Accessible EPUB conversion turns a source book into a navigable, readable and appropriately structured digital edition. The gold standard is not exporting a valid file: it is preserving reading order, headings, tables, illustrations, equations and citations so people can use the knowledge through supported reading systems and assistive technologies.
This guide follows Northbridge Learning, a fictional publisher converting an illustrated river-science book whose first EPUB contains page screenshots, lost diagrams and unworkable notes. It explains how to design the reading experience, validate the package and verify meaningful accessibility before the edition is offered for sale or loan.
Related eduKate pages include Book Publishing for rights and reader value, Accessible Document Production Services for other structured formats, and Audiobook Production for performed sound editions. This article specifically owns EPUB conversion, accessible packaging and reader testing.
The four approvals a buyer needs
- **Source:** The correct, complete, lawfully authorised edition has been supplied.
- **Structure:** Actual text, navigable chapters and meaningful non-text content survive conversion.
- **Validation:** EPUB packaging, automated accessibility checks and manual reading reviews are distinct tests.
- **Discovery:** The delivered EPUB and metadata truthfully describe supported access features and limits.
Choose a publishing stage
28-chapter practical index
Reader needs, source and core structure · chapters 1–8
- A digital book should remain a book when someone changes the display
- Decide whether EPUB is the right product for the audience
- Use the current EPUB standard and distinguish drafts
- Check what source material the publisher can lawfully supply
- Build real text rather than a sequence of page screenshots
- Create a meaningful reading order before applying style
- Preserve heading levels and chapter identity
- Make the table of contents an actual navigation route
Equations, images and reading experience · chapters 9–16
- Describe informative photographs without narrating everything
- Give complex diagrams a structured equivalent
- Convert tables without destroying relationships
- Handle mathematics and science as semantic content
- Preserve footnotes, endnotes and citations as navigable choices
- Set languages and text direction correctly
- Design for reflow, personalisation and text adjustment
- Avoid visual formatting that silently becomes information loss
Validation and actual assistive use · chapters 17–21
Metadata, licences and long-term editions · chapters 22–28
- Supply truthful accessibility metadata for discovery
- Keep published recommendations distinct from candidate standards
- Connect ISBN, format and retailer metadata correctly
- Understand copy protection and borrower access implications
- Proofread the converted edition against its authoritative source
- Keep correction, preservation and version identity intact
- The gold standard is a digital book readers can use independently
1. A digital book should remain a book when someone changes the display
A fictional educational publisher, Northbridge Learning, converts an illustrated introduction to rivers into an EPUB. The original print book has two-column pages, numbered diagrams, short exercises and endnotes. The conversion vendor exports the layouts as fixed images inside a digital container. The file opens on one tablet, but a screen reader reads no useful text, readers cannot enlarge type without magnifying whole pages, and an exercise refers to a diagram whose label is unreachable.
The gold standard of accessible EPUB conversion is not merely producing a file with an `.epub` extension or matching the printed book’s appearance. It is preserving the source work’s meaning, reading sequence, navigation, images, equations, usable text and accurate accessibility claims across supported reading systems. Northbridge and its textbook are fictional. Their case illustrates why changing a document’s wrapper does not automatically create an accessible digital publication.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 2
2. Decide whether EPUB is the right product for the audience
Reflowable EPUB is often suitable for sustained reading because compatible reading systems can allow changes to font size and layout. Some highly visual works use fixed-layout EPUB or another accessible format with a different set of challenges. A supplier should not promise that every complex textbook will behave like a flexible novel after one automatic conversion.
Ask who will read, on which systems, whether they need screen readers or braille, and which interactions or figures matter. The river book has paragraphs that should reflow, diagrams requiring descriptions and exercises whose order must remain clear. A static PDF may remain available for print reference, but it is not an equivalent substitute for a responsive reading edition unless the specified needs are genuinely satisfied. Format choice is a service decision linked to actual reading tasks.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 3
3. Use the current EPUB standard and distinguish drafts
EPUB 3.3 became a W3C Recommendation on 13 January 2026. It specifies the packaging and content structures for EPUB publications. EPUB Accessibility 1.1 remains the published W3C Recommendation for discoverability and accessible EPUB conformance, from October 2024.
