Accessibility Standards and the Future of Inclusive Publishing

The 18th annual NISO x BISG Forum, The Changing Standards Landscape, will take place on Friday, June 27, 2025, in conjunction with the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia.

This year’s program, Accessibility Standards and the Future of Inclusive Publishing, examines how evolving standards are shaping the development, distribution, and discoverability of accessible content.

Through a series of panel discussions and focused talks, the forum will explore the current state of accessibility in publishing, the technical and organizational infrastructure required to support inclusive practices at scale, and the strategic role of libraries in advancing equitable access. 

By convening stakeholders from publishing, libraries, standards organizations, and technology service providers, the program aims to surface shared challenges, highlight innovative solutions, and identify pathways for greater alignment across the ecosystem.

The forum provides a structured setting to assess progress, examine practical approaches, and consider the future of accessibility through the lens of standards development and implementation.

Event Sessions

• Opening Remarks
• Laying the Groundwork for Inclusive Publishing
• Progress Assessment: How Far Are We from Delivery?
• Vendor Perspectives: A Conversation on Content Conversion
• Innovation at Scale: OverDrive’s Vision for Accessible Content
• Current Tools and Future Directions in Accessible Publishing
• Library Publishing Futures
• Open Q&A and Group Discussion

National Information Standards Organization (NISO) is a nonprofit membership organization that identifies, develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards to manage information.