For Immediate Release

March 22, 2006

Contact: Bruce Hildebrand
Ph: (202) 220-4542
Email: Bhildebrand@publishers.org

Publishers Launch Alternative Formats Solutions Initiative (AFSI)

National Effort to Provide Accessible Course Materials for Print-Disabled Postsecondary Students

Washington, D.C. (March 22, 2006) -- Higher education publisher members of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) today announced the launch of their Alternative Formats Solutions Initiative (AFSI), a national effort to identify ways to provide print-disabled postsecondary students with specially-formatted course materials on a timely basis.

The Initiative will involve colleges and universities, students, disabled students support services professionals, national and state disability advocacy groups, and technology providers in an effort to create a national framework of specific, practical solutions.  The AAP-led program will assess problems faced by print-disabled students, including delays in getting their materials or the inability to receive the proper materials at all.  In light of the urgent need to address these problems, AAP will focus initial efforts on finding short-term solutions that can be implemented quickly, in addition to developing longer-term and comprehensive solutions that will deployed as soon as practicable.

The work of the AFSI will be carried out in three stages:

(1)  Researching problems with current systems to aid in developing practical, collaborative solutions;

(2)  Identifying individual solutions that, together, will form a coordinated national accessible materials solutions framework; and

(3)  Assuring that solutions continue to evolve by embracing new technologies and aligning with the needs of the rapidly changing post-secondary environment.

Commenting on the decision to undertake the AFSI, Bruce Hildebrand, AAP’s executive director for higher education, said, “This is a complex challenge that will require that all of the diverse interests with a stake in seeing the problem solved work together. Publishers have committed the funding and secured expert project leadership to move the process forward.”

To spearhead AFSI, AAP has retained Frederick “Rick” Bowes, III, president of Digital Versions, LLC, a consultancy focused on electronic publishing issues.  Bowes is recognized and respected by publishers, disability groups and those serving students with disabilities for his expertise in the technology, operational, marketplace, copyright and policy issues, each of which must be adequately addressed to insure the success of any set of solutions.

“The AAP and all parties with a stake in developing workable solutions are eager to see the situation improved as soon as possible,” said Bowes. “My brief is to do this work quickly yet to be sure that each recommendation is built on well-researched facts and takes into account all relevant perspectives.  To accomplish this, AFSI will invite collaboration all along the way.”

“There are numerous issues to be addressed,” said Ed McCoyd, AAP’s director of digital policy.  "They include technology, logistics, costs, content security, copyright, who is entitled to accommodations, previously produced ‘legacy’ content, typographically complex material such as math and science textbooks, and other issues.  The devil will be in the details, but it’s exciting to think about all the students who’ll be helped if we can do this.”

AAP members were active participants in the American Foundation for the Blind’s Solutions Forum that successfully worked with disability groups to create a federal solution for students in grades K-12, supporting the development and passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. 

Building on AAP’s work in the K-12 area, the Association and its higher education publishers initiated their postsecondary efforts in April 2005 at a meeting of stakeholders in Washington, D.C.  In December 2005, AAP hosted a meeting for the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) with publishers, college and university personnel and other advocacy groups to gather input on how to move the process forward.

“While no decision has been made on what approach will best address the needs in the postsecondary sector, such as a voluntary system or some form of legislation, publishers are committed to once again working with the full community of concerned parties in an effort to find the best solutions,” Hildebrand said.

About the Association of American Publishers

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry.  AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies.  AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services.

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