As of October 2026, EPUB Accessibility 1.2 is at Candidate Recommendation Draft stage, not a final W3C Recommendation. Producers should follow the applicable publishing and procurement requirements and not silently label their output ‘certified EPUB Accessibility 1.2’ while the specification remains a draft. Tracking current developments is good practice; an accurate version statement is more important than displaying the highest version number.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 4
4. Check what source material the publisher can lawfully supply
Source files may include licensed illustrations, photographs, equations, third-party extracts, design assets and fonts. Publishing rights for an original edition do not always resolve every new territory, product format, embedded media or redistribution arrangement. The conversion supplier should identify the actual rights and file handoff authorised by the publisher.
For Northbridge, a diagram originally licensed for print might require review before being embedded in worldwide ebook distribution. Keep the rights status linked to the asset and any permitted alternatives. The WIPO copyright overview explains the legal significance of reproduction and adaptation in general terms. A service provider cannot declare a new electronic format unrestricted merely because the conversion is intended to improve accessibility.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 5
5. Build real text rather than a sequence of page screenshots
An EPUB composed of image-only scans can look visually faithful while preventing text search, reflow, selectable quotations and many assistive reading functions. Optical character recognition may recover text from scans, but it can also confuse characters, lose footnote links or misread formulas. Publishers should prefer authoritative source text when available.
If the river book was delivered only as scanned pages, the vendor needs an editorial verification plan for extracted text, not a promise that automated OCR is perfect. Names, dates, units, mathematical symbols and negations deserve special attention. Preserve the original for comparison and distinguish normal proofreading from changes to the author’s meaning. A reader should be able to select and hear the actual words without depending on visual magnification of a photograph of a page.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 6
6. Create a meaningful reading order before applying style
Books have a sequence: title, front matter, contents, chapters, figures, examples, notes and back matter. An EPUB reading system depends on the publisher’s document structure, including the spine and content ordering. A screen reader may announce content in a different order from the print layout if the conversion simply copies absolutely positioned text.
The DAISY Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base explains the EPUB spine, language, reading order and navigation requirements. For Northbridge’s two-column print page, the converted sequence should follow the author-approved paragraphs, not read all left captions before returning to the start of a right column. Test the output linearly and with chapter navigation. Correct semantic order is foundational, not a finishing embellishment.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 7
7. Preserve heading levels and chapter identity
Visual boldness does not establish a heading for assistive technologies. A page can display attractive chapter titles while the underlying content treats them as ordinary paragraphs. Readers navigating by headings need a coherent hierarchy without unexplained jumps or hundreds of redundant markers.
Construct real chapter and section headings with consistent levels, and distinguish them from decorative display text. In the river book, ‘River Sources’, ‘Erosion’, ‘Worked Example’ and ‘Practice Questions’ should be identifiable in the correct relationship. Run a structural outline review and check whether a reader can move from one exercise to the next. The goal is usable navigation rather than maximum heading count.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 8
8. Make the table of contents an actual navigation route
A digital table of contents should connect entries to the correct chapter and section. A scanned contents page with printed page numbers is of limited use if those numbers do not correspond to the digital reader’s chosen text size. EPUB supports semantic navigation beyond a static visual list.
Use the EPUB navigation document appropriately and test links in supported reading systems. For Northbridge, the learner should be able to choose ‘How rivers deposit sediment’ and arrive at that lesson, then return to the contents without reconstructing the print layout. DAISY’s EPUB navigation material covers useful structures such as tables of contents and landmarks. A navigation file that exists but points to the wrong section is an important production defect.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 9
9. Describe informative photographs without narrating everything
Photographs can show landscapes, equipment or people. Their text alternatives should convey the relevant information and context, not a large inventory of visual features or speculative claims. An EPUB can include captions and surrounding explanations that make parts of an image redundant, so the conversion editor must consider the entire reading sequence.
