Accessible Reflowable ebooks with Circular Software

Follow these steps to create WCAG 'AA' accessible reflowable EPUB3 directly from InDesign with Circular Software.

Introduction.

Adobe InDesign fails to create EPUBs to the standards required for modern accessible publishing.

"Despite being widely used by publishers of all sizes as the industry standard page layout tool for PDF and print production, InDesign is found to be not fit for purpose for those wanting to publish accessible EPUB publications…"
– Ken Jones, Circular Software

Whilst Adobe InDesign can export to EPUB, the open standard for accessible digital publications, by using InDesign alone, publishers are left with errors and a lack of accessibility.

Exporting WCAG 'AA' accessible reflowable EPUB3 directly from InDesign and with no coding is possible when using Circular Software. Read more about this topic here No-Code Accessibility for InDesign.

Whilst not all reflowable EPUBS will require all these steps, we do recommend following them, in this order, for the best results. Especially for your first few publications.

The steps to follow are listed below. Let's get started!

Step 1.

Styles & Heading hierarchy.

The use of Paragraph and Character styles makes it easier to manage text in general and is used to apply the correct content tags to ebook text
The use of heading tags ensures users do not have to rely on visual styling to understand and navigate the document

For the best accessibility headings should be applied using Heading tags. Also the order of the headings should be logical. A H1 tag is the top level with a secondary level of heading, an H2 following an H1.

Heading tags apply structure to content and can be used for navigation so should be applied in order. e.g. it is not correct practice to follow an H1 tag with an H3 tag. More info on heading hierarchy on the DAISY Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base.

Heading levels are applied by the use of InDesign paragraph styles and InDesign has a useful feature to view and edit all export tags in one dialog (InDesign Paragraph Styles Panel options > Edit All Export Tags…) More info Edit All Export Tags on EPUB Secrets.

Circular Software has tools and checks to ensure heading, paragraph and word level tags are applied in the most useful way.

All fonts used should be OpenType or TrueType and active in InDesign. For fonts to carry through in to Amazon Ready reflowable ebooks we recommend using Adobe Fonts which are the embedded into the Amazon file that is exported with Circular Software.

Step 2.

Threads & Sections.

A reader being able to know their current location in an EPUB and to be able to effectively navigate an ebook is a large part of accessibility.
Text threads in InDesign chain together multiple text frames so they can contain a long passage of text (InDesign calls these stories).
Section labels are added into the EPUB page code to identify the kind of content that is on the page and major sections become landmarks to help with the navigation of EPUB. e.g. the cover, table of contents, and the start of the main body matter.

Text frames that have been 'threaded' can appear on the same page or span across multiple pages and spreads. For long text led publications it is not unusual for the entire main text to be one long thread of text frames covering dozens or hundreds of pages.

Show text threads are.shown in InDesign InDesign View Menu > Extras > Show / Hide Text Threads (tip: make sure a text frame is selected to see it's threads)

For ebook accessibility the order that text frames are threaded together is expected to be in sequence. Unusual text threads that jump over pages or thread content backwards in page order have been found to affect the successful creation and the subsequent reading order of reflowable ebooks.

The Accessibility Tools panel in CircularFLO or GreenLight has a Section Labels section. Use the Section label tools to mark the starting pages of each section.

The Auto add section label to pages tool looks at the paragraph style applied to the first item on the page and if a match is found for an avilable label. After using the auto tool, manually check locations of Section labels and remove any duplicates.

Section markers are added as text frames on the pasteboard on the non-printing FLO_INFO layer.

Remove a section marker by deleting the text frame object in InDesign.

More info on Text Threads from Adobe.

Step 3.

Reading Order & Anchored IMAGES.

As soon as there is more then one object on a page then the order in which that content is to be read becomes important
For good accessibility we need assume that the visual cues offered by text size and formatting are not enough and so we add the reading order

When faced with a well designed but complex spread an experienced, sighted reader will quickly make subconscious decisions on the hierarchy and reading order.

