The DC (Dublin Core) Accessibility Working Group are now looking at adapting the ISO standard so that it can be expressed in a compatible way with other DC metadata – see AccessForAll Application Profile for a draft model.

The next Dublin Core Conference takes place in Manzanillo, Mexico from 3^rd to 6^th October 2006.  One of the sessions, which is also likely to be available for remote participants, will discuss the AccessForAll Application Profile (Thursday, 5^th October, 22:30 UK, 16:30 Mexico).  If you are interested in taking part, further details are available from the DC Accessibility JISCMail List.

The next phase of the ISO work will be to determine how non-digital resources can be described in a digital way.  For example, a student studying art history could have the option of viewing an image digitally (on-line), or as a non-digital resource, such as a tactile image or sculpture, etc.  Therefore, location and type of a non-digital resource, etc may be described as part of a digital resource’s metadata.

This work is likely to be challenging but digital resources are not suitable for everyone nor for every subject.  If non-digital resources can be described, then this could open up a greater number of resources more suited to different learning styles and needs.