W3C’s Images Tutorial distinguishes informative, functional, decorative and complex images. For a photograph of a river bend, a brief description may highlight the feature used in the lesson. Avoid identifying an exact location or geological process from appearance alone without a verified source. A caption’s credit and the alternative text’s explanation may serve different purposes; together they should provide meaningful access without repeated clutter.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 10
10. Give complex diagrams a structured equivalent
Many educational graphics communicate processes, positions, directions or numerical values that cannot be captured in a short alternative. A diagram of a watershed may label tributaries, gradients and the direction of flow. A reader needs access to those relationships, not merely the announcement ‘image of river map’.
Use a concise image introduction and a longer nearby description, accessible table or logically ordered list as appropriate. W3C’s complex-images guidance emphasises making the actual information available, often to everyone rather than hidden in an oversized image attribute. A qualified geography reviewer should verify source facts. If a diagram changes during a new edition, revise its accessible equivalent together with the visual asset.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 11
11. Convert tables without destroying relationships
Tables depend on headings and relationships between rows and columns. Fixed-layout print tables may contain merged cells or visually implied groupings that are difficult to interpret after conversion. A screen reader needs meaningful structural information, while a small device requires workable navigation and reflow.
The river book’s rainfall table should indicate months, measurement units and location labels, not merely a sequence of numbers. Check header associations and whether the reader can understand each value’s context. An oversized table may benefit from clearer restructuring, but the converter must not change the underlying data. If a single table is impractical in an intended format, discuss an authorised alternate presentation with the publisher rather than quietly omit comparisons.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 12
12. Handle mathematics and science as semantic content
Equations, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters and scientific notation are meaningful structures, not decorations. An automatic text extraction may turn a fraction into two unrelated lines or change a chemical symbol’s subscript into ordinary digits. Accessible mathematics may require appropriate semantic markup and compatibility with the reading systems being targeted.
The DAISY knowledge base on MathML describes ways to represent mathematical content in EPUB and the need to consider reading-system support. A river-speed equation should preserve units and relationships exactly, and a specialist should review its spoken or braille interpretation where that is part of the requirement. Do not claim one formula markup will behave identically in every device; test the actual supported software and readers’ tasks.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 13
13. Preserve footnotes, endnotes and citations as navigable choices
Academic and educational books often contain footnotes, references, glossary terms and sidebars. In print these may appear near the bottom of a page; in EPUB, poorly designed links can strand a reader several chapters away without a clear return path. The intended relationship between the main text and supplementary detail needs to remain accessible.
Provide meaningful links or semantic references so a learner can open a note and return to the passage. Keep citations and bibliography entries complete rather than dropping them as ‘small print’. In Northbridge’s book, a source reference for an environmental claim should remain traceable to the original study. Navigation is part of trust in the material, not simply a convenience for people who can see small footnote numbers.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 14
14. Set languages and text direction correctly
An EPUB may include a primary language with occasional foreign terms, place names or bilingual quotations. The reading system and assistive technology can need accurate language information to select suitable pronunciation and navigation behaviour. Visually correct characters may still be announced badly if the document language is wrong.
Use the appropriate package and content language metadata, with spans identified when needed. DAISY’s EPUB guidance addresses language identification and text direction. A Singapore educational publisher may include Malay place terms within English text, but this is not a reason to mislabel the entire book as Malay. Test representative mixed-language material where readers rely on speech output, noting any support limitations.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 15
15. Design for reflow, personalisation and text adjustment
A major advantage of reflowable books is that many reading systems let users alter font, line spacing, background and layout. A conversion that fixes paragraph widths, overlays text on images or relies on rigid positions may defeat those options. The author should preserve hierarchy and meaning while allowing reasonable reader preferences.
