Journal Article: “Actually Accessible Data: An Update and a Call to Action”

The article linked below was recently published by the Journal of Librarianship and
Scholarly Communication (JLSC).

Title

Actually Accessible Data: An Update and a Call to Action

Authors

Randy D. Colón
University of Illinois, Chicago

Abigail Goben
University of Illinois, Chicago

Sebastian Karcher
Syracuse University

Source

Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication (JLSC)
11(1), eP15449.

DOI: 10.1123/jlsc.15449

Abstract

As funder, journal, and disciplinary norms and mandates have foregrounded obligations of data sharing and opportunities for data reuse, the need to plan for and curate data sets that can reach researchers and end-users with disabilities has become even more urgent. We begin by exploring the disability studies literature, describing the need for advocacy and representation of disabled scholars as data creators, subjects, and users. We then survey the landscape of data repositories, curation guidelines, and research-data-related standards, finding little consideration of accessibility for people with disabilities. We suggest three sets of minimal good practices for moving toward truly accessible research data: 1) ensuring Web accessibility for data repositories; 2) ensuring accessibility of common text formats, including those used in documentation; and 3) enhancement of visual and audiovisual materials. We point to some signs of progress in regard to truly accessible data by highlighting exemplary practices by repositories, standards, and data professionals. Accessibility needs to become a mainstream component of curation practice included in every training, manual, and primer.

Direct to Full Text Article
20 pages; PDF.

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