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PDF and EPUB Submission Guidelines for Accessible Ebooks

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Creating accessible ebooks helps ensure that all readers, including those with disabilities, can fully engage with content. The guidance below outlines widely recognized best practices for producing accessible PDF and EPUB files.

Providing accessible files at the time of submission improves the reader experience and can reduce the need for downstream remediation.

PDF submission guidelines

We encourage publishers to submit PDFs that align with WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA standards where possible.

Common authoring tools

Structured and tagged content

PDFs should be exported with structural tagging enabled (for example, “PDF (Interactive)” in Word or InDesign).

When preparing PDFs, consider the following:

Headings

  • Use a clear hierarchical heading structure (H1 → H2 → H3, etc.).
  • Avoid skipping heading levels unless structurally necessary.

Paragraphs and Lists

  • Ensure body text is tagged as paragraph content.
  • Use properly structured ordered and unordered lists.

Tables

  • Apply appropriate table structure tags.
  • Identify header cells and ensure proper associations.

Images and non-text content

  • Provide meaningful alternative text for informative images.
  • Avoid repeating caption text in alt text.
  • Mark decorative images as artifacts.
  • For complex visuals (charts, graphs, diagrams), include detailed alt text or a nearby long description.

Links

  • Use descriptive link text that is meaningful out of context.
  • Avoid raw URLs unless the URL itself conveys meaningful information.

Mathematical content

  • Where possible, embed MathML or provide equivalent descriptive markup within the PDF structure.

Reading order and logical structure

  • The reading order follows the intended visual and logical sequence.
  • Multi-column layouts and complex formatting preserve correct reading sequence.

Document-level accessibility features

In addition to tagging and structure, there are several other important features that help make your PDF files more accessible:

Color contrast

  • Text should meet WCAG contrast thresholds:
    • 4.5:1 for normal text
    • 3:1 for large text (18pt regular or 14pt bold and above)
  • Avoid relying solely on color to convey meaning.

Bookmarks

  • For multi-page documents, include bookmarks that reflect the heading structure.
  • Use clear, descriptive bookmark labels.

Metadata

Include document properties such as:

  • Document title (distinct from file name)
    • The document title should be set to display in the PDF viewer window.
  • Author (if applicable)
  • Subject and keywords (recommended)

Language

  • Define the primary document language.
  • Identify language changes within the document where applicable.

Fonts

  • Embed all fonts.
  • Use Unicode-compliant fonts that support required character sets.

PDF testing and validation

After export, accessibility can be evaluated using tools such as:

Automated tools can help identify:

  • Missing document titles
  • Missing alternative text
  • Language settings
  • Untagged or improperly tagged content

In addition to automated testing, a brief manual review is recommended to confirm:

  • Logical reading and tag order
  • Color contrast
  • Screen reader usability (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)

For simple, linear documents, automated validation combined with spot-checking may be sufficient. More complex documents (e.g., those with tables, charts, or multi-column layouts) may benefit from a more thorough manual review.

EPUB submission guidelines

EPUB files provide a flexible and scalable reading experience. This file format offers improved accessibility because they are built on structured XHTML, support reflowable text, and include built-in navigation, making them easier to use with screen readers and other assistive technologies.

If you’re unfamiliar with authoring tools that can create EPUB, please reach out to JSTOR Support for further guidance.

Creating accessible EPUBs

These key accessibility guidelines will help you create EPUB files that meet the needs of users with disabilities:

  • Use proper heading structure to organize content logically.
  • Ensure text reflows correctly across different screen sizes and devices.
  • Include a navigation document (Nav file) instead of relying on a table of contents.
  • Provide alternative text for images to describe visual content for screen readers.
  • Avoid fixed-layout EPUBs unless necessary, as they restrict reflowable text and reduce accessibility and flexibility across devices.
  • Ensure hyperlinks use meaningful text instead of generic phrases like “click here.”
  • Embed fonts where possible to ensure consistent text rendering.

All submitted EPUB files should include accessibility metadata using schema.org and ONIX standards:

  • accessMode: Specifies how the content can be accessed (e.g., text, auditory, visual).
  • accessModeSufficient: Indicates which modes are sufficient to fully engage with the content.
  • accessibilityFeature: Lists features such as alternative text, captions, and structural navigation.
  • accessibilityHazard: Identifies potential issues, like flashing content that could cause seizures.
  • accessibilitySummary: Provides a human-readable description of the publication’s accessibility.

EPUB testing and validation

  • Use EPUBCheck or Ace by DAISY to verify technical validity.
  • Test reading order and screen reader compatibility using EPUB reading apps such as Apple Books or Thorium Reader.
  • Confirm metadata accuracy, including language settings and title information.

By following these practices, publishers can help create ebooks that are more usable, flexible, and accessible for a broad range of readers.

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