Summary
Include accessibility metadata in ONIX records so that it is available in distribution channels for presentation to customers.
Codelists
ONIX defines a number of different codelists (sets of code numbers) for identifying the accessible properties of a digital publication. These include
- Codelist 196: This codelist defines codes for expressing general accessibility properties as well as detailed conformance information.
- Codelist 143: This codelist defines code for expressing hazard information about a digital publication.
It is critical to provide accessibility information for digital publications to ensure that readers can make informed decisions about whether the publication will be readable by them or not.
Examples
<ONIXMessage release="3.0">
<Header>
…
</Header>
<Product>
…
<DescriptiveDetail>
<ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeatureType>09</ProductFormFeatureType>
<ProductFormFeatureValue>03</ProductFormFeatureValue>
</ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeatureType>09</ProductFormFeatureType>
<ProductFormFeatureValue>10</ProductFormFeatureValue>
</ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeatureType>09</ProductFormFeatureType>
<ProductFormFeatureValue>11</ProductFormFeatureValue>
</ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeatureType>09</ProductFormFeatureType>
<ProductFormFeatureValue>13</ProductFormFeatureValue>
</ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeature>
<ProductFormFeatureType>12</ProductFormFeatureType>
<ProductFormFeatureValue>00</ProductFormFeatureValue>
</ProductFormFeature>
</DescriptiveDetail>
…
<TitleDetail>
<TitleType>01</TitleType>
<TitleElement>
<TitleElementLevel>01</TitleElementLevel>
<TitleText>Accessible EPUB 3</TitleText>
</TitleElement>
</TitleDetail>
…
</Product>
</ONIXMessage>Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the ONIX message included in EPUB containers?
-
Not normally, no. ONIX messages can be linked from an EPUB publication, and included in the ZIP file, but are more typically sent separately to distributors and vendors.
- Can I use other metadata standards to include accessibility information?
-
Yes, schema.org includes a set of accessibility properties that enable accessibility metadata to be embedded directly in an EPUB package file.
- How is this metadata useful?
-
The metadata can be used in distribution channels to allow users to discover whether the publication is suitable for their needs, as one example. A book store search engine could use the information to allow users to filter the available ebooks to only those that they know will work with their assistive technology.
The user agent could similarly present the accessibility information to the user in advance of reading even if the book has been delivered through a less accessible channel (e.g., enabling a quicker return of the ebook if it's known to be incompatible with their system).
Without this information, the user has no way to distinguish the quality of one EPUB from another.