Personalization in the interactive EPUB 3 reading experience: accessibility issues for screen reader users

In this paper, we describe the study conducted to investigate accessibility using EPUB 3 with particular focus on interaction via screen reader. A multimedia and interactive EPUB 3 prototype was designed for the purpose. In particular, personalization features based on user preferences were designed to customize the reading experience and enrich the interactive experience. Despite the fact that the EPUB format is based on HTML5, and numerous guidelines for web-based technology can be applied to overcome accessibility barriers, several issues still exist with the current standard EPUB 3 when accessing via screen reader. This study contributes to digital publishing for assistive technology and reading application development by promoting accessibility in EPUB interaction. Thus, some considerations and suggestions in that direction end the paper.