Circular Software reading order tools give us a way to add reading order by selecting objects in sequence or drawing regions over the page.

When pages have none or only one object (e.g. text frame) on the pages there is no need to mark the reading order.

The applied reading order is shown with overlaid non-printing visual markers on the page which can be shared with others for approval.

Once added reading order can be modified.

Items on InDesign Parent Pages (aka Master Pages) are not added to the reading order and do not need to be marked for reflowable ebooks.

More info on InDesign Parent Pages from Adobe.

Along with text frames, images and their captions are added into the reading order. For reflowable ebooks we anchor images into text at the most appropriate position for them to appear in the ebook.

More info on Anchoring images from Adobe.

Step 4.

‍Image descriptions.

Adding descriptions to images is an important way to add their meaning to those who may not be able to view them
Background images, decorative images and images that are fully described by on page captions should be marked as such

Rather than placing alt text descriptions into image metadata, the best descriptions take the context of the image or region on the page along with the intended audience into consideration.

Circular Software tools allow the addition and editing of descriptions to images and regions directly on the InDesign page, which are able to be shared with others, then apply the descriptions in the final output.

Circular Software tools talk with SIDD (Simple Image Descriptions Database) to connect people, documents and images to a lightweight but powerful and centralized source for contextual image descriptions.

What is SIDD?

SIDD connects people, documents and images to a lightweight but powerful and centralized source for contextual image descriptions. Using the power of the web, SIDD brings structure and consistency to our image description workflows, creating a centralized repository for all of your accessible descriptions.

What are Image Descriptions?

Alt Text: A brief textual description of the purpose and meaning of an image that lives within the HTML <alt> attribute. Alt text helps people using assistive technologies like screen readers quickly understand the most important and relevant details about the image.
Extended Description (aka Long Description): A detailed textual description that continues the information provided in the alt text. An extended description is not required if alt text provides a sufficient text alternative to the image.

How does SIDD work?

Don't let that word database in SIDD (The Simple Image Descriptions Database) scare you!

By using Airtable (think of Airtable as Google docs x 100) we have an extremely easy to use, flexible and responsive online tool which can be linked to the images in your publications.

The SIDD description editor

SIDD comes with a ready made SIDD description editor. With this we have use a clean, easy to use, shareable online editor for viewing, adding and editing image descriptions.

As image descriptions are added using the SIDD description editor they are added to the SIDD database ready to be easily extracted or exported.

Do we have to change our workflow?

SIDD takes a lightweight approach and, by dealing purely with previews and information about your images and not the actual images themselves, it does not impose any changes to your workflow.

There is no need to move or rename any files, no need for large file transfers and no need to change your publishing workflow when using SIDD, unless you want to!

Is it secure?

Yes. Because SIDD is built using Airtable, which has the ability to add ownership and access levels, your information remains backed up and secure.

How much does SIDD cost?

The short answer is NOTHING! An Airtable account can be created free of charge and SIDD can be used on a free plan for up to 1000 current images by up to five collaborators in your workflow.

The SIDD template has been made freely available on Airtable for anyone to use.

Sounds great, how do I get started?

Start Simple

Once you have registered for Airtable and copied the free SIDD template, you have access to a simple structured base to add and share image descriptions.

You can also import Google Sheets, Excel docs or many other apps using a CSV file. SIDD data can also be exported out to CSV or even printed out if you really need to!

Get More Powerful

Using software tools to automate and integrate your documents and images with your SIDD makes it possible to prepare images for description in bulk and at speed.

Scribely use SIDD to organize and share professional image descriptions, created by humans, with their publishing clients.
Circular Software tools rapidly feed and retrieve previews and data with SIDD and automatically apply professional image descriptions within Adobe InDesign.

Want to support us or add to SIDD?

We want SIDD - The Simple Image Descriptions Database - to become a well known and widely used shared resource for image descriptions.

