Tidewater Press Named Benetech Global Certified Accessible™ Publisher
Publisher achieves Global Certified Accessible designation through eBOUND Canada’s Accessible Certification Program
March 17, 2022 – Tidewater Press is now a Benetech Global Certified Accessible™ (GCA) publisher. Benetech, a nonprofit that empowers communities with software for social good, issues this accreditation to those publishers who produce EPUBs that meet a full range of accessibility features required to support the needs of all readers, including those with disabilities and learning differences. Tidewater Press completed certification through eBOUND Canada, a not-for-profit that enables independent Canadian publishers to engage in the digital marketplace.
“We are proud to be part of this global initiative to make e-books fully accessible to all readers,” said publisher Lynn Duncan. “Our mandate is to bring to Canadian and international audiences stories that matter by writers who struggle to be heard: outsiders trying to fit in, crusaders trying to change their communities or individuals offering a fresh perspective. Becoming a GCA publisher, with the support of eBOUND Canada, strengthens our mission to bring these stories to the widest possible audience.
“All digital content can – and should – be born accessible,” said Brad Turner, Vice President and General Manager of Global Education and Literacy at Benetech. “Readers can select Tidewater Press Global Certified Accessible e-books trusting that they meet a wide range of accessibility needs.”
Benetech’s GCA publisher certification program is the first ever, third-party EPUB certification program to verify e-book accessibility. All approved publishers have demonstrated success consistently producing files in accordance with Benetech’s GCA certification standard, meeting the EPUB Accessibility 1.0 Conformance and Discovery specification and exceeding a publishing standard level of WCAG 2.0 AA. Benetech recognizes these publishers as creators of fully accessible EPUBs. eBOUND Canada, a GCA international partner, completed the evaluation.
“eBOUND believes that all content born digital should be born accessible so that all people can have access to all content. As such, eBOUND is delighted to have formed a partnership with Benetech to support our Canadian independent publisher clients as they go through the important process of having all content born accessible. eBOUND’s goal is to have 80%+ of our publishing clients producing accessible content by 2024, supporting the goal of the Department of Canadian Heritage, whose generous support has made this work possible” said Deborah Nelson, CEO of eBOUND Canada.
To learn more about Benetech’s Global Certified Accessible Program visit: http://bornaccessible.benetech.org
About eBOUND
eBOUND Canada is a not for profit organization that works with Canadian independent publishers to help them navigate and compete in the digital landscape. Accessible content creation is foundational to the work eBOUND does.
About Benetech
Benetech is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing social and economic inequity through software for social good. Benetech’s initiatives are transforming how students, jobseekers, and older adults across the globe read, learn, and work. Benetech believes that access to information is a human right, and no person should encounter barriers to education, literacy, or employment due to differences or disability.