Mavs Open Press Recognized for Accessibility by the Library Publishing Coalition

The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries Mavs Open Press has won the award for Accessibility from the Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) for their publication, Applied Fluid Mechanics Lab Manual.

LPC evaluated applications for its Publishing Practice Awards in a competitive selection process, and the application from Mavs Open Press, "demonstrated exemplary practices in the process of publishing a piece of work that foregrounded important publishing principles."

“We are proud of our exceptional Open Educational Resources and Mavs Open Press team—they are models on campus and in our broader community for accessibility,” said Rebecca Bichel, dean of UTA Libraries. “We are thankful for this recognition from LPC and for the continued support of President Teik Lim and Provost Pranesh Aswath that allows us to continue this important work.”

Mavs Open Press was specifically recognized for proactively addressing accessibility and inclusion in their work through its OER training program; the implementation of accessibility checks throughout the publishing process; and the development of an accessibility statement and workflow.

The Applied Fluid Mechanics Lab Manual was the first grant-funded OER published by Mavs Open Press and was instrumental in informing how accessibility is integrated into OER publishing at UTA.

Katie Willeford, UTA Libraries interim Director of OER, says that accessibility is an obvious priority for OER work.

“I think one of the goals of developing OER is about inclusion, which is the goal of accessibility too,” she said. “We want to eliminate barriers to ensure that the broadest range of learners can have the same educational experience.”

Brittany Griffiths, UTA Libraries Publishing Specialist, reinforces the benefit of accessibility to all users—not just those who have an immediate or explicit need.

“Generally, efforts to increase equity for one group of users ends up being beneficial for all users—sometimes referred to as the Curb-Cut Effect,” she said. “Though curb cuts were initially implemented with wheelchair users in mind, curb cuts also benefited others by removing that down-step in the walkway. This translates to all areas of design and is especially evident in digital publishing and distance learning where the inclusion of closed captions, compliant color contrasting, and strong navigational functionality (to name a few) can be beneficial for all users.”

Willeford sees the long-term value of her team’s accessibility work, especially considering the last year.

“I think the pandemic has further highlighted the need for accessible OER development,” she said. “What we're working on now will impact the lives of students in the future.”

Griffiths has been on the team for three years and has found the process of learning about and implementing accessibility empowering. She also says that others working in OER who are seeking ways to be more accessible are on the right track.

“If you’re approaching the creation process with accessibility in mind, you’re already ahead of the game,” she said. “The goal is to be proactive and attentive to the needs of all possible users of the resource you are creating—a little effort can go a long way.”

Willeford reminds OER practitioners that accessibility is always a work-in-progress.

“I think it's important to remember that accessibility in design can always be improved upon—we have to reevaluate and adjust based on the specific project needs,” she said. “It's a collaborative effort that may seem overwhelming at first, but there is a lot of literature out there now that can help.”

Mavs Open Press, operated by the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, offers no-cost services for UTA faculty, staff, and students who wish to openly publish their scholarship. The Libraries program provides human and technological resources that empower our communities to create or adapt open educational resources (OER). Course materials published by Mavs Open Press are openly licensed using Creative Commons licenses to allow for revision and reuse and are offered in various digital formats free of charge. Optional print copies may be available for purchase through the UTA Bookstore or can be purchased directly from XanEdu. Contact us at oer@uta.edu.