The best way to support SIDD is to use it, to share your experiences with us and share this information with others.

The steps needed to set up InDesign documents for working with SIDD (Simple Image Descriptions Database)

In order to upload previews to SIDD and retrieve descriptions from SIDD, follow these steps to link an InDesign document to a SIDD Base.

Prepare the reading order of your document
Carry out a one time set up of Airtable and connecting with Circular Software
Upload your document to MasterPlan
Duplicate the SIDD template
Use the SIDD (Simple Descriptions tool)

Prepare the reading order of your document

Add a reading order to your InDesign document with Circular Software Accessibility Tools. See the Introduction to Reading Order article.

The images and regions that are identified as part of the reading order are then ready to link to your SIDD.

Adding a reading order with Circular Software tools is a requirement before using SIDD within Circular Software.

Upload your document to MasterPlan

MasterPlan from Circular Software is a secure service to place searchable high quality previews from the inside pages of your publications into websites of your choice.

See more on the MasterPlan product page.

A MasterPlan is is a requirement before using SIDD within Circular Software.

Set up Airtable and connect with Circular Software

An Airtable account is required to use SIDD. A new account can be created free of charge.

Airtable 'Bases' contain all of the information needed for a particular project and Bases are kept in 'Workspaces'. A new SIDD Base is recommended for each document and if you are already an Airtable user we recommend that you create a new Workspace for SIDD Bases as you will be required to share access to this workspace with Circular Software. See more info in an Introduction to Airtable basics.

Add Circular Software as a collaborator by inviting help@circularsoftware.com as a Creator or Editor using the Invite by email option. See Invite your collaborators from Airtable.

SIDD takes a lightweight approach and deals purely with previews and information about your images and not the actual images themselves but if you do have any security concerns please contact us.

This step only needs to be done once.

Duplicate the SIDD Template

The SIDD template has been made freely available on Airtable for anyone to use. Each SIDD Base can be used on a free Airtable plan for up to 1000 current images by up to five collaborators in your workflow.

Click the 'Use template' button on the SIDD template page to add SIDD to your chosen Airtable workspace.

With the SIDD duplicated to your Airtable Base, rename the Airtable Base starting the name with the MasterPlan Job number (an ISBN is ideal) and then a short reference to the publication

Step 5.

Table of Contents.

Reflowable EPUBs typically should benefit from an internal table of contents within the EPUB code which helps with navigation.
Printed contents pages are often added as text rather than by using the InDesign table of contents feature, which makes them inaccessible.

Although InDesign has a table of contents feature, it is not always used. Circular Software tools have the ability to add an accessible table of contents to any ebook.

Because a page list is automatically added by Circular Software on export, specifying a page number in CircularFLO Contnets Panel is enough to link to that page's starting point.

Chapter titles can be extrcated ready to use in the Table of Contents Panel by using the Add Section markers to TOC tool.

Step 6.

‍Check Text contrast.

Insufficient contrast between text and background colours can affect everyone but contrast is of greater importance for those with sight difficulties.
A Circular Software tool takes the colours from selected InDesign objects and report their contrast ratios.

For print work, a text size above 18pt means a lower contrast ratio can be used but for fixed-layout ebooks, although text maybe larger in print, a smaller screen size may affect the actual size.

More info and help is available at the WebAIM Contrast Checker page.

Step 7.

‍Add Accessibility metadata.

By declaring just how accessible (or not!) an EPUB file is, we can inform the retailer and reader about the features that the ebook has before purchase or download
Adding accessibility metadata is now a requirement for accessible EPUB

Structured information about the EPUB content lets everyone know the accessibility features and potential hazards. The expected structure for this metadata is 'schema.org metadata' and this is part of the EPUB3.2 standard and later.

More info on Schema.org Accessibility Metadata on the DAISY Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base.

InDesign 2024.2 does have a way to add this metadata but all Circular Software users can more easily add A11y metadata to their InDesign files and exports by adding using the CircularFLO Metadata Panel.

