Accessibility

Last updated: March 2024

The University of Michigan Press is committed to making its publications and electronic media accessible to the broadest possible audience. This commitment is firmly in line with our mission statement and University of Michigan accessibility policies and guidelines. Our vision is to make the University of Michigan Press an accessible publishing organization: producing accessible publications, implementing accessible systems, and effecting change among our peers and partners by maintaining a high standard of accessibility. Our current initiatives to support accessibility include:

While we are committed to creating accessible publications, we recognize that some of our publications are in formats that are not currently accessible to all of our readers. Readers needing an alternate format of a U-M Press publication can acquire or request one using the instructions below.

If you need an accessible electronic version of a book, you may access or request one through the following channels:

Bookshare: Ebook library for individuals with reading barriers and institutions that serve them. Schools or individuals, inside or outside the US, can sign up for an account. Books are available in EPUB, DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), BRF (Braille Refreshable Format), MP3, and DAISY Audio.

RNIB Bookshare: RNIB Bookshare, run by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), supports learners with a print disability to access the curriculum. Educational organizations within or outside the UK can join the service. Books are available in EPUB, DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), BRF (Braille Refreshable Format), MP3, and DAISY Audio.

BiblioVault: Scholarly e-book repository. Only disability service providers can sign up for an account. Books may be available in PDF or EPUB.

Michigan Publishing: U-M Press's parent organization. Individuals and institutions may contact us directly. Books may be available in EPUB or PDF.

Please note that due to rights limitations on some content, all titles may not be available in PDF form and some conditions on use apply. We will respond within 48 hours to all requests.

If you require assistance or wish to report an issue related to accessibility of any content we produce (our website, ebooks, or other), please send an email to umpress.accessibility@umich.edu. If applicable, please include the URL or book title and the specific problems you have encountered.

Accessibility features for EPUBs have been focused primarily on meeting accessibility standards and best practices, including creating textual descriptions of illustrations and producing accessible time-based media. Since 2021 our EPUB production workflow has been certified accessible through the Benetech Global Certified Accessible program. Nearly all of our EPUBs published after January 2021 meet EPUB accessibility and WCAG AA guidelines and include an accessibility certification.

Prior to 2021 we began making accessible EPUBs with our Corporealities: Discourses of Disability Series and related titles beginning in 2016. Since Fall 2019, all books published have basic textual descriptions of images either supplied by authors or written by publishing vendors.

Available ebook reading systems vary widely in their support for the accessibility features in our EPUBs. Visit EPUB Test for accessibility support information for specific reading systems, or contact us if you have a question about the best reading system for your needs.

We work to ensure our website conforms to the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Level AA. Known issues include:

  • Older PDF files on the site may reflect previous processes and may not be accessible. When possible we’ll make accessible versions of older PDFs upon request.

The University of Michigan Press endorses the Society for Disability Studies Accessible Publishing guidelines and is actively working to meet them.

In August 2021, the U-M Press signed and endorsed the Accessible Book Consortium's Charter for Accessible Publishing, adhering to eight criteria to help ensure accessible ebooks for all.

The Working Group meets monthly to set the accessibility vision for Michigan Publishing, advise on practices to create born-accessible publications, implement accessible technologies and systems, and effect change among our partners and peer presses by maintaining a high standard of accessibility. It currently is working on:

  • Training for acquisition and production staff
  • Working with vendors to implement and support accessibility features in EPUBs
  • Learning how we can support and display accessibility metadata on book product pages to help readers identify accessibility features built into our e-book titles
  • Improving the accessibility of our PDF format ebooks
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