The consultants ordered 50 publications in alternative formats from 50 federal institutions governed by the Financial Administration Act (FAA). As depicted in the following graph, the consultants received 22 documents (or 44 percent) within the timeline of this review. They were promised seven more but did not receive them in time.

Documents Ordered and Received

In two instances, the publication ordered did not arrive in the requested format or language: one publication ordered in French, Uncontracted Braille arrived in English, Contracted Braille; and one publication ordered in English, Uncontracted Braille arrived in English, Contracted Braille.

As illustrated in the following graph, the format that seems most readily available is Contracted Braille. Overall, the consultants received more publications in Braille than in audio.

Documents Ordered and Received
Results by Format

The majority of the publications assessed were fairly accurate in the sense that their text or content was the same as that of the print publication, or had fewer than five errors.

Assessment of the Accuracy of Content of
Alternative Format Publications

The consultants made the following observations while assessing the quality of the alternative texts received in Braille.

• The quality of the Braille transcription varied from excellent to multiple errors.
• In some cases, the Braille document was obtained off-the-shelf. Usually, these were documents that Canadians request fairly frequently. However, in at least one case, the document was out of date and the programs it was describing had changed.
• In some cases, both Contracted and Uncontracted Braille were available, but this availability was not consistent. The consultants did not always receive the form of Braille requested. As mentioned previously, two documents requested in Uncontracted Braille arrived in the Contracted form.

As for the publications received in audio format, the consultants found the following.

• One department recorded an electronic voice reading the document, while another department had an employee read the document on tape. Both these documents arrived quickly. The content was accurate but the quality only fair.
• Other departments had the document professionally read. The sound quality of the professionally produced audio was good but there was no consistency in the way the documents were read or the way features such as tables or lists were described. The publications did not appear to follow a common standard.
• Three audio publications used “out of text” references (or narrative descriptions) to describe tables, lists and images.
• Four federal institutions labelled their audio cassette in Braille, an initiative that the consultants appreciated and that is very useful for users who know Braille.

Some of the publications ordered may not have been publications that are requested frequently, either in traditional print or in alternative formats. It was therefore difficult for some institutions to produce a one-time alternative translation of the requested publication. The result obtained by an institution in this situation may not accurately reflect the institution’s service level.

Best Practices
Based on their experience with this review and other similar ones, and on additional research, the consultants determined that the following constitute best practices in the provision of publications in alternative formats.

• Avoid referring all clients to the online version: As popular as the Web has become, not all print-disabled Canadians have access to a computer or the Internet, and not all have the skills to properly navigate the Web. Be sure to ask first if the client has Web access.
• Ensure you send the correct publication in the requested format: As with any other publication request, it is important to verify that the correct publication is sent to the client in the requested format and language. Do not assume that all clients who order a publication in Braille are proficient in Grade 2/Contracted Braille, as this is not the case. Similarly, do not assume that all clients have access to CD players or DAISY readers.
• Label audio cassettes in Braille: This is a good, client-centered practice, which shows that the institution is thinking of the person instead of simply responding to a request for a publication in an alternative format.
• Ensure that readers of audio formats use proper “out of text” references: These include —but are not limited to—saying the word “title” before reading a title; referencing the page number; announcing the beginning and the end of a bulleted list or a table; indicating when the text is included in parentheses or quotation marks; mentioning when a comment is not included in the text; and noting when the reader returns to the text.
• Use short beeps to help users refer to pages rapidly: Tone indexing helps the user navigate through audio text.