Test large text, small screens, portrait and landscape layouts and assistive screen settings. Does the river book’s example remain in a sensible reading sequence? Can a reader enlarge the body without clipping axes or losing a footnote control? Avoid treating a visually faithful screenshot of the print page as the preferred result when it prevents reflow. The service should explain genuine limitations of fixed-layout material and what alternatives will be offered.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 16
16. Avoid visual formatting that silently becomes information loss
Drop capitals, floating pictures, text boxes and multi-column callouts can be attractive in print but disruptive in reflowable reading. A visual sidebar containing an essential warning might appear far from its related paragraph after conversion or be skipped by an assistive reading mode.
Identify each callout’s function and place it semantically at the right point. Where a sidebar is optional enrichment, distinguish it clearly without interrupting the core chapter. Where it contains a safety or scientific limitation, make sure it is reachable before a reader acts on the main instructions. Layout should express structure; it should not be the only carrier of essential priority and meaning.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 17
17. Plan accessibility for embedded media and interaction
Some ebooks contain audio, video, quizzes or interactive diagrams. They may need captions, transcripts, audio description, keyboard interaction and appropriate pause controls depending on content and platform. An EPUB that is mostly readable can still block a reader at an essential embedded activity.
Agree whether the digital edition includes enhanced features or only the static content. EPUB Accessibility 1.1 builds on WCAG and adds EPUB-specific considerations. The river book’s quiz should not require visually dragging a marker onto a map with no alternative answer route. Test the interaction in the actual reading systems and provide an appropriate static alternative when necessary. Do not claim that packaging the widget inside an EPUB makes it accessible.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 18
18. Validate EPUB packaging and internal references
An EPUB can render in one reader despite invalid container structure, unsupported markup or broken links that fail in another. Standard validation is a distinct step from checking the meaning and accessibility of the content. The source and transformed package should pass the requirements appropriate to the target specification.
The DAISY Consortium explains EPUBCheck as a validator for the EPUB container, package, markup and reference consistency. Run it against the delivered file and investigate significant errors instead of treating a successful upload as proof. EPUBCheck does not certify that diagrams have meaningful alternatives or that a screen-reader user can navigate an actual chapter. Technical validity is essential but incomplete.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 19
19. Use accessibility scanners within their real capabilities
Automated accessibility checks can detect some missing labels, broken structures and metadata issues. They cannot determine whether an image description genuinely communicates a geological process or whether a learner can understand the ordering of an exercise. A green automated report must not become an unsupported conformance claim.
Ace by DAISY checks accessibility conditions that can be tested programmatically and reports findings. The DAISY documentation explicitly says passing Ace does not establish WCAG conformance; EPUBCheck must also be run for EPUB format validation. Use the automated results as evidence for repair and review, not a marketing badge that conceals untested human meaning.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 20
20. Carry out manual and assistive-technology inspection
Some quality decisions require a person to read, navigate and reason through the book. Screen readers may present figures, landmarks, headings and notes differently from a visual reading system. A qualified reviewer must examine structural relationships and whether essential information remains intelligible.
DAISY’s Ace SMART guidance provides manual checking tasks complementing Ace. Test a representative route through Northbridge’s book: find the table of contents, navigate to a river diagram, read its explanation, follow a footnote and return, then complete a worked question. Record tool and reading-system versions, defects and known limitations. A manual review that merely scans pages visually does not prove supported assistive-technology operation.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 21
21. Test on realistic reading systems instead of only one demo
An EPUB may look correct in the conversion application’s preview while failing in an e-reader or mobile application. Supported features and accessibility interfaces differ. Test intended reading systems, operating systems, settings and languages to the extent promised by the contract.
A provider should not guarantee compatibility with every device ever made. It can define a reasonable support matrix and demonstrate important user journeys across representative products. If MathML reading support is limited in a particular required system, disclose the limitation and discuss appropriate alternatives. The publisher can make a better decision with honest bounded results than with an overbroad claim that the ebook ‘works everywhere’.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 22
22. Supply truthful accessibility metadata for discovery
A reader needs to know whether an ebook supports reflow, screen-reader reading, structural navigation or alternative descriptions before purchase or borrowing. Accessibility metadata should describe actual properties and potential hazards, not merely say the book is accessible. Some metadata belongs in the EPUB package and may also need to be sent through distributor feeds.
