Accessibility Audit — Case Study

Project Snapshot

Book (sample):: River of Stars
Format audited:: EPUB 3.2 (reflowable)
Page/word count:: ~280 pages / 78k words
Graphics:: 23 images + cover
Turnaround:: 72 hours
Status:: Delivered

Scope

Structure & semantics
Navigation & reading order
Alt text strategy
Tables & figures
Metadata & language
Retailer packaging

Executive Summary

The submitted EPUB failed several accessibility checks related to heading hierarchy, image descriptions, and internal navigation. We remediated structure (H1–H6), added meaningful alt text or marked decorative images, fixed footnote back-links, added landmarks, and corrected metadata. Final files passed EPUBCheck and met EPUB A11y 1.1 conformance. Upload-ready packages were delivered for KDP, Apple Books, and Kobo.

Before

11 issues

3 critical · 5 major · 3 minor

After

0 blocking

All WCAG 2.1 A/AA issues resolved

Validation

Pass

EPUBCheck + EPUB A11y 1.1

Scorecard (Selected Criteria)

Criterion	Status	Notes
Headings & hierarchy (1.3.1, 2.4.6)	Pass	Normalized H1–H3; removed visual-only headers.
Alt text / Decorative images (1.1.1)	Pass	23 images reviewed; 6 marked decorative; alt refined on 7.
Landmarks & page list (2.4.1, EPUB nav)	Pass	Main, toc, landmarks, and page list provided.
Footnotes & back-links (2.4.4)	Pass	Unique targets; added return links.
Language & metadata	Pass	dc:language, title, creator, a11y metadata set.

Key Issues & Resolutions

Critical

Non-semantic bold headings

Chapters used <p> with bold styling instead of true headings.

Before

<p class="chapter-title"><strong>Chapter 3: The Crossing</strong></p>

After

<h2>Chapter 3: The Crossing</h2>

Major

Missing/incorrect alt text

Decorative flourishes were announced by screen readers; some figures had vague alt (“image1”).

Before

<img src="ornament.png" alt="ornament">

After

<img src="ornament.png" alt="" role="presentation">
<figure>
  <img src="map.png" alt="Map of ferry crossing along the River of Stars">
  <figcaption>Route taken in Chapter 3.</figcaption>
</figure>

Major

Footnote navigation lacked return

Footnotes opened but provided no back-link to the source location.

Before

<a href="#fn1" id="ref1">1</a>
...
<li id="fn1">Note text.</li>

After

<a href="#fn1" id="ref1">1</a>
...
<li id="fn1">Note text. <a href="#ref1">↩︎ Return</a></li>

Deliverables

Remediated EPUB (reflowable) — validated with EPUBCheck.
Accessibility report (PDF) with issue list, screenshots, and references.
Retailer-ready packages (KDP, Apple Books, Kobo) with correct metadata.
Change log detailing file edits and rationale.

📄 View Sample Report (PDF) 📚 Download Sample EPUB

Note: sample files are sanitized and for demonstration only.

Conformance Statement

The remediated EPUB conforms to EPUB Accessibility 1.1 and addresses relevant WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria, based on tests conducted with EPUBCheck, manual review, and assistive technology spot checks. Retailer acceptance may still vary due to platform changes.

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