Public Comment on Proposed DCMI Term: Accessibility Note

Public Comment on proposed term "Accessibility Note"

In the context of a draft proposal for a DCMI Scholarly Resources Application Profile, the Usage Board is considering the addition of a property to DCMI Metadata Terms, "Accessibility Note" (dcterms:accessibilityNote), to be defined as: "A statement describing features or deficiencies of a resource that enhance or impede its usability and accessibility." The usage note would read: "Applies to a diverse range of users, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities or impairments. This may include assistive technologies, alternative formats or design choices that facilitate broader usage."

In formulating this definition, the Usage Board has considered related work in W3C, Schema.org, the MARC standard, IFLA, the European Commission, and other initiatives and standardization bodies; interested readers can find links to many of these in a relevant Usage Board issue.

To ensure that the new property is in line with the latest thinking in the accessibility field, we are now asking for wider public comment on this proposal. For the next thirty days, until 2026-02-22, we invite experts and interested members of the public to post comments to a Github issue for public comments. Alternatively, comments or questions to the Usage Board can be submitted via email to Kalli Mathios. All comments will be gratefully received.