Because format quality matters.

Quality matters - to service providers
who are sending out their information in accessible formats - large print, audio, braille, electronically etc. They want to know that their information and their brand is being communicated effectively and to the same standard as the rest of their communications.

Quality matters - to transcribers
who are creating accessible formats often on behalf of a service provider, and delivering materials for end-users to read. They want to establish and retain their professional reputation for delivering quality transcription of print information into accessible formats which people can read and use easily.

Quality matters - to end-users
who are receiving the information in accessible formats. They need the information in a format they can read, and also importantly, the information they receive needs to be presented in a way which meets the reading needs of someone using large print, audio, braille or reading electronically - it's not the same as reading standard print.

What constitutes quality?

After user research conducted by COTIS (the former Confederation of Transcribed Information Services), as part of the development of their Transcription Quality Assessment Scheme (TQAS), the following key issues were identified as issues affecting the quality of accessible formats:

• Quality: using any existing industry guidelines or standards for a particular format
• Structured: carefully organised to enable readers to find their way around the information
• Content: making suitable adaptations to take account of people's sight impairment
• Timeliness: getting information to people within an appropriate timescale
• Labelling and packaging: making sure people know what it is when they receive it and it's usable, and in a good condition

Quality accessible formats enable recipients to actually use the information you provide in the way you intended.

Find out why quality matters to users, service providers and transcribers.