In an August 6, 2025, post on her website, publishing expert Jane Friedman announced to her readers one of the latest updates to the Kindle Direct Publishing setup page. “Amazon KDP now asks author-publishers to answer questions about ebook accessibility, mainly for the benefit of visually impaired readers,” she wrote to her readers. 

The accessibility feature was rolled out May 28, according to the KDP forum. The new question presented during the ebook upload process asks authors whether their books include images and whether those images contain alt text. Alt text, short for alternative text, is a short description of an image to be used when the image doesn’t load on certain devices or to be read by those using screen readers. The change created a small ripple of discussion among author groups. Some asked what counted as alt text, and others asked how the new questions would affect their published works. Still others asked why the change was important at all. 

Although alt text became the focal point of many discussions, it's only a small piece of a much larger subject. Ebook accessibility encompasses everything from formatting choices and file structure to how text interacts with assistive technology like screen readers. These considerations affect not only readers with disabilities but also readers navigating ebooks on different devices, in different environments, and with different reading preferences. Beyond ebooks, other corners of your author business—your physical books, website, and marketing materials—can also benefit from being made more accessible.

As indie authors take on more responsibility for the full publishing process, accessibility is becoming part of professional best practice and not just a niche concern or optional upgrade. Thankfully, there are a range of practical, actionable ways authors can make their ebooks more accessible and take part in a broader shift in how we think about inclusion in digital publishing.

What Accessibility Really Means for Ebook Readers

Accessibility is often misunderstood as something that applies only to a small group of readers. In reality, it’s about flexibility and ensuring that all readers can engage with content in ways that work for them.

A few facts to consider:

• The World Health Organization estimates that over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. 
• In the United States, the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimated that in 2023, 44.7 million people—or 13.6 percent of the population—had some form of a disability.
• And according to the Accessible Books Consortium, about 10 percent to 15 percent of people have some sort of print disability, meaning blindness, low vision, or a specific learning disability, such as dyslexia, that affects the individual’s ability to read printed material.
• At the same time, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) notes that fewer than 10 percent of publications globally are available in accessible formats, highlighting a significant gap in accessible reading materials. 

Readers with print disabilities often rely on screen reading software and devices. Others need larger fonts or specific spacing to reduce eye strain. Readers with dyslexia may benefit from adjustable fonts and clean layouts. Those with motor impairments may navigate ebooks differently than expected. Even readers without disabilities may encounter temporary barriers: a cracked screen, poor lighting, aging eyesight, or trouble reading on a small device.

Accessible ebooks don’t look special or different. They simply remove obstacles that prevent readers from controlling how they consume text. When authors prioritize accessibility, they’re not changing their stories, but they are ensuring those stories can reach more people.

Alt Text: Small Detail, Big Impact

Alt text provides a written description of an image so that screen reader software can convey visual information to readers who cannot see it.

In ebooks, alt text is especially important because images often replace or supplement written content. Without alt text, a screen reader may announce only that an image exists, leaving your reader without critical context if you need readers to be able to refer to the image while they read.

When Alt Text Is Necessary

Alt text should be included for images that

• convey information, such as maps, diagrams, and charts;
• add story-relevant context;
• include embedded text; and 
• replace written explanation.

Decorative images that don’t add meaning can be marked as decorative so screen readers skip them entirely.

Found in the Accessibility Features section of the Kindle eBook Content tab on the KDP Bookshelf, the new question asks, “Are your images accessible?” Authors are then presented with the following options:

• I don’t know if my informative images include alternative text and/or extended description.
• None of my informative images include alternative text and/or extended description.
• Some informative images include alternative text and/or extended description.
• All informative images include alternative text and/or extended description.

Based on the selection made during this step of the upload process, applicable alt text details will pass through to the Accessibility section of the Book Detail page on Amazon.

Writing Alt Text That Actually Helps

Effective alt text focuses on purpose, not exhaustive description. Alt text is not meant to replace prose, nor is it meant to describe every detail within an image. Instead, it should describe only the most important pieces of an image a reader would need to understand. 

Pro Tip: Alt text is not the same as an image description, which can be much longer and more detail oriented, nor should it be treated as a caption. Alt text is typically embedded in an image’s metadata and has a strict character limit; image descriptions are often included in an image’s caption and have more room to provide additional description beyond the most necessary details.

When creating alt text, ask yourself:

• What does the reader need to understand here?
• What information would be lost if the image weren’t available?

Try to avoid:

• using text like “image of” or “picture of,” which takes up valuable characters in your description; 
• overly detailed visual inventories; and
• repeating nearby text verbatim.

For example, instead of using:

“An image of a fantasy map with mountains, rivers, and cities.”

Try using:

“A fantasy map showing three kingdoms separated by a central mountain range, with the capital city marked near the eastern coast.”

