Taylor & Francis places in top 3 of ASPIRE’s list of publishers
Taylor & Francis is pleased to announce that we have placed in the top 3 on ASPIRE’s list of Publishers. ASPIRE ranks publishers by accessibility statement, awarding each one a score based on criteria such as available content formats and discoverability of key information.
Our silver rating and score of 71% mark the culmination of years of effort across the business devoted to improving the accessibility of our digital products and platforms. At Taylor & Francis we recognize that a clear accessibility commitment improves the online experience for all users of our digital products and that disabilities can take many forms including visual, motor and cognitive. Throughout 2019, the Taylor & Francis Accessibility Working Group worked tirelessly to improve our offerings and publish our Accessibility Statement, based on ASPIRE’s best practice guidelines.
Following its launch in December 2019, we have continued to build on the initial statement, reaffirming our commitment to accessibility. In April 2020, we rolled out enhancements to Taylor & Francis Online to ensure that the website was optimized both for users with screen readers and those without assistive technology. These included the introduction of a text-to-speech Readspeaker function and keyboard navigation.
Taylor & Francis is enormously grateful to ASPIRE for providing the guidance which has helped us move another step closer to achieving our accessibility goals. To learn more about our work with ASPIRE, you can read our accessibility story. ASPIRE’s Huw Alexander says “The Taylor & Francis Accessibility Statement is a reflection of the time, thought, and investment that they have made into making their content accessible for all. Congratulations!”
Our partnerships with organizations such as BookShare and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) have also been instrumental to our progress in this area. We are also pleased to announce that, as of January 2021, we have joined the AccessText Network, which provides accessible materials to students at post-secondary institutions in the USA and Canada.
“We are immensely proud of this milestone in our accessibility journey,” says Paul Tuten, Chief Product & Technology Officer. “However, we know there is more work to be done. Accessibility is a key priority for Taylor & Francis, and we are committed to continuing to improve the experience for all users of our platforms in the future.”
In the coming months, customers can expect further updates, with increased accessibility metadata and use of alt text. With these ongoing enhancements we are aiming for a gold rating from ASPIRE, reaffirming our dedication to making content accessible to as wide an audience as possible.