Publishing
Digital Accessibility
The many publishers using or on track to adopt XML-first workflows are well-positioned to create accessible publications that meet current Accessibility requirements.
The regulatory landscape around accessibility has evolved significantly in recent years. The Section 508 Refresh in the United States aligns with WCAG standards, and WCAG 2.2 now represents current best practice for digital accessibility (while ADA Title II mandates WCAG 2.1 Level AA). In addition, the European Accessibility Act, effective in 2025, and upcoming ADA Title II compliance deadlines in 2026 and 2027 make accessibility a legal requirement for many publishers serving educational and public institutions.
For publishers operating within structured XML-first workflows, this shift carries strategic importance. Producing an Accessible EPUB is no longer simply a forward-looking initiative. It is a compliance expectation and a market requirement. Accessibility today is both a legal mandate and a competitive necessity.
Organizations that have invested in XML-first publishing are better positioned to meet these global requirements efficiently. While accessibility requires thoughtful system updates and process alignment, born accessible publishing is no longer optional. It has become an operational standard that supports regulatory readiness, protects revenue, and expands audience reach.
It seems likely that creating accessible documents will become the norm. The question for publishers is an economic one – wait or act now.
While accessibility is often discussed in the context of supporting people with disabilities, limiting it to that perspective overlooks its broader impact. Voice-driven technologies such as Google Assistant, advanced Alexa integrations, and AI models, including ChatGPT voice modes, are reshaping how all users expect to interact with digital content. Structured, semantically rich publishing ensures that content is discoverable, interpretable, and usable across these emerging interfaces, extending accessibility benefits well beyond traditional assistive technologies.
The good news is, if you have already done the work to create an XML-first workflow, you are already on the evolutionary path for making born-accessible publications. Improving accessibility can be an iterative change process incorporated into your existing systems.
There are a few important and immediate changes publishers can implement to advance toward born-accessible publications: enriching semantic tagging, adding descriptions to graphics, and engaging authors and vendors.
.webp)
If you already operate within XML-first workflows, enhancing semantic tagging is a practical next step toward producing an Accessible EPUB. Using modern XML schemas, including DTDs or Relax NG models aligned with WCAG 2.2 and EPUB Accessibility 1.1 (with emerging guidance from the 1.2 working drafts) requirements, ensures clearer structure, improved navigation, and correct reading order. For example, a sidebar in print that becomes part of a reflowable EPUB must be explicitly identified so assistive technologies can distinguish it from the main body text.
Semantic validation can be embedded into existing XML-first publishing processes by confirming object assignments and verifying reading sequence. Today, AI tools can also suggest or automatically apply semantic roles during authoring or conversion, reducing manual effort while improving structural accuracy.
Image descriptions are text explanations of an image or graphic that an assistive reading tool interprets for its user. These can range from a short alternative text (alt text) sentence to several paragraphs, depending on the complexity of the visual. Alt text identifies what the image is, while longer descriptions explain what the image means and how it supports the surrounding content.
Many publishers already include basic alt text, but that alone does not ensure meaningful accessibility. For example, a biochemistry student studying the steps of the Krebs cycle may require more than a label such as “metabolic pathway diagram.” A detailed description that explains each stage, sequence, and outcome provides the context needed for full comprehension.
AI tools can now generate initial alt text and draft long descriptions automatically. In a 2026 workflow, AI may create a first pass during conversion to an Accessible EPUB, but subject matter experts or editors must review and refine the output. Human oversight remains essential to ensure accuracy, preserve educational intent, and align descriptions with structured XML-first workflows.
One of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to improve accessibility is to involve authors early in the publishing process. Educational authors are already designing structured, pedagogically sound content. With the support of simple AI-assisted description tools, they can draft meaningful alt text and long descriptions during manuscript development rather than after production.
Engaging authors at this stage reduces remediation costs and improves quality. When accessibility is integrated into XML first publishing from the outset, creating an Accessible EPUB becomes a natural extension of the workflow rather than a retrofit exercise.
Vendors also play a critical role. Publishers should prioritize partners who support WCAG 2.2 and EPUB Accessibility 1.1 and 1.2 requirements, and who use AI-enhanced validation alongside expert review instead of outdated manual-only processes. The right partner will align with structured XML-first workflows, ensuring semantic tagging and image descriptions are delivered systematically and at scale.
Two excellent accessibility resources are Benetech’s Diagram Center, especially the Poet Image Description Tool and the Ace, by DAISY, EPUB accessibility checker.
The challenges publishers once faced when transitioning to structured XML-first workflows were real, but with careful planning and execution, those transformations became standard practice. Today, accessibility represents a similar turning point.
In 2026, accessibility is mandatory across most major markets due to global regulations and enforcement timelines. Evolving toward XML-first publishing that produces an Accessible EPUB from the outset is no longer optional. It is a business and compliance requirement.
Publishers that adopt shift left practices by embedding semantic XML structures and AI assisted validation at the beginning of the content lifecycle can avoid costly retrofits, reduce risk, and reach wider audiences in a sustainable way.
Get in touch to start a conversation about your workflow and accessibility.