EPUB Accessibility 1.1 includes conformance and discovery metadata requirements, including information about access modes, features, hazards and sufficient access modes. The DAISY knowledge base explains how these fields help readers choose suitable titles. A book should not advertise alternative text for all informative images if several essential diagrams still lack equivalent information.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 23
23. Keep published recommendations distinct from candidate standards
Publishing standards evolve, and a newer draft may describe useful improvements without yet being a final Recommendation. A client may ask for the latest formal EPUB Accessibility conformance or a prospective future-ready design. The provider needs to explain exactly which requirement it tests.
As of October 2026, the W3C lists EPUB Accessibility 1.1 as a Recommendation and EPUB Accessibility 1.2 as a Candidate Recommendation Draft. The W3C specifications index records those statuses. A responsible report can state alignment with selected draft provisions without representing the draft as a final published standard. Clients benefit from clear version naming and reassessment triggers, especially where procurement or legal rules specify a particular edition.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 24
24. Connect ISBN, format and retailer metadata correctly
A digital edition may be a distinct commercial product from paperback, hardback or an audiobook. Its identifiers and catalogue descriptions need to match the real product form. The EPUB’s own accessibility metadata also needs to reach discovery systems where a buyer or library makes a selection.
The International ISBN Agency Users’ Manual distinguishes eligible product forms and assignment considerations. A changed download filename does not automatically create a new edition, but separate formats may need different identifiers. Discuss the actual publisher’s market, national arrangements and retailer requirements before assigning numbers. Where ONIX feeds are used, map relevant accessibility attributes accurately instead of leaving catalogue users with an inaccessible generic description.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 25
25. Understand copy protection and borrower access implications
Digital rights management, lending licences and platform restrictions can affect how an otherwise accessible ebook is used. A technically compliant file may become difficult for a reader if the distribution platform blocks necessary assistive features or does not expose accessible navigation properly.
Assess the real sales or lending route, not just the raw EPUB in the production office. A librarian should know whether a borrower can open the edition in a supported reader and use the accessibility features described. Copyright protection is a legitimate concern but does not excuse a misleading claim about actual reading access. Coordinate with distributors and platform owners where technical and contractual restrictions create barriers, while respecting applicable law and security.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 26
26. Proofread the converted edition against its authoritative source
Conversion can introduce subtle content defects: reordered paragraphs, omitted negatives, incorrect footnotes, lost italics with semantic meaning, changed tables, broken illustrations or mathematical formatting errors. Standard EPUB validators may not identify those factual differences. A production quality review must compare the delivered reading content with the accepted source edition.
For Northbridge’s river textbook, a reviewer should verify calculations, diagram labels, chapter sequence, bibliography and exercises, not only the first few paragraphs. Use a risk-informed sampling plan for large books, with more intensive review of complex or consequential content. A successful automated conversion may still require substantial human editorial work; quote that work honestly rather than hiding it behind a promise of one-click publication.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 27
27. Keep correction, preservation and version identity intact
Ebooks can be updated after release, but not every distributor or library reader immediately receives the corrected version. The publisher should know which master, accessible EPUB, PDF, audiobook and print edition contain each change. Accessibility improvements can themselves alter navigation or metadata and may require re-evaluation.
Maintain version identity, change history, valid source records and rights information. If Northbridge corrects a river-speed formula, the EPUB’s displayed equation, alternative explanation and worked answer need to be reconciled. A replacement file should pass relevant validation and user tests before publication. A publisher that declares the master fixed while readers still download an obsolete edition has not completed the service journey.
Back to chapter index · Continue to chapter 28
28. The gold standard is a digital book readers can use independently
Return to Northbridge Learning. The ebook now offers real text that reflows, navigable chapters and notes, meaningful descriptions of river diagrams and correctly structured exercises. EPUBCheck and Ace assist its technical review, while manual testing verifies substantive reading and navigation in supported systems. Its metadata describes verified access features rather than making a vague universal promise.
