What do publishers mean when they talk about accessibility?

Making publications accessible to all readers is a key concern for university presses. Accessibility features take many forms and are meant to address a wide range of challenges. But the hot topic among publishers is how we can better accommodate any potential print-disabled readers and comply with legal mandates around the globe.

Publishers are especially focused on what can be done with electronic publications (ebooks), in part for legal reasons. The European Accessibility Act and amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act aim to ensure that digital products are as accessible to as many readers as possible. The EU’s European Accessibility Act (EAA) specifically mandates that any digital product sold there must meet minimum accessibility requirements (with varying and vague consequences for noncompliance). University presses within and outside of the EU are seeking guidance on how to meet the EAA requirements going forward, challenged by both different resource constraints and the array of country-by-country applications of the law. To read more about what the EAA means, the International Publishers Association has published a valuable overview.

Regardless of the laws, being inclusive by advancing and advocating for accessibility is the right thing to do and well aligned with the core mission of universities and university presses. Access transcends any one publication, subject, reader, or author. Whether achieved through scripts for videos, certified American Sign Language translators, closed-captioning services, alternative text for images, keyboard-navigable websites, or an accessible ebook, including the broadest possible audience in the sharing and disseminating of knowledge and research benefits everyone.

University press publishers are making small changes and contemplating larger ones. We’re asking if certain fonts should be retired, adding space on either side of em-dashes, and placing captions above an image instead of below it. We’re ruminating on who is best equipped to create alternative (or alt) text (as content experts, authors are often a good choice). And we’re determining how best to communicate these new goals to authors, freelancers, vendors, and colleagues.