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Business Case for Accessibility In Publishing: Why Publishers Need to Act Now

  • Published on: January 22, 2025
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  • Updated on: January 22, 2025
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  • Reading Time: 5 mins
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New year, same problems? 2024 may have winded down but it has not gone away quietly. As 2025 settles in and educational publishers get back to business, many familiar storylines will be picking up where they left off.

And nothing has graced the headlines at the beginning of the new year more than the regulations in the accessibility in the publishing landscape.

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Accessibility Regulations for Publications Making the Headlines

Here’s how they are taking steam:

The European Accessibility Act (EAA)

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires publishers to make digital publications accessible to individuals with disabilities by June 2025. This includes implementing standards for making accessible, e-books, e-commerce platforms, and websites to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies and compliance with EU-wide accessibility requirements.

The Title II of the American Disabilities Act (ADA)

Under Title II updates, schools and colleges must ensure digital content is accessible to individuals with disabilities. This affects publishers by requiring them to provide materials that comply with accessibility standards, enabling equal access to accessible digital resources in educational settings.

 

Are the Publishers Ready for the Amendments?

Many publishers are still grappling with ensuring their content meets digital accessibility compliance. For instance, less than 4 out of 10 European publishers are producing accessible ebooks. The complexity of creating accessible content often requires specialized knowledge that may not be readily available within the organization.

In addition to technical difficulties, publishers face inconsistencies with how accessibility in publishing is implemented across their teams. The varying levels of knowledge and commitment among stakeholders, whether they are internal teams, authors, or freelancers, make it difficult to standardize accessibility practices. This lack of consistency can further complicate compliance.

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Even those who are committed to addressing accessibility in publishing often find themselves battling with limited budgets. The costs associated with accessibility testing for publishers, implementing required tools, and training staff members can stretch resources thin. Making websites accessible requires anywhere upwards of $50 per webpage. The costs also vary depending on the page and the number of hours, accessible digital resources, and tools required. This makes it difficult for publishers to keep up with the rapid pace of legislative changes.

But they can’t afford to get it wrong either. A single ADA violation can cost up to $75,000 and increase to $150,000 for additional violations.

 

What Does Accessibility in Publishing Mean?

For publishers, accessibility in publishing embodies a commitment to inclusive publishing standards, ensuring that content is usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities. It could be about making accessible video scripts, developing user-friendly websites, or accessibility in publishing inclusive ebooks. However, accessibility features come in various forms, designed to address a broad spectrum of challenges.

For instance, in the case of ebooks, this could look like this:

  • Modifying typography or adjusting spacing conventions, to significantly improve readability without compromising the design aesthetics or integrity.
  • Refining layouts, such as the placement of em-dashes, captions, or other visual elements, to enhance usability and comprehension.
  • Retiring inaccessible fonts or universally altering the placement of captions to balance accessibility in publishing with consistent design standards.
  • Making ebooks compatible with screen readers, including proper tagging for semantic structure, and supporting keyboard navigability for users who cannot rely on a mouse.

However, it is incredibly difficult to implement these changes in accessibility in publishing. Even the smallest modifications, like deciding on who is responsible for creating alternative (or alt) text, require contemplation. While authors, as content experts, are often a good choice, they may lack technical knowledge about accessibility standards. Conversely, technical teams may lack the subject-specific context needed for nuanced descriptions.

Similarly, retiring fonts and layout styles may disrupt the publication’s established visual identity, causing resistance from design teams or stakeholders in accessibility in publishing.

In each case, publishers have to reconcile diverse perspectives, balancing accessibility in publishing with design, technical feasibility, and audience expectations.

 

The AI Perspective

AI is changing the game for accessibility in publishing, making content more inclusive and easier to use.

  • It helps translate material into multiple languages, opening it up to readers around the world.
  • AI can also turn text into audio, Braille, or simpler formats, meeting the needs of all kinds of readers.
  • Tools for captions and transcriptions make videos and audio content more accessible, while adaptive platforms personalize the way people learn.
  • With smarter tagging and better search tools, finding the right content is easier than ever.

But bringing AI to accessibility in publishing isn’t all smooth sailing. It can sometimes reflect biases in its training data, which raises fairness concerns. On top of that, strict data privacy rules make it tricky to use AI in accessibility publishing without stepping into legal trouble. While many authors are eager to implement it, most lack the expertise. For example, Oxford University Press (OUP) found that while 76% of researchers use AI in their work, 72% are unaware of their institution’s AI policies.

Moreover, developing and integrating these tools for accessibility in publishing can get expensive, especially for smaller publishers. And even when the tools are ready, getting teams to embrace the change can be a slow process.

 

Hanging in the Balance…

Regardless of the complexities, accessibility in publishing is aligned with the core missions of many publishers and they are contemplating larger initiatives.

The Princeton University Press (PUP) has signed two accessibility charters to enhance the accessibility of its publications. To date, their work has already resulted in the successful publication of over 400 fully accessible ebook editions, including life-long intellectual property.

As outlined by their accessibility policy, PUP’s efforts align with standards defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and comply with regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

Pearson’s accessibility guidelines provide developers with standards for creating the most effective content. This has helped them provide affordable, faster, and more efficient access to their digital textbooks for select Pearson titles for improving accessibility in publishing.

The ability to improve accessibility in publishing across the board requires overhauling the existing accessibility implementation in publishing workflows, which makes an interesting business case for accessibility. By integrating automated systems and necessitated AI-driven accessibility solutions, publishers can streamline the process of content creation, review, and updates to meet accessibility standards. Moreover, this approach not only improves accessibility in publishing for backlist titles but also allows for scalable strategies for publishers across a larger content portfolio.

 

FAQs

EPUB 3 is the primary recommended format for accessible digital publications, as it supports rich semantic markup, text-to-speech compatibility, and navigational features. PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) is also acceptable when properly tagged. HTML5 content should conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standa

Best practice suggests conducting comprehensive accessibility audits every 6-12 months, with more frequent spot checks quarterly. Additionally, any major platform updates or content revisions should trigger immediate accessibility reviews to maintain compliance.

Third-party content providers should be contractually required to meet your accessibility standards. Implement a verification process before assistive technology integration, including testing. Maintain documentation of compliance efforts and consider alternative accessible versions when necessary.

Prioritize high-usage titles and recent publications first, aiming for 20-25% of retrofitting backlist content per quarter. Begin with core educational materials and gradually expand to supplementary resources. The complete process typically takes 12-18 months for a mid-sized publisher.

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