Images of Text: A Common Accessibility Misstep

Beyond images included alongside story text, modern ebooks often include screenshots or stylized images of things like text messages, emails, social media posts, and chat conversations. Some authors also create chapter headers with the chapter number or title included in the image rather than as separate text.

Although visually engaging, these images present a major accessibility issue: Screen readers cannot interpret text embedded in images without alt text. Even when alt text is added, long strings of these images can become cumbersome for software to navigate.

Why This Matters

When text exists only as an image, your readers cannot adjust font size. They also cannot search or highlight text, and any screen reader software must rely on lengthy alt text descriptions, which can be challenging to create and may have character limits depending on the software the reader is using.

A More Accessible Alternative

Instead of inserting images of text in your book, use real, selectable text, and apply simple formatting to distinguish it from narrative prose—labels, line breaks, or italics or indentation.

This approach preserves readability while ensuring compatibility with assistive tools. It also improves usability for readers who prefer larger fonts or different spacing even if they’re not using a screen reader. As a bonus, it avoids formatting headaches for you during the production process.

Reflowable EPUBs: Accessibility Starts at the File Level

Choosing a flexible-layout file format, like a reflowable EPUB, rather than a fixed-layout file, such as a PDF, allows you to make one of the most impactful accessibility decisions before formatting ever begins. Reflowable ebooks allow readers to change font size, adjust line spacing and margins, select preferred fonts, and use device-specific reading features. Fixed-layout ebooks, by contrast, lock text into rigid positions, which can present a potential barrier for those with low vision or reading disorders.

When Reflowability Matters Most

For most fiction and narrative nonfiction, reflowable EPUBs should be the default. Fixed layouts may be appropriate for heavily visual books, such as children’s picture books or complex textbooks, but they should be used intentionally and with accessibility accommodations where possible.

Structural Formatting that Supports Screen Readers

Screen readers rely on an ebook’s underlying structure, not its visual appearance. This makes clean, semantic formatting essential.

Chapter titles and section headers should use true heading styles, not just bolded text. This allows screen reader users to navigate by chapter, jump between sections, and understand the book’s hierarchy and logical reading order. Avoid manual spacing using repeated line breaks, decorative formatting that disrupts text flow, and inconsistent paragraph styles.

What looks fine visually can become confusing when read aloud by assistive technology. Clean formatting helps ensure accessibility, cross-device consistency, and ebook conversion reliability. 

It’s also important to remember that using embedded fonts in your ebook limits reader choice and may reduce legibility. Whenever possible, allow devices to use system fonts selected by the reader.

Other Steps to Take Toward Accessibility

Write with Clarity: Clear sentence structure and straightforward language benefits readers with cognitive disabilities, non-native speakers, and readers using text-to-speech software. Don’t feel like you need to simplify your voice, but when possible, prioritize clarity over unnecessary complexity.

Navigation, Links and Reader Orientation: Accessible ebooks help readers understand where they are and where they can go. Avoid vague link text like “click here.” Instead, use descriptive language that makes sense when read aloud, such as “Visit the author’s website” or “See the full bibliography here.”

Functional Tables of Contents: Ensure your table of contents is properly linked and navigable. For those who use screen readers, this is often the primary way to move through a book efficiently.

Accessibility Isn’t Just for Ebooks

Although this article focuses primarily on ebooks, accessibility can and should extend across an author’s entire ecosystem. That can include things like

• large-print editions of physical books;
• dyslexia-friendly layouts;
• audiobooks and AI narration; 
• high-contrast covers and websites; and
• accessible newsletters and marketing emails that include alt text, readable fonts, and high-contrast colors and graphics.

Don’t feel the need to do everything at once. Instead, focus on building your awareness, and improve incrementally. Ebooks are an ideal starting point because many accessibility improvements are low-cost, invisible to most readers, and easy to incorporate into existing workflows.

Understanding Accessibility Regulations

Accessibility regulations are important for digital content to be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Navigating these rules is crucial for publishing professionals to ensure compliance and inclusiveness. Here are the particular guidelines that define accessibility in digital publications.

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

Publications and other digital information must be available to people with disabilities, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For a director of publishing, that means ensuring digital formats work with assistive technology like screen readers and visual displays.

Maintaining compliance with the ADA rules improves diversity and reduces legal risks related to accessibility regulation, which have surged in recent years.

You can read the full text of the ADA’s design standards at https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards.

Section 508 Standards

Federal agencies should make their electronic and data tech accessible to people with disabilities by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This standard applies to any digital material that these organizations produce. However, it also acts as a manual for publishers in the private sector. Digital material should be made accessible to all users, regardless of their ability levels. Compliance with Section 508, which supports fair access to information and services across platforms and devices, makes this easier.

