EPUBs share many of the same accessibility requirements as the web, many of the same techniques (i.e., image descriptions) that apply to web accessibility can be used when authoring accessible EPUBs. EPUB supports reflowable text, making Ebooks in this format accessible: the reader can change the font size, and the book will reorganize itself to fit the device screen.
Because of their widespread use, more hardware eReaders support EPUB files than any other eBook file format. EPUB file use many different ereaders and free software such as Calibre or Stanza Desktop. Kindle readers do not use EPUB but is possible to convert to MOBI files using Calibre.
Considerations
- EPUB 3 offers the most opportunity for mainstream accessible publishing and the free open source EPUB checking tool Ace by DAISY has been developed to assist content provider
- Check the accessibility of the readers that will be used with ePUB files. The Daisy Consortium offer lists of accessible EPUB readers.
- Books with download restrictions (DRM): Some ebooks come with rights restrictions set by the publisher. In these cases, full-book access is available through Adobe Digital Editions.
- Best Practices for Authoring MathML in EPUB from Benetech
Additional Resources
- DAISY Publishes White Paper on the Benefits of EPUB 3
- EPUBs for Education by Greg Alchin
- MassIT: Document Accessibility
- PhET: Creating Accessible Interactive Science Simulations
- The EPUB Accessibility Specification outlines the accessibility requirements for all types of EPUB files.
- “How to Open EPUB Files on Windows 10 (Without Microsoft Edge)”