Accessibility Services
EAA & Accessible EPUB Compliance for Publishers
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) has applied since 28 June 2025. We make your EPUBs compliant, born-accessible EPUB3 for new titles and full remediation for backlists that no longer pass.
What the EAA means for your EPUBs
The European Accessibility Act (EAA), Directive (EU) 2019/882, requires e-books and e-reading software sold into the EU to be accessible. Since it took effect on 28 June 2025, EPUBs that fall short risk being pulled from sale. For publishers with deep backlists, that can mean thousands of older EPUB files to bring up to standard.
Compliance is demonstrated against EN 301 549, which incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA, together with EPUB Accessibility 1.1. We produce accessible EPUB3 that meets these requirements and remediate existing files at scale, so your whole catalog stays sellable and every reader can use your books.
What makes an EPUB EAA-compliant?
Every accessible EPUB we deliver covers:
- Semantic structure and correct reading order, real headings, lists and tables
- Full navigation: table of contents, page list and landmarks
- Meaningful alt-text for images, figures, charts and diagrams
- Accessible tables with proper header associations
- MathML for equations instead of images of maths
- Accessibility metadata (accessMode, accessibilityFeature, accessibilitySummary)
- Correct language markup and logical document structure
- Sufficient colour contrast, never relying on colour alone
- No DRM or restrictions that block assistive technology
- Conformance to EPUB Accessibility 1.1 and WCAG 2.1 level AA
Accessibility & EAA services
- Accessible EPUB3, born-accessible files with correct semantics and structure
- EAA compliance for eBooks under the European Accessibility Act
- WCAG 2.1 AA, meeting the success criteria referenced by EN 301 549
- EPUB Accessibility 1.1 conformance and reporting
- Read-aloud EPUBs, media overlays with synchronised text and audio
- Alt-text authoring, meaningful descriptions for images and figures
- DAISY, the accessible format for readers with print disabilities
- Accessibility metadata, schema.org a11y properties for discoverability
Growth area
EAA backlist remediation at scale
Sitting on a large catalog of older EPUBs that fail EAA and WCAG standards? This is exactly what we do, remediating hundreds or thousands of titles efficiently and consistently.
- 1 Audit your existing EPUB catalog against WCAG 2.1 AA and EAA requirements
- 2 Prioritise titles by commercial value and remediation effort
- 3 Remediate structure, alt-text, metadata and navigation at scale
- 4 Re-validate every file and supply an accessibility conformance report
EAA & EPUB accessibility: FAQ
What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?
The EAA (Directive (EU) 2019/882) is EU law requiring many products and services, including e-books and the software used to read them, to be accessible to people with disabilities. It has applied since 28 June 2025.
Does the EAA apply to my EPUB eBooks?
Yes. E-books and e-reading software fall under the EAA. In practice, EPUBs sold into the EU need to meet accessibility requirements or they risk being withdrawn from sale.
What makes an EPUB EAA-compliant?
A compliant EPUB uses proper structure and reading order, full navigation, meaningful alt-text, accessible tables, MathML for equations, accessibility metadata, and no DRM that blocks assistive technology, aligned with EPUB Accessibility 1.1 and WCAG 2.1 level AA.
What is the EAA deadline for eBooks?
The EAA has applied since 28 June 2025. New titles should be born accessible, and existing catalogues need remediation to stay sellable in the EU.
How do I make my EPUB backlist EAA-compliant?
We audit your catalogue against WCAG and EAA requirements, prioritise titles, remediate structure, alt-text, metadata and navigation at scale, then re-validate each file and provide a conformance report.
Is EAA compliance the same as WCAG?
The EAA points to the EN 301 549 standard, which incorporates WCAG. For EPUB, meeting WCAG 2.1 level AA together with EPUB Accessibility 1.1 is how compliance is demonstrated in practice.
Need your catalog EAA-ready?
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