Read the full text at https://www.section508.gov.

WCAG Standards

A complete collection of rules for improving the accessibility of web content is provided by the Web Content Accessibility Rules (WCAG), a globally recognized organization whose standards offer a strong foundation for document accessibility in the publishing sector. Following WCAG standards improves overall user experience, search engine optimization, compliance with international accessibility requirements, and suitability for those with disabilities.

Read the complete list of WCAG standards at https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21.

Publisher or Platform Requirements

Major platforms like KDP provide guidelines and tools for authors to declare their ebook's accessibility features during the publishing process. Although you can proceed with publication by selecting the default "I don't know" option, creating accessible ebooks is highly encouraged to reach a wider audience and ensure compliance.

Accessibility Compliance

Accessibility is a rapidly changing landscape, so it can be hard to know what does and doesn’t apply to publishing. However, according to an April 2025 article from Hurix.com, some current and forthcoming accessibility regulations do apply to self-published books, particularly their digital versions—ebooks. The extent to which they apply depends on the jurisdiction where the books are sold and the platform used for sales. 

Key Regulations to Know

European Accessibility Act (EAA): This is the most significant regulation directly impacting self-published authors selling in the European Union.

• Scope: The EAA applies to ebooks and e-reader devices and services sold in the EU market.
• Deadlines: New ebooks must comply with EAA standards by June 28, 2025. A more generous deadline, which isn’t until 2030, exists for backlist content.
• Impact on Self-Publishers: Publishers and distributors, including online platforms such as Amazon's KDP, are responsible for ensuring compliance. There is an exemption for titles published by microenterprises, but sales platforms still have a responsibility for the accessibility of their own services.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): In the US, the ADA ensures digital accessibility.

• Scope: Although the ADA doesn't have specific, detailed technical standards for all private sector websites, courts and the Department of Justice have consistently interpreted it to require that web content be accessible. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the de facto standard expected in most cases.
• Impact on Self-Publishers: If a self-published author sells directly from their own website, that site may be subject to ADA requirements, depending on its nature—for example, if it’s a business site versus a purely personal blog. Publicly funded institutions like libraries and universities, which may acquire and distribute self-published works, are legally obligated to ensure the materials they provide are accessible.

Tools for Authors

With all the many parts and pieces that go into writing, editing, publishing, and marketing your work, incorporating accessibility into your production process can seem overwhelming. Thankfully there are many tools available to help authors tackle accessibility.

When selecting a tools or software, keep these key accessibility features in mind:

• Screen reader support with proper tagging and structure allow for voice output.
• Alt text description generators can create alt text for images so screen readers can utilize it.
• Proper use of heading and paragraph styles when formatting can aid in navigation.
• Some programs have text-to-speech and transcripts built in or are made compatible with third-party programs that do the same.
• Reflowable content in EPUBs adapts to different screen sizes and allows users to adjust fonts and sizing as needed for legibility.

Adobe InDesign, with plugins like Circular Software, offer deep control, and platforms like Kotobee, Kitaboo, and Atticus build in accessibility with features like alt text, screen reader support, and proper heading structures. These tools focus on WCAG compliance, allowing for reflowable EPUBs, image descriptions, and text-to-speech compatibility, making content usable for readers with disabilities. 

Professional Design & Publishing

• Adobe InDesign: The industry standard for complex layouts, it provides fine control for adding accessibility tags, alt text, and ensuring proper reading order, especially with plugins like Circular Software.
• Circular Software: The InDesign plug-in offers dedicated tools for setting reading order, section labels, image descriptions, and metadata for accessible fixed-layout ebooks. 

Author-Focused and All-in-One Platforms

• Atticus: An author-friendly tool that helps create accessible ebooks with cloud backup and features to build inclusive formats.
• Kotobee: Excellent for interactive and multimedia ebooks, allowing you to add alt text, captions, transcripts, and ensure keyboard accessibility for interactive elements.
• Kitaboo: A platform for creating accessible digital textbooks with WCAG compliance, text-to-speech, screen reader compatibility, and reflowable EPUB support. 

Free and Open-Source Options

• Calibre: A powerful, free library manager that converts documents to various formats, offering customization and basic accessibility features.
• Sigil: A free EPUB editor that allows manual adjustments for accessibility. 

Accessibility as a Publishing Mindset

KDP’s alt text question may seem minor to some, but it reflects a broader shift in publishing expectations. Accessibility is no longer a fringe concern; it’s a key consideration in professional digital publishing.

Thinking about accessibility early leads to better reader experiences, fewer formatting headaches, and wider potential reach. It ensures fewer readers are excluded by design choices that can be easily avoided and conveys to your readers that your books are created for them. Most importantly, it reinforces a simple truth: Stories are meant to be shared.