Accessible EPUB conversion earns its gold standard when readers can genuinely obtain and use the same important knowledge through suitable technologies and preferences. Technical packaging, semantic structure, expert review, lawful distribution and maintenance are parts of a single publishing responsibility. An electronic file is the intermediate artifact; independent, accurate reading is the result.
Worked case: one original textbook, two very different EPUB outcomes
Northbridge’s science book is fictional. The contrast separates file conversion from dependable textbook reading.
| Book element | Fast export problem | Accessible edition evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Two-column print pages | Images of pages cannot reflow | Logical real-text reading order |
| River-process diagram | Graphic has no usable explanation | Verified diagram alternative and relevant labels |
| Rainfall table | Values separated from column meaning | Semantic headings and correct data |
| Mathematical equation | Symbols extracted incorrectly | Qualified formula check and accessible markup |
| Endnote reference | Print page number no longer works | Working note and return navigation |
| Digital catalogue | ‘Fully accessible’ asserted without evidence | True features, support limits and evaluated conformance |
Vendor acceptance matrix
Different disciplines contribute to accessible publication. The client should agree which professional checks and platforms are actually included.
| Workstream | Responsible expertise | What is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Book content | Publisher and subject editor | Correct text, figures, rights and notes |
| EPUB structure | Conversion and accessibility specialist | Spine, heading order, navigation and semantics |
| Technical validation | EPUB engineer | EPUBCheck, valid package and internal links |
| Accessibility evaluation | Qualified accessibility reviewer | Ace and manual assistive-reading tests |
| Distribution | Publisher or catalogue owner | Appropriate identifiers, truthful metadata and reader availability |
Accessible EPUB delivery checklist
- Identify the authorised source edition and intended reading systems.
- Use the published W3C EPUB 3.3 and appropriate accessibility conformance standard.
- Preserve real text, reading order, chapter navigation and note relationships.
- Provide verified alternatives for informative images, charts and mathematics.
- Test reflow, font customisation, language settings and relevant media.
- Run EPUBCheck for format structure and Ace for machine-checkable issues.
- Perform manual reading and representative assistive-technology checks.
- Publish accurate accessibility metadata and a complete support scope.
- Revalidate material updates and prevent obsolete editions from circulating.
Frequently asked questions
These answers separate true EPUB conformance and practical reading access from common automated-conversion claims.
1. Is a PDF converted into an EPUB automatically accessible?
No. A file converter may create a technically openable EPUB while preserving the source’s poor reading order, images of text, incorrect headings or unusable figures. The source must be assessed, real semantic content constructed and the EPUB tested. Reflow is helpful but does not automatically establish accessible mathematical content, navigation or media controls. A responsible vendor should state whether its work includes rebuilding and verifying meaning or merely exporting a format.
2. Is EPUB 3.3 the current publishing standard?
EPUB 3.3 is a W3C Recommendation dated 13 January 2026. It sets relevant packaging and authoring requirements for EPUB publications. EPUB Accessibility is a separate specification with its own status and conformance rules. Saying ‘EPUB 3.3 compliant’ does not by itself establish that the book supports accessible reading, meaningful image descriptions or required accessibility metadata. Clients should ask for separate format-validation and accessibility-evaluation evidence.
3. Which EPUB Accessibility version is currently recommended?
As of October 2026, EPUB Accessibility 1.1 is the W3C Recommendation published in October 2024. EPUB Accessibility 1.2 is in Candidate Recommendation Draft status; it is not yet the final Recommendation. Vendors should name the edition, the relevant WCAG version and level, any claimed conformance, and the evidence supporting it. Avoid claiming that draft alignment automatically amounts to approved certification.
4. Does an EPUBCheck pass mean the ebook is accessible?
No. EPUBCheck validates EPUB file structure, packaging, markup and internal references against format requirements. An image description can be present but meaningless, or a chapter can be technically valid while the reader cannot understand a chart. DAISY recommends a sequence of EPUBCheck, Ace automated accessibility checks and additional manual checks. Passing one tool is useful evidence but is not complete accessible-publication assurance.
