The world of publishing is evolving at an ever-increasing speed, with developments in digital workstreams and products, customer expectation, enriched content curation, and user-generated content becoming commonplace. In Publishing in the Digital Age: How Business Can Thrive in a Rapidly Changing Environment, Ross discusses the most significant and recent developments in educational and trade publishing, educational technology, and marketing that has enabled a new generation of content creators to reach more consumers. It is the only book that addresses disruption in the industry head on. Building on the insights from his last book, Dealing with Disruption: Lessons from the Publishing Industry, Ross takes a fresh look at the publishing environment and provides the reader with a clear view of how publishing has evolved and how it has benefitted consumers regardless of their preferred medium for accessing knowledge. Through an examination of what has worked and what has not, and with Ross’s unique perspective of more than 35 years of publishing success, Publishing in the Digital Age presents an indispensable overview of the publishing industry, how it has evolved during the first quarter of the 21st century, and how publishers, content providers, and consumers can benefit from the many options that are available today. With insights from industry leaders, Ross discusses new opportunities on the Web, streaming services, and audio formats. He reviews new publishing platforms and provides a practical guide for content developers to address the knowledge needs of their constituents by giving readers real-life, actionable examples of how best to publish their content consistent with users’ purchasing preferences. The book will be of interest to specialists in education: K-12 and higher education, the non-fiction trade, corporate education trainers, and specialist sectors such as scholarly, technical, and medical publishing. It includes clear applications for any business that is undergoing transformation or is forced to make a radical pivot because of sudden environmental changes or market conditions.

Assistive technology has made it feasible for individuals with a wide range of impairments to engage in many activities, such as education and employment, in ways not previously possible. The key factor is to create consumer-driven technologies that solve the problems by addressing the needs of persons with visual impairments. Assistive Technology for Blindness and Low Vision explores a broad range of technologies that are improving the lives of these individuals. Presenting the current state of the art, this book emphasizes what can be learned from past successful products, as well as what exciting new solutions the future holds. Written by world-class leaders in their field, the chapters cover the physiological bases of vision loss and the fundamentals of orientation, mobility, and information access for blind and low vision individuals. They discuss technology for multiple applications (mobility, wayfinding, information access, education, work, entertainment), including both established technology and cutting-edge research. The book also examines computer and digital media access and the scientific basis for the theory and practice of sensory substitution. This volume provides a holistic view of the elements to consider when designing assistive technology for persons with visual impairment, keeping in mind the need for a user-driven approach to successfully design products that are easy to use, well priced, and fill a specific need. Written for a broad audience, this book provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth descriptions of current technology for designers, engineers, practitioners, rehabilitation professionals, and all readers interested in the challenges and promises of creating successful assistive technology.

Individuals with disabilities often have difficulty accomplishing tasks, living independently, and utilizing information technologies; simple aspects of daily life taken for granted by non-disabled individuals. Assistive Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications presents a comprehensive collection of research, developments, and knowledge on technologies that enable disabled individuals to function effectively and accomplish otherwise impossible tasks. These volumes serve as a crucial reference source for experts in fields as diverse as healthcare, information science, education, engineering, and human-computer interaction, with applications bridging multiple disciplines.