The addition of extra metadata is recommended to help with discovery and accessibility.

Accessibility Metadata

InDesign 2024.2 and later has a way to add the extra accessibility metadata (known as 'Schema.org' metadata) but CircularFLO users can more easily add and share metadata in their InDesign files by using adding a CircularFLO Metadata Panel.

To add a CircularFLO Metadata Panel go to the CircularFLO Accessibility Tools menu > Accessibility Tools > Add Metadata panel

The suggested default settings should be suitable for most uses. Pay attention to the darker shared rows to declare specifics for your publication:

The CircularFLO metadata panel showing ability to set all the following described attributes

Definition of Accessibility Features

Content features of the resource, such as accessible media, supported enhancements for accessibility and alternatives.

The alternativeText value is used to indicate that all images and other non-text content (e.g., audio and video) that is relevant to understanding a publication includes a text alternative.

The audioDescription value is used to indicate that description tracks are included for any video sources that require them.

The annotations value is used to indicate that a publication comes with explanatory annotations that improve the accessibility of the work.

The captions value is used to indicate that a publication includes captions for auditory content.

The ChemML value is used to indicate that a publication contains chemical information (e.g., molecules and reactions) encoded using the ChemML markup language.

The displayTransformability property is used to indicate that a publication does not restrict the ability of users to modify the display of textual content (e.g., to change the font family, font size, line height and word spacing).

The synchronizedAudioText value is used to indicate that synchronized playback of prerecorded audio with text highlighting is available.

The highContrastDisplay value is used to indicate that there is at least a 7:1 contrast ratio between the foreground text and the background, including for images of text.

The largePrint value is used to indicate that the text of a publication has been formatted to meet large print guidelines.

The latex value is used to indicate that a publication contains math equations formatted using the LaTeX typesetting system.

The longDescription value is used to indicate that all complex content (images, tables, charts, equations, etc.) include an extended description of their purpose.

The MathML value is used to indicate that the MathML markup language has been used to encode the mathematical equations.

The index value is used to indicate that a publication contains one or more indexes of the content (e.g. a topical index or index of names).

The readingOrder value is used to indicate that there is a logical reading order to the text of a publication.

The structuralNavigation value is used to indicate that all headings are properly marked up.

Both the pageNavigation and pageBreakMarkers values are used to indicate that static print page break locations are included in the ebook text.

The tableOfContents value is used to indicate that a publication includes a table of contents for navigating the major sections of the work.

The unlocked value is used to indicate that no digital rights management (DRM) or other content restriction protocols are applied to the content.

Definition of Access Modes

An access mode through which the intellectual content of a described resource or adaptation is communicated.

The auditory value is used to indicate that there is an auditory component to the content (e.g., audio tracks on their own or as part of a video, or an audiobook).

The textual value is used to indicate that a publication contains text content.

The visual value is used to indicate that a publication contains visual content such as images, grapics and video.

Definition of Access Mode Sufficient

A list of single or combined access modes that are sufficient to understand all the intellectual content of a resource.

The property takes one or more of the following values:

auditory
textual
visual

The meaning of these values is the same as their definitions for access modes, but sufficient access modes identify the different combinations of senses that can be used to sufficiently consume the content, not just the raw access modes of the content itself.

A publication with images and text, for example, will require both visual and textual modes to be consumed. If the images are also adequately described (alt text and extended descriptions, as appropriate) a single textual mode would also be sufficient, indicating someone who is blind can consume the content.

Definition of Accessibility Hazards

A characteristic of the described resource that is physiologically dangerous to some users.

The flashing values is used to indicate that there is content in the publication that flashes more than three times a second.

The motionSimulation value is used to indicate that there is content that simulates motion.

The sound value is used to indicate that a publication contains any auditory content.

The none value is used when the publisher is sure that the content presents no known hazards for users.

The unknown value is used to indicate that a publisher has not yet checked their publication for hazards or is unsure whether some content might present a hazard.

