Making an EPUB 3 Accessible — the Practical Checklist
Accessible EPUB isn't exotic: it's a well-structured EPUB 3 with a handful of specific things in place. This checklist covers what machines can verify — accessibility metadata, language, alt-text, navigation — and what still needs your judgment, like whether descriptions actually describe. Upload an EPUB below to have the machine-checkable items audited and fixed automatically.
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Fixing a whole catalogue?
Publishers with a backlist can remediate in bulk via the batch API — corrected files plus a per-title report for your records. See the accessibility service page.
Frequently asked questions
What belongs in accessibility metadata?
Schema.org properties in the OPF package: accessMode (textual, visual), accessModeSufficient, accessibilityFeature (e.g. tableOfContents, altText), accessibilityHazard (none, or flashing/motion warnings), and a human-readable accessibilitySummary. EU retailers read these fields to describe your book to buyers.
What are the most common failures in otherwise fine EPUBs?
Missing accessibility metadata entirely, no xml:lang/dc:language declaration, images without alt attributes, and a missing or skeletal EPUB 3 navigation document. All four are machine-fixable — they're exactly what this tool corrects.
What can't be automated?
Judgment: whether alt-text conveys what an image means in context, whether reading order flows sensibly through sidebars and footnotes, whether color alone carries meaning. Automated tooling gets you the verifiable baseline and flags these spots for a human pass.
Do fixed-layout or heavily designed books work the same way?
Fixed-layout EPUBs are much harder to make accessible and often need manual work. For reflowable text books — most fiction and non-fiction — the checklist on this page covers the baseline.