformance and Discovery specification, and exceeding a publishing standard level of WCAG 2.0 AA. Furthermore, we are proud allies of the Publishing Accessibility Action Group (PAAG), participating in meetings and constantly learning from experts in the field to help shape best practice and drive positive change in the accessibility landscape.
Our approach to accessibility
Accessibility isn’t only about compliance and ticking a box off the list. It’s about empowerment and inclusion. By creating born accessible resources, you are able to include features that may only be necessary to some – but are useful to every one of your users. We keep accessibility in mind at every point of the editorial process for both print and digital resources. Our expert teams are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make content discoverable, usable and accessible to all. From colour contrasts and page layout to metadata optimisation and alt-text creation, we help ensure that every student, regardless of their abilities, can engage with and benefit from your educational materials.
Looking ahead
On GAAD, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to championing accessibility. We recognise that our work is not done. We remain dedicated to continuously improving and innovating to create an inclusive future for all learners.