The push for greater accessibility is reshaping the publishing landscape, compelling publishers to rethink how they reach every reader. Publishers face growing regulations and must adapt to meet the needs of readers with disabilities. Michael Johnson, vice president of content at Benetech, and Richard Rieman, founder of Imagination Storybooks, are two industry leaders helping publishers tackle the challenges of making content accessible. This article, featuring insights from both, explores the steps publishers must take to meet accessibility standards while keeping their content engaging and inclusive.

Preparing for Accessibility Requirements

As accessibility requirements tighten, particularly in Europe and the education sector, publishers must take proactive steps to prepare. According to Michael Johnson, one of the first tasks is to ensure e-books meet certification standards. “The core takeaway is to bring their e-book production up to certification standards. They can work with us or try to self-certify, but they must do the work on the files and have the correct metadata in ONIX,” he says.

Keeping up with changing accessibility standards can be a challenge, but Johnson encourages publishers to stay informed by engaging with industry groups. “The W3C has a variety of working groups covering all manner of topics. BISG has working groups as well. Participating, or at least following, these groups is the best way to stay up on things,” he says. Benetech’s Global Certified Accessible (GCA) service also provides quarterly updates to help publishers keep pace with the latest developments.

Overcoming Common Accessibility Challenges

One of the most significant hurdles in creating accessible content is ensuring that all elements of a book are usable by everyone. Johnson highlights three main issues: image descriptions, in-book navigation, and language shifts. “All images need to be described—this is true for illustrations, photos, charts, graphs, tables, and formulas. Beyond just describing the image, additional information should be included to connect the image to the relevant text,” he says.

In-book navigation is another critical area. “Navigation includes page numbers, endnotes, photo notes, indices, glossaries, and tables of contents. Anything that helps the reader get through the book,” Johnson says. He also notes the importance of accommodating language shifts, such as when a paragraph in a different language appears in the middle of the text. “The EPUB should let the assistive tech know about the shift, or the screen reader will try and read the Spanish in French. This is horrible,” he says.

Despite these challenges, Johnson believes that creating accessible content is not as difficult as many publishers assume. “The biggest misconception publishers have is that it’s something separate or hard. If accessibility is part of the original process, this is just another design element rather than a separate series of tasks,” he says.

Making Children’s Literature Accessible

Richard Rieman specializes in transforming illustrated children’s books into accessible formats for children with visual and hearing impairments. He explains the process of adapting these books, which includes adding descriptions of illustrations so that blind children can enjoy the visuals. “We have professional audio description writers describe the illustrations the way a child can understand and appreciate them. Then we have narrators—many of whom are blind—voice both the description and the book text,” he says.

For video versions of these books, Rieman’s team adds additional layers of accessibility, such as sign language and captions. “Having both captions and sign language interpretation for deaf children gives them an important early learning experience," he says. This multimodal approach ensures that children with different types of disabilities can fully engage with the content.

Leveraging Technology for Accessibility

Technology plays a crucial role in adapting books for accessibility. Rieman shares that Imagination Storybooks uses tools like Camtasia for video editing and ProTools for audio production, with experts like their blind audio editor, Tristan Snyder, leading the way. He is also excited about emerging technologies that can further enhance accessibility, including a ChatGPT extension that can create image descriptions and a tool that turns accessible books into songs. “The new technologies we are excited about are Suno.com for making the accessible books into songs and the Be My Eyes ChatGPT extension that can create written descriptions of illustrations in picture books,” Rieman says.

Collaborating with Authors and Publishers

Collaboration between authors, illustrators, and publishers is essential for making children’s books accessible. Rieman explains that many of their projects are funded through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and GoFundMe, allowing authors to create accessible versions of their books. “Our accessible videos are paid for by the authors, often as part of a Kickstarter or GoFundMe campaign,” he says.

Rieman also addresses misconceptions about the market for accessible children’s books. "Publishers often assume there is no market for short audiobooks, but we price our audiobooks at $10, and our Winnie the Pooh – the Accessible Version is the top-selling version of the original Winnie the Pooh book on Audible and has made us thousands of dollars in royalties,” he says. Accessible audiobooks can also serve as valuable promotion tools, driving interest in both the accessible versions and the original books.

The Future of Accessible Publishing

Looking ahead, both Johnson and Rieman see a promising future for accessible publishing. Johnson believes that by embedding accessibility into the design process from the beginning, publishers can make accessibility a natural part of their workflows. Rieman predicts that the booming audiobook market will lead to more publishers embracing accessible formats.

“The rapid growth of the audiobook market will lead to many more publishers making their books accessible by adding audio descriptions of the pictures. It's an audiobook ramp for all children to use,” Rieman says.

As the industry continues to evolve, accessibility will remain at the forefront of publishing, ensuring that all readers—regardless of their abilities—can enjoy the stories they love.

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