5. What is Ace by DAISY, and what does it check?
Ace is an accessibility-checking tool tailored to EPUB. It identifies a range of issues that can be detected automatically, such as structural and metadata conditions. It cannot fully determine whether alternatives to complex images are meaningful or whether the reading order supports understanding. Its own guidance warns that a clean report is not equivalent to WCAG conformance. Use it alongside EPUBCheck and qualified manual evaluation.
6. How can an ebook make a graph accessible?
Identify what the graph means, which values or relationships the reader needs and how best to represent those in a navigable text or data table. Brief alternative text may introduce the graph, while a longer explanation conveys detailed information. Verify values against the source. A conversion service should not claim a complex chart is accessible because the image has a short `alt` attribute saying ‘graph of results’. The outcome must support the same meaningful reasoning.
7. Can EPUB support maths and scientific equations?
Yes, EPUB can carry semantic content including MathML, but actual reading-system and assistive-technology support varies. The producer should preserve formulas, units, fractions and subscripts accurately and test important equations in intended reading systems. A printed equation turned into an unlabelled image may be difficult to use. Qualified mathematical review and suitable alternatives can be necessary, especially for educational textbooks.
8. How should citations and footnotes be converted?
Keep the relationship between the reference marker and note understandable, including a usable return path. Do not rely on the original print page number alone when the digital text reflows. The source text, note and bibliography should remain complete. The converter should test footnote navigation in the intended reading system rather than assume that the correct HTML link is sufficient evidence of practical usability.
9. Does every reader need the same font and page appearance?
No. Reflowable EPUB can help readers adjust fonts, spacing, themes and display size according to preference, though support varies by reading system. A conversion that hard-codes visual layout can limit those choices. Test the publication with enlarged text and supported customisation rather than judge only a designer’s preferred screenshot. Some highly visual books need additional format planning or authorised alternate presentation.
10. What accessibility metadata should an ebook contain?
EPUB Accessibility defines properties describing actual accessibility features, access modes sufficient to use the publication, possible hazards and other relevant information. Exact required and recommended metadata depend on the specification version. Such data should match the real book and, where used, downstream retailer or library feeds. A generic statement that the book is fully accessible is not a substitute for describing what it actually offers.
11. What is the distinction between an accessible EPUB and an audiobook?
An accessible reflowable EPUB supports structured textual reading and may work with screen readers, braille displays or other compatible systems. An audiobook is a performed or generated audio edition with different navigation and rights questions. One does not automatically replace the other. A publisher may offer both, but should identify the actual content, format, languages and accessibility features of each rather than advertise a single universal accessible version.
12. What must an EPUB conversion vendor deliver?
The approved packaged EPUB, source-and-version information, relevant copyright permissions, a complete chapter and asset manifest, EPUBCheck results, accessibility-checking and manual evaluation records, supported reading-system tests, metadata, known limitations and a correction route. The client should be able to identify which material was checked and reproduce important navigation tasks without relying on the original vendor’s personal workstation.
Current EPUB references and connected eduKate guides
- W3C EPUB 3.3 Recommendation (13 January 2026)
- W3C EPUB Accessibility 1.1 Recommendation
- W3C EPUB Accessibility status index (1.2 is Candidate Recommendation Draft)
- DAISY Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base — EPUB
- DAISY EPUB conformance and validation
- DAISY Ace automated accessibility checks
- DAISY Ace SMART manual review
- W3C accessible complex images
- International ISBN Agency Users’ Manual
- eduKate — Book Publishing
- eduKate — Accessible Document Production Services
- eduKate — Audiobook Production
- eduKate — Alternative Text Writing Services
- Gold Standard Sectors and Services Directory
Standards note, October 2026: EPUB 3.3 is a Recommendation from January 2026. EPUB Accessibility 1.1 is the published Recommendation while 1.2 is a Candidate Recommendation Draft. EPUBCheck and Ace are complementary tools; passing them alone does not establish a complete accessibility claim. Copyright, retailer access and the intended WCAG level must be checked for the actual book and distribution territory.