How to Find Accessible OER Options (And Save Time!)
Learning Objectives
This coffee break activity focuses on these learning objectives:
- Identify OER textbook sites/repositories that provide accessible OER texts
- Search for accessible texts on OER textbook sites/repositories using filters and advanced search techniques
Accessible OER Textbook Sites
We have delved into why accessibility matters, and how accessibility and open educational resources are both aspects of equity. So the next obvious question is likely, “How do I then find accessible OER options?” That’s what this OER coffee break is all about!
One method is to start with OER textbook sites/repositories that prioritize accessibility and provide accessible options from the outset. So if you are using an OER textbook or other materials from the following sources, or are exploring options on one or more of these sites, you can feel more confident about its accessibility to the WCAG 2.1 standards:
OpenStax
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OpenStax OER textbooks, in both online and PDF formats, are accessible to the WCAG 2.1 standards, as highlighted on their Accessibility Statement page
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OpenStax is published by Rice University, a top quality OER publisher
- OpenStax has OER textbooks in the subject areas of Business, College Success, Computer Science, Humanities, Math, Nursing, Science, and Social Sciences
LibreTexts
- The goal of LibreTexts is that the OER textbooks on their site “meet or exceed the Revised 508 Standards and WCAG 2.1 AA,” as per their Accessibility Statement page
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OER textbooks in online HTML format are accessible to the WCAG 2.1 standards
- Please note that PDF download formats for textbooks on this platform are NOT accessible to the WCAG 2.1 standards
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Forthcoming EPUB formats will be accessible to these standards
- LibreTexts, which began at the University of California-Davis, has OER textbooks in the subject areas of Biology, Business, Chemistry, Engineering, Geosciences, Global, Health, Humanities, K-12 Education, Mathematics, Physics, Social Sciences, Statistics, and Workforce, as well as a collection of OER texts in Spanish.
B.C. Open Collection
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On the B.C. Open Collection site, OER textbooks have to meet the BCcampus OER Accessibility Criteria before they are added to the site, as per their Textbook Quality Criteria page
- OER textbooks that have undergone an in-depth accessibility audit/review also have an “Accessible” label that is visible on search results, as seen below
- B.C. Open Collection is hosted by BCcampus (located in British Columbia, Canada), and has OER textbooks in the subject areas of Academic/Career Success, Art and Design, Biological/Physical Sciences, Business, Communication & Writing, Computer Science, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Education, Engineering, Health and Medical, Hospitality/Tourism, Humanities, Language Learning, Law and Criminal Justice, Math & Stats, Social Sciences, Trades, and Digital Literacy
Pressbooks Directory
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The Pressbooks platform has built-in accessibility for online and additional export formats like PDF and EPUB, and they provide extensive VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) and Accessibility Roadmaps on their Accessibility Resources page
- Pressbooks also provide an Accessibility Guide for Creators
- The Pressbooks Directory, which is an online repository or catalog, of Pressbooks that users have shared and made public, provides searchable access to OER textbooks across the curriculum
Tip: Also check out accessible OER texts included in TCC’s Pressbooks Catalog
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Almost all digital library resources, such as e-books and PDF versions of articles, are accessible. Library database vendors provide ACRs (Accessibility Conformance Report) and VPATs (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template), which inform subscribers to accessible features, or reasons for inaccessibility; these are documents that allow the Library faculty and staff to make informed decisions about the products we subscribe to and use
- Examples:
- Films on Demand videos have closed captioning and transcripts
- Library e-books have accessible PDF and/or EPUB formats
- Most library databases have “Read Aloud” functions/options
- Note: There are a few exceptions of databases, e.g. JSTOR, that retain small collections of older, archival materials that are not available in accessible formats; however, these archival materials have a noted accessibility exception
- To verify or doublecheck any database VPATs or accessibility issues regarding digital library resources, please reach out directly to Olli Toppeta, Digital Collections Librarian, at otoppeta@tacomacc.edu
- Library resources, which span the curriculum, are usually copyrighted — therefore, not openly licensed — but can be linked to and/or downloaded, at no additional cost for students
OER Repositories with Accessibility Filters
Another method to find accessible OER is to search an OER repository site that includes accessibility features and filters, which are options to narrow down your search results.
OER Commons
- OER Commons is a digital library and network, with textbooks as well as ancillary materials, such as lessons, videos, and more
- OER Commons also provides an Open Author platform, where authors can create OER, which includes a built-in Accessibility Checker
- The site has an Advanced Search option, which includes Accessibility filters in the Additional Search Criteria section
MERLOT
- MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching), which began in 1997, was one of the first online repositories of OER and educational materials!
- MERLOT is a curated collection of free and open online teaching, with resources across the curriculum
- The site has an Advanced Material Search option, which includes a filter to narrow down to materials that have an Accessibility information form, in the Material Quality section
Tip: Also be on the lookout for Advanced Search filters on any site you are looking for material on, even beyond OER repository sites.
For example, even YouTube has filters for accessibility features like Subtitles/Closed Captioning, that can help provide a starting point for more accessible options. (Also, YouTube has a filter to limit video options to Creative Commons, or openly licensed, options! OER and accessibility definitely do connect!)
(click on the image below to enlarge)
Accessibility Support for OER Textbooks
If you are not sure if your OER textbook is accessible to the WCAG 2.1 standards and would like to doublecheck, please do not hesitate to contact Accessible Technology Specialist Dr. Joni Gutierrez at jcgutierrez@tacomacc.edu . For more additional accessibility support, tips, tools, and solutions, please enroll in TCC’s Title II Accessibility Compliance Course.
Let’s now put all the pieces together and review!
Review: Self-Check Activity
References & Attributions
The OER Coffee Break series has original content by Jennifer Snoek-Brown, OER Librarian, Tacoma Community College, and is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
