Welcome to the Accessible publishing pages. We provide accessibility advice, guidance and best practice for publishers to help you to deliver accessible publications.
Whether you are the MD of a publishing house, work in production or digital departments, or support the publishing industry, you will find relevant information here to inform and support your work.
Why publish accessibly?
Find out about the commercial, ethical and legal reasons for implementing accessibility into your publishing strategy and the many benefits to be gained from doing so.
Dowload our leaflet 'Can Everyone Read Your Books?'
Joint statement on accessibility and eBooks
RNIB have worked with the publishers association, EDItEUR, Dyslexia Action and JisTechDis to launch a joint statement on the accessibility of eBooks.
The joint statement applauds the advancements that have been made with accessible eBooks so far but encourages everyone involved in the supply chain to work together including:
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publishers
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eBook device manufacturers
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platform developers
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eBook wholesalers and retaillers
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consumers
This will allow everyone to enjoy the widest choice of publications through whatever medium works best for them. We encourage you to sign up to the joint statement by contacting the publishers association via their website.
How to publish accessibly - guidance
Find out how to build accessibility into digital workflows and how to create accessible eBooks and digital formats.
WIPO's Enabling Technologies Framework Project, run by EDItEUR and the DAISY Consortium , has developed best practice guidelines for publishers to follow in their production process. Integrating existing standards (including ONIX, ePub and DAISY) into mainstream publishing in ways that enhance accessible publishing.
Contact Sarah Hilderley at EDItEUR for more information.
Research
Two reserach into the availability of accessible publications have been completed for RNIB. The executive summary of the two reports findings is available:
The full report for the Accessibility of top 1,000 titles of 2010 is available:
The full report for Accessible publications 2011 report is available:
Ways of reading
Learn about the different ways blind and partially sighted people read electronic information. This will illustrate how the files and formats you create can affect the reading experience for people with sight problems and other print impairments.
Further resources
There are many sources of guidance and best practice on accessible publishing available to you from organisations like the Publishers Association, JISC TechDis, EDItEUR, WIPO and many others.
Feedback
Has this guidance been useful to you? How has it helped?
Do you require further information or more detail?
To give us feedback on existing guidance or to request more information on any aspect of accessible publishing, email publisheradvice@rnib.org.uk or phone 020 7391 2150.