ASPIRE stories

The VitalSource Story

In 2018, VitalSource joined with publishers and other reading platforms as part of the steering committee for the latest Jisc ASPIRE audit of accessibility information.

It was incredibly encouraging to see the progress being made in the provision of accessible texts across the UK. However, it also showed that there are still huge steps to be made, and that making this information available and easy to locate was of the utmost importance. The audit helped us refine the information we present to the public, but long before the ASPIRE project, we were also working on improving the accessibility transparency within the VitalSource store.

Surfacing metadata for increased accessibility information allowed us to introduce an accessibility icon in our store, so that students using VitalSource do not have to ask for further assistance – they can see whether the content will accommodate their needs before they purchase. This is just another exciting addition to our accessibility story.

Along with this, our latest update—the recent release of content controls in the Bookshelf® online, mobile, and desktop apps—means that readers can now:

Choose from four different text sizes.
Select from various fonts available, including OpenDyslexic.
Easily alter the colour of their screen to suit their individual needs.
Choose from three different margin sizes.
Pick from three line height options.

These updates empower readers to have control over how they view their content and not only removes the need for reliance on others, but also improves their overall reading and learning experience.

In conjunction with these updates, we now also ensure any changes are reflected in the information available on our public-facing websites, which we continue to regularly update, so finding information required by institutions and users is easy and understandable.

Going forward, we’ll continue to listen, improve, and adapt our information and technology so that it continues to meet the needs of all users!