These descriptions have been generously supplied by DAISY. For Pro users a full description of all these accessibility categories can be found on the DAISY article on Schema.org Accessibility Metadata.

Step 8.

Add preferences panel

The CircularFLO Preferences Panel adds custom instructions that control the export of your document

With no CircularFLO Preferences Panel added the default values are used.

For reflowable ebooks especially, check that the language shown reflects the main / majority language used for the text in the book.

Auto conversion to the best Amazon file format (clue: it is still not EPUB despite what you may have been told!) can be triggered when Export Amazon ready file is chosen in the Output Options of the Preferences Panel and Kindle Previewer 3 is installed.

Open article page

CircularFLO will run successfully without a Preferences panel added but, to be in control and alter many of the default settings for your ebooks it is recommended to add one.

To add a Preferences Panel, choose the Add Preferences Panel button in the CircularFLO Document Tools panel.

The CircularFLO Preferences panel is an InDesign table placed in the pasteboard to the right of the current spread. It can be moved to anywhere in the document, but we recommend placing on the first spread of the first document in your publication.

Sections and headings are shown on the left. Default values are shown in the right column and can be altered to suit your needs.

Lots of options make the panel quite large! It will split to multi columns if there is not enough space for in the document. Unneeded rows may be deleted and the default values will still apply.

The panel is laid out in the following sections.

Output options

Export Amazon ready file: CircularFLO can output ebooks to EPUB3 and Amazon ready files to upload to Amazon KDP. The default here is no, change to yes to include Amazon files in your output.

Export MasterPlan package: The default is no, change to yes to prepare EPUBs and associated files ready for uploading to MasterPlan from Circular Software, a sister product to securely search and share publications online.

Validate with EPUB-Checker: Passes the exported EPUB to Pagina EPUB-Checker for validation. The default is yes, change to no to not automatically check for EPUB validation.
Note: that Pagina EPUB-Checker needs an update for this feature to work on macOS Mojave and later.

Check accessibility with ACE: Passes the exported EPUB to ACE BY DAISY for accessibility checking. The default is no, change to yes to automatically check for EPUB Accessibility on export.

Cover image options

Use first page as cover: To indicate whether the first page should be also used to generate the cover image of the eBook. The default is no, changing to yes will mean the dialog to choose a cover is not shown when making your ebook.

JPEG export options

JPEG quality: The quality setting used for background images can be chosen here by entering either low, medium, high or maximum. Remove the words to leave the preferred value. The default setting is high quality and this is recommended unless your file sizes become too large.

Megapixels per page: The total number of megapixels per page background (1 megapixel = 1 million pixels). A higher number gives more potential quality for fine zoomed-in detail but also means larger file sizes. The default of 3.2 is recommended for books up to one hundred pages. Maximum value is 4.

Export RGB images: By default all background pages use RGB JPEG graphics. The default is yes, changing to no for mono books to reduce file sizes by using greyscale graphics. This setting does not affect the cover, only all inside pages.

Simulate overprinting: When working with existing print files or PDFs it may be necessary to simulate the overprint settings used in order to get the same visual effects in your eBook. Default is yes, Pro users may change this value to no if necessary.

Fixed Layout Reading options

Lock Orientation: By default the EPUB document can alter how it is displayed, in most Ebook readers, according to the device orientation (which way round the reader is holding a tablet or phone). The default is no, change to yes to force an ebook to be fixed in either portrait or landscape mode.

Add Region-Based Navigation: The default is no. Switch to yes to add an extra file into the valid fixed layout EPUB output that contains the positions and reading order for region-based navigation. This method require a modern EPUB reader that supports region-based navigation.

Left to right page progression: The standard setting for western books is to read from left to right. The default is yes, changing to no to present the pages to the reader in a right to left reading order. Suitable for Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Hebrew, Yiddish.

