Accessibility is the inclusive practice of making your product usable by as many people as possible. It enables a person with a disability the opportunity to engage with and perceive your book. In print, this could be a book in braille or large print. In digital, this could be an accessible ebook or audiobook.

“Accessibility” is often shortened to “a11y” since there are 11 letters between the “a” and “y”

Accessible digital books can be used with assistive technologies (AT) to make them usable by people with print disabilities. Print disabilities typically refer to visual, mobility, or comprehension impairments, including temporary or situational impairments.

Some assistive technologies include:

• Screen readers (often called text-to-speech, or TTS)
• Refreshable braille display
• Eye tracking software

Reports estimate 1 in 5 people have a print disability, and a further 1 in 20 people experience a temporary disability each year. This is a large market segment who cannot read your book if you do not have an accessible option.

Accessibility is also a compliance issue. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) goes into affect in June 2025. The EAA aims to eliminate and prevent barriers for free movement of products and services between member states, and sets common rules on accessibility. If you want to sell your ebook in European market, you must have accessibility features in place in your ebook.

In the US, you should also be aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although this law has been on the books since the ‘90s, ADA lawsuits have been on the rise since the pandemic popularized digital alternatives to physical media. Since 2020, there has been a ~12% annual increase in ADA lawsuits.

I don’t say this to alarm you, but to inform and guide you towards pursuing accessibility now as a way of reaching a broader audience and future-proofing your book for what are inevitable requirements. This leads into the born accessible philosophy, which means developing your ebook with accessibility features right from the start, without modification or remediation. Think of it as making sure your book works for every reader right away, instead of only working for some readers. It also avoids remediation costs down the line.

Tomes Publishing Services creates born accessible epubs that contain the following features:

• Alt text - textual alternatives to images
• Accessibility metadata - data about accessibility features and standards that your ebook meets
• ARIA roles - tags that AT can read in order to navigate
• Navigation landmarks - tags that AT can read in order to navigate
• PageList - a print corollary list of page numbers in order to navigate
• Reading order - content presented in a logical, linear order
• Semantic HTML - meaningful and machine-readable HTML5
• TOC & Bookmarks - additional navigational options

The big takeaway is that you should pursue an accessible ebook now, because it enables all types of readers to engage with your book in the way that works best for them.