An accessible EPUB is mostly a checklist of unglamorous things: alt text on images, real headings in reading order, meaningful links, and color choices that keep contrast strong. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.x, published by the W3C, form the basis of ebook accessibility together with the EPUB Accessibility 1.1 specification, which explicitly applies WCAG to EPUB publications (W3C, 2023). For an indie author, the work is an afternoon, not a project — provided you know what to look for before you export.
How do WCAG and EPUB Accessibility fit together?
WCAG was written for web pages, but an EPUB is, structurally, a small packaged website: HTML chapters, CSS styling, images, and a navigation file. That is why the IDPF and later the W3C could simply point ebook standards at WCAG: the EPUB Accessibility specification requires conformance with WCAG 2 level AA for the content itself, plus a handful of EPUB-specific additions like a complete navigation document and accessibility metadata, per the W3C's specification.
The four WCAG principles — content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust — translate directly into book terms. Text must be real text so screen readers and font-size settings work; navigation must be possible by keyboard and structure, not just by pixel position; language and structure must be machine-readable; and the file must be built cleanly enough that assistive technology can parse it.
There is also a legal tailwind, at least in Europe: the European Accessibility Act, which applies to ebooks sold in the EU since June 2025, effectively pushes publishers toward exactly these requirements. Building to WCAG-aligned EPUB accessibility now is both the right thing and the future-proof thing.
Which content checks matter most?
These are the checks that catch the large majority of real accessibility failures in indie EPUBs, per W3C's WCAG quick reference and EPUB accessibility guidance:
- Alt text on every image. Describe the informational content of diagrams, charts, and illustrations in the alt attribute; mark purely decorative images as decorative so screen readers skip them.
- Real heading hierarchy. One h1 per chapter title, then h2 and h3 in nested order — never headings chosen for visual size alone. This is what lets readers jump by section.
- Logical reading order. The file order must match the visual order, including sidebars, captions, and tables.
- Descriptive links. "Read the 2025 tax rules" beats "click here" for a reader tabbing through links.
- Contrast that passes. WCAG level AA calls for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal body text, per the W3C's guidelines. Light grey text on white is the usual offender.
- Tables with structure. Real table markup with header cells, not a grid of aligned tabs.
- Language declared. Set the document language so screen readers pronounce words with the right accent engine.
What about text-to-speech and page-level details?
Two more checks are cheap and consistently forgotten:
- Text that reads aloud well. Turn on your platform's text-to-speech and listen to a chapter. Hyphenation softwares, drop caps, and pulled quotes implemented as images all break the spoken flow. Fix what sounds wrong.
- Page list and landmarks. A page-list mapping to the print edition helps students citing page numbers; landmarks (cover, table of contents, start of content) give screen reader users a table of contents to the file's structure. Export tools usually generate these — verify they are populated, not empty.
Also decide honestly about fixed layout. A fixed-layout EPUB is a print facsimile: text cannot reflow, font controls often break, and screen reader support degrades. If your book is text and images, reflowable is both more accessible and more comfortable on more devices. Reserve fixed layout for titles where the layout is the content, such as picture books, and then apply the full alt-text and reading-order discipline with extra care.
What is accessibility metadata, and is it required?
Accessibility metadata is machine-readable description of what your file supports: whether it has alt text, a page list, a reading order suitable for assistive tech, and whether it conforms to EPUB Accessibility 1.1. The specification requires this metadata for a publication to claim conformance, per the W3C. In practice, you fill in a short section in your conversion tool or add the accessibility features to your retailer or distributor's form — many distributor portals now ask directly.
Be truthful here. Declaring features your file lacks is worse than declaring nothing: it misdirects the very readers the metadata exists to serve, and under the European Accessibility Act's disclosure expectations it creates avoidable risk. Claim what you built, no more.
How do you verify the file before publishing?
A three-pass routine catches most problems:
- Automated check. Run an EPUB accessibility checker — EPUBCheck with accessibility extensions, or one of the dedicated accessibility checkers built on the same rules — and fix every error it reports.
- Manual spot checks. Open the book in a reading app, push the font size to maximum, and turn on the platform's screen reader for one chapter. You are checking that text reflows, headings navigate, and images either describe themselves or stay silent by design.
- Metadata review. Confirm the declared features match what you actually did in pass two.
Automated tools catch only part of the picture — the W3C itself cautions that true WCAG conformance requires human judgment, because no tool can tell whether your alt text actually describes the chart. The human pass is the one that matters; the tools just clear the underbrush.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to meet WCAG to sell ebooks?
In Europe, ebooks sold in the EU fall under the European Accessibility Act, which has applied since June 2025 and pushes the market toward EPUB Accessibility and WCAG-aligned requirements. Elsewhere it is largely best practice — but the checks are cheap, so most indie authors simply do them.
How much does making an EPUB accessible cost?
If you format your own books, mostly time: alt text, heading hygiene, and metadata are an afternoon on a typical novel. If you hire a formatter, accessible output is increasingly a standard deliverable — ask for EPUB Accessibility conformance explicitly.
Where is the authoritative checklist?
The W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative publishes WCAG and supporting techniques, and the EPUB Accessibility 1.1 specification defines the ebook-specific requirements on top of it. Both are free and versioned.
For more context, read What Should You Check Before Buying An Accessible E-Reader?.
For more context, read accessible textbooks.
For more context, read How Can Deaf Readers Get The Audio Side Of Books?.