View double page spreads as double page spreads: Many illustrated books make use of being viewed as 'double page spreads', the left and right pages shown together, as part of their design. This can also be true for ebooks. The default is yes, change to no to split any facing pages in InDesign into single pages in the ebook.

Read Aloud options

Read aloud audio track to use for the document: If choosing to use a single audio track for the entire read aloud ebook then the path to the audio track is shown here. This value is not hand entered but instead is set when using the CircularFLO Read Aloud Tools.

Read aloud highlights added as background colour: When highlighting text or images along with an audio track, there is a choice whether to alter the colour of the text or image itself, or whether to add a background colour. The default is yes, changing to no means read aloud highlights are not applied as a background colour.

Read aloud highlight colours: The colours used for read aloud highlighting can be consistently applied or quickly altered across the whole document by amending these applied colours, using the InDesign swatches panel.

Text and font options

Main Language: The language used for the ebook is declared within the ebook itself. This language is detected from the InDesign file but can be altered here. A tool to only offer valid options is coming soon… but until then it is advised to pick a value from the official ISO Language list.

Prefer InDesign live text: Use InDesign's method of exporting text. This is recommended for accuracy and accessibility (once exported with CircularFLO!) The default is yes, change to no to embed any text which is not on the FLO_LIVE_TEXT layer.

Export InDesign CSS: The styling of live text used on the ebook page is written as CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) in the ebook's internal code. The default is yes, the option to change to no is included for experienced users who may find it useful to not included InDesign's own CSS when adding alternative CSS files.

Add external CSS: Experienced users may find it useful to add alternative CSS files instead of or in addition to the styles exported from InDesign. The paths to one or more CSS files to include in the ebook are added using the Add / Relink external CSS tools in the CircularFLO Document Tools panel.

Use Font Obfuscation on FLO_LIVE_TEXT layer: InDesign automatically applies 'font obfuscation' to ‘mangle’ the fonts in the ebook so they are no use outside the EPUB package. If using local fonts for text on the CircularFLO live text layer then the font obfuscation can be avoided. The default is no, change to yes to add the entire original font into the EPUB.

Many of the default settings for your ebooks can altered in this one important panel.

Open article page

Step 9.

‍Run GreenLight AccessIBILITy CHEcks.

InDesign file set up and preparation is automatically checked and help given where needed
Spot and fix any issues whilst in InDesign, before exporting to EPUB

GreenLight from Circular Software ensures InDesign files are correct, complete and consistent. GreenLight comes in Custom, Pro and Free versions and we have made GreenLight FREE free of charge to run accessibility checklists. More info here.

With GreenLight installed, select and run the GreenLight FREE checklist Accessibility Checks - Reflowable EPUB to check the readiness of the InDesign file or book. Checks include:

Links & Image descriptions
Styles & Headings
Metadata
Structure & Threads
Image anchoring

Step 10.

‍Export with CircularFLO.

All the file preparation from the previous steps using Circular Software tools and checks is now applied by exporting with CircularFLO
Create accesible reflowable EPUB / Amazon file with no coding required

Page lists, an essential accessibility requirement, are auto added by Circular Software on export.

Click the Create Reflowable EPUB / Amazon file button on the Main Panel (Tools menu > Main Panel) to export two fixed-layout files.

For reflowable a single export creates both the Reflowable EPUB3 and an Amazon refloable file (KPF).

This is the best method for Amazon file creation and is a better approach than using the same EPUB export (despite what you may have heard!).

The Amazon fixed layout KF8 file is auto created when chosen in the Preferences Panel and will be triggered when Kindle Previewer 3 is installed.

Step 11.

‍Validation & testing.

Automatically run epubcheck on your exports to ensure they are valid EPUB3
Run additional automated accessibility checks

Post export validation with Pagina EPUB-Checker and accessibility checking with ACE, by DAISY can also be set up.

Select the options in the CircularFLO Preferences Panel to run these two automated checks at the end of the export process.

We recommend downloading these tools before your first conversion.