Project Overview
An academic content provider needed urgent help: their EPUB files were failing accessibility compliance checks, risking institutional sales and potential legal exposure. Wordium delivered comprehensive accessibility remediation, transforming their digital catalogue into fully compliant, inclusive publications.
1. Challenges
Technical Failures
- EPUB files failed WCAG 2.1 AA and EPUB Accessibility validation
- Missing navigation landmarks prevented efficient screen reader use
- Improper heading hierarchy (skipped levels, inconsistent ordering)
- Significant gaps in alt-text for images, graphs, and scientific diagrams
Business Impact
- Risk of losing institutional sales (universities increasingly require accessible formats)
- Potential legal exposure under ADA and accessibility regulations
- The internal team lacked specialised accessibility expertise
- No systematic process to ensure quality before distribution
2. Solution
Wordium provided end-to-end EPUB Accessibility Remediation services:
- Semantic structure enhancement with proper HTML5 elements and ARIA landmarks
- Navigation improvements, including landmarks, enhanced TOC, and logical reading order
- Complete alt-text creation for all images, with extended descriptions for complex diagrams
- MathML implementation for equations and proper table markup
- Multi-layered validation against WCAG 2.1 AA and EPUB Accessibility standards
- Detailed compliance reports for institutional requirements
3. Execution
Week 1: Assessment
- Audited sample files to identify systematic issues
- Created customised remediation plans for different content types
- Established clear benchmarks aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA standards
Weeks 2-4: Remediation
- Used automation for systematic corrections (headings, landmarks, metadata)
- Deployed AI-assisted tools to generate initial alt-text, refined by accessibility specialists
- Implemented semantic HTML5 markup throughout all content
Week 5: Quality Control
- Three-tier validation:
- Automated checks (EPUBCheck, Ace by DAISY)
- Manual screen reader testing
- Real-world user testing with accessibility experts
- Generated detailed conformance reports
- Created embedded accessibility summaries for transparency
Ongoing Collaboration
- Regular updates via dedicated project portal
- Training sessions for publisher’s production team
- Comprehensive documentation and validation protocols
- Established quality checkpoints for future workflows
4. Results
Compliance Achieved
- 100% WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across all remediated files
- Zero validation errors on EPUBCheck and Ace by DAISY
- Met institutional accessibility requirements for major university systems
Operational Gains
- 40% faster production cycles through automation
- Repeatable processes ensuring consistency
- Internal team trained on accessibility best practices
- Alt-text coverage increased from 34% to 100%
Business Impact
- Secured new institutional contracts requiring accessible formats
- Enhanced market positioning in academic publishing
- Proactive compliance ahead of evolving regulations
- Zero accessibility complaints post-distribution
Speed & Quality
- Average remediation: 3-5 business days per title
- 85% improvement in screen reader navigation efficiency
- First-pass validation success rate: 100%
The Bottom Line
This publisher transformed their accessibility challenge into a competitive advantage. By partnering with Wordium, they now integrate accessibility into standard production ensuring all new titles are born accessible, not fixed later.
Ready to make your publications accessible to all readers?
Contact Wordium to discuss how our accessibility solutions can transform your digital catalogue while maintaining quality and accelerating timelines.
