In the wake of the upcoming European Accessibility Act, publishers face an urgent question: how should they evaluate and update their existing digital catalogues to meet accessibility requirements? In this session, experts from the Accessible Backlist Ebook Laboratory (ABELab)—a Creative Europe–funded project—present their findings on the technical, financial, and strategic considerations involved in making backlist eBooks accessible.
Key Topics Covered:
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Assessing the Backlist: How to evaluate existing eBook titles for accessibility gaps and remediation potential.
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Cost & Feasibility Analysis: Understanding the financial and technical effort required to update large catalogues.
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Tools & Methodologies: Practical approaches developed by the ABELab project to support publishers in accessibility planning.
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Preparing for the European Accessibility Act: Key steps publishers can take now to comply with 2025 regulations.
Speakers:
Chiara De Martin, Web Accessibility Expert at Fondazione LIA, specializing in accessibility testing, usability with assistive technologies, and R&D in digital publishing accessibility. She is a member of the W3C Publishing Community Group and its Accessibility Task Force.
Ted van der Togt, researcher at the KB (National Library of the Netherlands), focusing on digital accessibility of library services and infrastructure, with long-standing expertise in web technologies and accessible digital publications.
This session provides publishers, libraries, and digital content managers with practical insights and tested strategies for updating backlist eBooks to meet accessibility standards and serve all readers.
