Accessibility Resources
The BISG Accessibility Working Group recommends these resources for their value to book industry professionals. This list is a work in progress and we welcome suggestions; if you have other interests or learning needs that you would like us to consider, let us know! Have a resource you love but don’t see it here? Fill out our suggestion form so we can add it.
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Webinars & Educational Programming
The Accessibility Working Group has produced webinars and content to help educate the industry. You can view all our available programming on BISG’s Knowledge Center.
Here is a selection of content we'd like to highlight:
Digital Accessibility and the EAA: Ensuring Compliance by June 28
Allison C. Belan, Rick Johnson, Gregorio Pellegrino | March 27, 2025
Watch the recording of this expert-led webinar to understand the steps you need to take to ensure compliance before the deadline. Learn how to avoid costly mistakes, gain insights into penalties and risks, and find out how to implement changes in your digital infrastructure that will not only protect you legally but also make your brand more inclusive, expand your market reach, and enhance your customer experience.
Accessibility and Metadata: The Critical Connection
Rachel Comerford, Guillian Hetzler, Erin Lucas | September 13, 2021
With print-disabled audiences estimated to be as large as 7% or more of the total book-buying population, creating accessible books is increasingly a priority for book publishers. To make sure these books are discovered and purchased, the accessible features of a book must be fully described. That requires accurate metadata. This recording provides tips and tricks for implementing publishing workflows that reliably deliver accessible formats. Questions answered in this session include: What is accessibility metadata? Why is metadata critical for accessible content? And, how can your organization design workflows to deliver accessibility metadata?
Does my EPUB Meet Industry Expectations?
Rachel Comerford | November 10, 2021
In this video, you'll learn some tips and tricks to help ensure that your EPUB files meet industry standards and expectations. This includes workflow processes for the creation of your files as well as some free and paid resources that you can use to check your files for functionality and validity. With accessibility a key issue for EPUB content, there is specific discussion on tools for verifying your EPUB meets accessibility guidelines.
These are outside accessibility resources curated by the BISG Accessibility Working Group.
Start here
The W3C Accessibility Standards Overview
An overview, with links, of the W3C Standards (also called Recommendations) related to accessibility.
Introduction to Born-Accessible Ebook Production
This brief introduction covers how to begin strategizing and planning for accessible ebook creation.
The EAA Legislation
The complete EU Directive in multiple languages as published on April 17, 2019.
The IPA's Overview of the European Accessibility Act (EAA)
A layperson's explanation of the who, what, and why of the European Accessibility Act.
The W3C EAA Mapping
This resource, which technical, maps the EPUB Accessibility 1.1 standard to the EAA requirements.
EDItEUR's Application Note: Providing Accessibility Metadata in ONIX (Essentials)
A five-page guide to understanding how to implement accessibility metadata in ONIX.
Articles & Blog Posts
Disproportionate Burden: Not a Blanket Excuse for Inaccessibility
Will Awad's thoughtful take on an EAA exemption.
Navigating Approaching Accessibility Requirements
Tyler Carey offers helpful advice on how to form a plan.
QA for Accessible Ebooks
Laura Brady's helpful checklist.
Which US States Have Digital Accessibility Laws? A Comprehensive List
Lily Clark summarizes US approaches by state.
Reports & Papers
Accessibility Metadata Best Practices for Ebooks
eBOUND Canada's report reads like a narrative. A great entry to the topic for anyone who isn't super techie.
Accessibility Metadata for International Distribution and Export
Livres Canada Books and Fondazione LIA look at how to assemble and distribute accessible metadata.
Industry Insights: Bookshops and Accessibility
The EIBF authored a paper aimed at booksellers, which includes European, Canadian, and US articles.
Webinars
BIC Brunch - Accessibility Series
A playlist of webinars focusing on accessibility released over the months leading up to the EAA compliance deadline.
CSUN's Digital Accessibility Legal Update: US
Not specifically about publishing, but a good overview nonetheless.
Websites
The ABA's Page on Digital Accessibility
This page will help booksellers take steps towards making websites more accessible.
The APLN's Accessible Ebook Production
Learn how to create accessible ebooks, even if you’re just starting out.
The DAISY Consortium's Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base
DAISY has tons of tools and useful accessibility information.
EDItEUR's Application Note: Providing Accessibility Metadata in ONIX (Advanced)
Advanced info on code list 196 and beyond.
The European Accessibility Act: Understanding Digital Accessibility
This explainer from the Digital Accessibility Center describes the responsibilities on various entities created by the act, including the types of products and services covered by the act.
OCLC Marc Bibliographic Formats and Standards
On the generation of MARC records, accessibility metadata should be included in the following MARC fields 341 and 532.
The W3C
Home of a number of key resources, including:
Accessibility Properties Crosswalk (schema.org, ONIX, MARC21 & UNIMARC)
The W3C Accessibility Metadata Display Guide for Digital Publications 2.0
The W3C EPUB 3.3 Recommendation
The W3C EPUB Accessibility 1.1