[Ohiodig] Fw: Widening access to special collections and archives for blind and low vision people

[Dressler, Virginia]

Perhaps of interest?

________________________________
From: dlf-accessibility-working-group at googlegroups.com <dlf-accessibility-working-group at googlegroups.com> on behalf of Victoria Van Hyning <vvh at umd.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 10:21 AM
Subject: EXT: Widening access to special collections and archives for blind and low vision people

Dear colleagues,

I will be giving a talk next week for Oxford University, Bodleian Library's Bodleian Bytes series.

Date and time: Thursday May 21st from 10 to 11am Eastern Daylight Time (New York time).

Title and registration link: AccessiBod: Widening access to Digital Bodleian<https://digitalscholarship.web.ox.ac.uk/event/accessibod-widening-access-to-digital-bodleian>

Abstract: Digitised special collections such as manuscripts, archives and photographs are rarely made accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, but this does not mean they are not interested in accessing such materials or that they have no need for access in order to pursue their studies, research, work or pleasure. The cultural heritage and academic sectors could do more to expand access for blind and low vision people, but research is needed to understand what blind and low vision people want to know about digital cultural heritage, and what methods and resources are required to achieve access.


In this talk, Dr Victoria Van Hyning, Assistant Professor of Library Innovation at University of Maryland, College of Information, will report key findings from ‘AccessiBod: Exploring Accessible Futures for Digital Bodleian’, a participatory design study conducted at the Bodleian Libraries in 2025 to understand how crowdsourcing, AI, curatorial metadata and scholarly expertise might be harnessed to create better access within the Digital Bodleian site. Bodleian Libraries curators, digital scholarship specialists, web developers, students, disability services specialists and faculty from across the collegiate University and the broader Oxford community participated in interviews and workshops.

The findings and recommendations shared in this talk will be germane to Digital Bodleian as well as wider cultural heritage and digital humanities practice. We all have a role to play in widening access to digital cultural heritage and the web more broadly, and even small changes can make a big difference.

This is the latest talk in the Bodleian Bytes series, hosted by the Centre for Digital Scholarship at the Bodleian Libraries.

All best,
Victoria


Dr Victoria Van Hyning

Assistant Professor of Library Innovation

Co-founder, Center for Archival Futures<https://cafe.ischool.umd.edu/> (CAFe)

University of Maryland, College of Information (INFO)

info.umd.edu<http://www.info.umd.edu/> | vvh at umd.edu<mailto:vvh at umd.edu>


Recent projects:

ALA Accessibility Resources for All Libraries<https://www.ala.org/accessibility>

Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained<https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/diversity/expanding-access-incarcerated-initiative>

Crowdsourced Data: Accuracy, Accessibility, Authority (CDAAA)<https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded/re-252344-ols-22>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DLF Digital Accessibility Working Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to dlf-accessibility-working-group+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com<mailto:dlf-accessibility-working-group+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com>.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/dlf-accessibility-working-group/CAPdinKv8Dy7k3dPxdMKokpQofHXbtnf7tAC1AZs5%3DpHfjh%3Dzhw%40mail.gmail.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/dlf-accessibility-working-group/CAPdinKv8Dy7k3dPxdMKokpQofHXbtnf7tAC1AZs5%3DpHfjh%3Dzhw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER Do not click any links, open any attachments, or REPLY to the message unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.library.ohio.gov/pipermail/ohiodig/attachments/20260513/43437993/attachment.htm>