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Finding and Using eBooks: Accessibility Issues

Proquest e-Book Central

ProQuest Ebook Central Accessibility Mode

Laptop and desktop users can turn on accessibility mode in their ProQuest Ebook Central account by clicking on 'Settings' then 'Profile' in the top right corner of the ProQuest Ebook Central web page and choosing 'Enable Accessibility Mode'. Next select "I agree to ProQuest's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service" and click on the 'Save Changes' button. With this mode enabled, when you open a book in the online reader you will access a text-only version of that book, which your screen reader will be able to read aloud.  

Please note that accessibility mode only works on laptops and desktops.
(It is not currently compatible with phones or tablets).

Please click below to view a video demonstration for turning on accessibility mode in ProQuest e-Book Central.

Which screen readers are recommended for use with Ebook Central?

Ebook Central is officially certified on JAWS & IE, and VoiceOver & Safari. Ebooks have been formatted to be readable online (in HTML) and offline (as text-based PDF).

What kinds of accessibility features are available in the Ebook Central interface?

The Ebook Central interface has been designed to be accessible, including:

  • Much more on the page that sighted users don’t see, such as hidden landmarks, descriptions of state and other code to support accessibility. These elements don’t show visibly but are detected by screen readers, and provide additional information.
  • Everything has been labelled according to its function, which makes navigation easy. 
  • Keyboard navigation so that pages can be navigated without the use of a mouse.
  • Browser magnification increasing the entire screen to make text more visible.
  • Colours meet AA standards for contrast, making it easier for partially sighted users.

Ebook Central offers a range of options to obtain accessible versions of all ebooks including:

  • Reading online in Accessibility Mode | Downloading chapters to PDF | Downloading the full book to Adobe Digital Editions 

OpenDyslexic TypeFace

Users can now change the font for the Ebook Central interface to OpenDyslexic, an open-source typeface designed to combat symptoms of dyslexia, directly from the Profile page. Follow the instructions in the image below to turn on use of 'OpenDyslexic typeface'. This checkbox is found by clicking on the 'Settings' menu at the top right corner of the webpage, then choose 'Profile'. 

ON THE EBOOK CENTRAL WEBPAGE CHOOSE 'SETTINGS' (FROM THE TOP RIGHT CORNER) - THEN CHOOSE 'PROFILE'

Please see further information in the PDF below from ProQuest in relation to accessibility customer FAQs. 

RNIB Bookshare

RNIB Bookshare UK education collection provides textbooks and materials to support the UK curriculum. Although the service is provided by RNIB, wider access to students (and staff) with learning and physical disabilities is encouraged. They offer a range of over 730,000 accessible books that can be read electronically or adapted to suit the personal reading needs of learners.

How Do I Register to Use Bookshare?

Once your request to access Bookshare has been approved by Student Wellbeing, your Faculty Subject Librarian will arrange to meet with you and provide you with a student account (username/password) to access Bookshare following the completion of a registration form.