Making accessibility standard in publishing

Posted on 12th October, 2026

Accessibility is becoming an increasingly important consideration across the publishing industry. Jaimee Biggins, UCL Press Production Manager, reflects on the recent Accessible Publishing Conference and shares some of the key lessons for creating more inclusive publications.

I recently attended the Accessible Publishing Conference organised by CPI and held at the RNIB. It was an insightful day where we learned more about inclusive publishing, accessible formats and design and the opportunities that accessible publishing brings. The keynote speaker was award-winning children’s author Beth O’Brien. Beth was born with a visual impairment, and she spoke passionately about her personal journey and the importance of making stories and literature available to everyone. Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to pass around accessible versions of both adult and children’s print books, including large-print and sensory editions.

Here are my main takeaways from the Conference:

• When considering accessibility, to think about more than just vision impairment – there is a need for accessible versions of books for neurodivergent readers and those with dyslexia, colour blindness too.
• Accessible versions of the book should be available at the same time as the standard edition. Readers with disabilities don’t want to wait to read the new bestseller. Publishers need to ensure equal access.
• Large print is important to consider too – there is a strong market for large print books – we heard from the founder of Love Large Print Project (LLPP) – an organisation whose purpose is to promote the availability and use of large print books for all readers to access.
• Metadata plays a crucial role in making accessible publications visible throughout the supply chain. Using the correct ONIX codes ensures that a book’s accessibility features are clearly communicated. Accessible products can expand sales by reaching a wider market; while there is a legal imperative with accessibility, there is also a commercial possibility. Through good metadata accessible products can be more visible to their potential audience and more discoverable in searches.
• EPUB remains the gold standard in accessible formats – it’s reflowable and customisable and can be repurposed.
• Importance of being born accessible – from commissioning, design, production stages.
• ‘Accessible design is good design’ – publishers should keep in mind clear headings, clear structure, good font size and typeface, good colour contrast.
• ‘Print is not dead, it’s evolving’ – print still has a durable audience – it’s not a case of print vs digital but delivering the right channel for the right customer.

The goal for publishers is to make accessibility standard. Accessibility should not be an afterthought – indeed it should be at the forefront of the publication’s journey. In this National Year of Reading, the Conference highlighted the principle that everyone, regardless of disability or circumstance, should be able to experience the joy of reading.