The Accessibility Cliff: Is Your Digital Catalog Ready?
On June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) officially took effect. It is a piece of legislation that mandates all digital books sold within the EU - regardless of where the publisher is based - be fully accessible.
If you want your titles to stay on the European streaming services and on the shelves of digital retailers, it is now mandatory to comply with the legislation.
What the EAA Means for Your Titles
The EAA aims to ensure that the 80 million people living with disabilities in the EU have equal access to digital content. For publishers, this means your E-books (specifically EPUB files) must meet rigorous standards, including:
● Full Customization: Readers must be able to change font sizes, line spacing, and colors without breaking the book’s layout.
● Seamless Navigation: A logical, hierarchical Table of Contents and "landmark" tagging is mandatory so users can skip to chapters or sections instantly.
● Accessibility Metadata: It’s not enough for a book to be accessible; it must tell the retailer it is. New metadata requirements will signal to customers exactly which accessibility features are included before they buy.
● Meaningful Media (where applicable): For titles containing essential illustrations, charts, or diagrams, "Alt-text" is required so screen readers can describe the visual to the user. However, purely decorative elements can be tagged to be ignored by assistive tech.
The Long-term Risk of Non-Compliance
Non-compliance is no longer just a social oversight; long-term, it could be a significant legal and financial risk. Indicators show that E-commerce platforms and libraries across Europe have started taking action against non-compliant files to mitigate their own liability. Today it can be shown by retailers adding disclaimers to non-compliant titles whereas it in the future could lead to files being delisted in full.
How We Bridge the Gap
The transition to "Born Accessible" publishing can feel like a major technical hurdle. That’s where our production services come in. With the use of our EAA-Ready Workflow we aim to take the weight off your editorial team.
Our Compliance Suite includes:
● EPUB 3.3 Conversion: We move your backlist and frontlist into the gold-standard format for accessibility.
● WCAG 2.2 Level AA Validation: Every file we produce undergoes rigorous testing using industry-standard tools like Ace by DAISY to guarantee compliance.
● Metadata Integration: We embed the necessary EPUB metadata so your books are "discoverable" and "compliant" from the moment they hit the store.
Spotlight: What This Means for the Swedish Market
In Sweden, the EAA is implemented through the Act on the Accessibility of Certain Products and Services (2023:254). While the directive is European, the oversight is local, and for Swedish publishers, the stakes are high.
1. MTM is the New Watchdog
Myndigheten för tillgängliga medier (MTM) has been designated as the supervisory authority for e-books in Sweden. This is a significant shift: MTM is moving from being primarily a producer of accessible media (like Legimus) to a regulator that monitors the commercial market. They will be responsible for ensuring that the books you sell directly to consumers meet the legal requirements.
2. The Cost of Non-Compliance
The Swedish legislation carries teeth. Failure to comply can lead to injunctions and substantial financial penalties. Under Swedish law, the supervisory authorities can impose sanktionsavgifter (administrative fines) ranging from 10,000 SEK up to 10 million SEK per violation, depending on the severity and the size of the company.
3. Beyond "Legimus"
For years, many Swedish publishers relied on the "exception" rule, where MTM handled accessible versions for those with reading disabilities. Under the new law, this is no longer sufficient for new titles. Accessibility must be 'Born Accessible' - integrated into the file used for both traditional retailers like Adlibris and Bokus, as well as the major streaming services like Storytel, BookBeat, and Nextory.
4. The "Micro-Enterprise" Exception
It is worth noting that Swedish law provides an exemption for micro-enterprises (companies with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover under 2 million EUR). However, even for small publishers, major distributors and library aggregators are expected to demand accessible files to protect their own compliance, making it a de facto industry standard regardless of company size.
How We Help Swedish Publishers
We understand the specific nuances of the Swedish market, from EPUB 3 requirements to the metadata standards preferred by Nordic retailers.
● MTM-Aligned Audits: We perform pre-distribution checks that align with the guidelines set by MTM and DIGG (The Agency for Digital Government), so you can publish with confidence.
Do you want to learn more about Epubs and what Earselect can do for you? Contact us through the form or reach out to our expert Blanca Busquets!