eBook Accessibility Tools: Making Digital Books Inclusive

When books were first digitized, they were literally digital replicas of physical books. The main elements of this new medium comprised text, images, and hyperlinks to related web content. This initial format, while limited, sparked innovation that would eventually lead to more accessible reading experiences for all.

As per the last census conducted in the USA, there were 44.1 million people with disabilities, which comprised 13.4% of the total population.

For digital publishers, this exclusion comes at an opportunity cost. On the other hand, people with disabilities lose out on the benefits of reading and opportunities such as learning and employment. However, advances in technology are shifting the status quo.

The use of superior eBook accessibility tools such as KITABOO enables publishers to produce interactive, inclusive eBooks. In this blog post, we outline key challenges and how publishers can leverage technology to serve diverse audiences.   

Table of Contents:

I. What are eBook Accessibility Tools?

II. Key Accessibility Features Powered by eBook Accessibility Tools

1. Caption All Video Content
2. Leverage the Read Aloud Feature 
3. Enable Text Accessibility 
4. Providing Video/ Audio Transcripts
5. Introducing Alt Text for All Images 
6. Publishing in Multiple Languages

III. Advantages of Adopting eBook Accessibility Tools

1. Make All Content Accessible 
2. Cater to All Disabilities Simultaneously
3. Drive up Engagement 
4. Fully Automate the Accessibility Process 
5. Leverage Data Analytics Effectively

IV. Conclusion

eBook accessibility tools are software solutions that enable digital publishers to create, publish, and distribute interactive eBooks accessible to people with disabilities and reading challenges.

Here’s how eBook accessibility tools support publishers and people with disabilities: 

• Enable people with hearing, visual, reading, learning, and mobility challenges to access the content of books via a set of accessibility features. 
• Eliminate reading barriers by making reading an interactive, equitable experience.  
• Allow digital publishers to leverage accessible eBook formats such as ePUB, which support all accessibility features.
• Pave the way for digital publishers to embrace eBook best practices such as eBook inclusivity and attract millions of new users into their ecosystem.  
• Empower publishers to adhere to accessibility standards established by the Disabilities Act (ADA) by publishing ADA compliant eBooks.

To note, cloud-based, AI-powered solutions like KITABOO automate and streamline the entire digital accessibility workflow.

eBook publishers can create, publish, and distribute inclusive products across all genres with the support of eBook accessibility tools. Here is a snapshot of six functionalities that make eBook accessible: 

Interactive eBooks come with video content to support text. However, video and audio aspects of videos may not be accessible to all consumers.

This is where adding captions for all video content can enable those with hearing difficulties to follow the audio elements. Multi-language captions further support readers with disabilities who speak diverse languages. 

The read-aloud feature enables those with visual challenges to “listen” to all text content. Adding this element can expand the audience of eBooks exponentially. This is because those readers looking to cut down on screen time can also benefit from this feature. 

By adopting eBook accessibility tools, readers can make adjustments that help improve readability. For example, they can adjust the font of the text, the size, and the brightness of the eBook as per their unique needs.  

Not all consumers of videos and podcasts can follow the content comprehensively due to hearing difficulties. Digital publishers can accompany every video/ podcast with an eBook with a text transcript. This feature helps those with hearing challenges understand the context. 

Additionally, providing transcripts in multiple languages can build further access. The use of eBook accessibility tools helps automate the process.  

eBooks feature images that those with visual challenges cannot view. This is where the alt text functionality enables digital publishers to input detailed descriptions of every image.

 This text is not physically visible. It can be accessed via a screen reader, which enables consumers to listen to the alt text. In turn, they can connect the dots with the related eBook content. 

Readers consuming digital content in languages such as Urdu, Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian have been underserved. Speakers of these languages with disabilities are even more marginalized in the reading ecosystem.

Digital publishers have traditionally struggled to publish these languages as they follow a right-to-left script. However, they can leverage eBook accessibility tools to automate the multi-language publishing process and break the status quo.    

A snapshot of how digital publishers can revolutionize eBooks by adopting the use of eBook accessibility tools.  

The entire content of an eBook, such as text, images, videos, and hyperlinks, can be made accessible by introducing core accessibility features.

Thus, readers with disabilities have an equal opportunity to engage with the subject matter. This approach helps build a sustainable accessible eBooks culture.

Digital publishers can take interactive content to a new level by making every feature accessible. In turn, they can cater to audiences with a wide range of disabilities, leaving no one outside the ecosystem.  

Accessibility features, such as read-aloud and video captions, are not only used by readers with disabilities. They are also used by regular readers, as per their preferences. Hence, digital publishers can build up the overall engagement for eBooks. 

The use of superior eBook accessibility tools enables digital publishers to fully automate the accessibility process, simultaneously.

Hence, publishers need not build accessibility functionalities from scratch. This approach saves time and resources, brings efficiency, and reduces errors.

Publishers can track the impact of adding accessibility features through the built-in data analytics engines. They can measure how users engage with various functionalities, as well as the unique patterns and habits of users with challenges. 

eBook inclusivity can open new doors for publishers, enabling them to enter diverse markets such as education, business, religious publishing, and other genres. Adopting AI-powered eBook accessibility tools enables digital publishers to introduce key accessibility features and nurture a culture of inclusive reading. 

eBook publishers can adopt inclusive practices with KITABOO‘s cloud-based eBook accessibility tools. The digital textbook platform equips them to publish high-quality, accessible digital books seamlessly and efficiently.

Here are some of KITABOO’s core features: 

• Supports WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and ADA compliance, ensuring eBooks are accessible to readers with disabilities.
• Provides features like text-to-speech (TTS), screen reader compatibility, and alt text for images.
• Enables multimedia integration (audio, video, and interactive elements) for engaging learning experiences.
• Supports reflowable ePub formats, allowing responsive content that adapts to different screen sizes.
• Offers annotation, bookmarking, and highlighting features to enhance user engagement.
• Converts print or legacy digital formats (PDFs, Word, etc.) into accessible eBooks effortlessly.
• Provides secure DRM (Digital Rights Management) to protect intellectual property.

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Also Check:

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