Making Your E-books Accessible

An interesting session was held at the London Book Fair at Earls Court, London, in mid-April. The topic: "Making Your E-books Accessible to More Users. Why and How." I attended the session anticipating a discussion of e-book marketing and making your e-books easy to find. Instead, the session explored accessibility for the visually impaired, something, it seems, of which few, though increasing numbers, are cognizant—or act upon. The main message: E-books provide a great opportunity for providing the visually and otherwise impaired with access to books which they would otherwise not have access. Publishers need to ensure that their books are accessible to this underserved market.