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Magazine Accessibility Checklist

22 items in 5 sections. Tick them off as you go; the details under each item explain why it matters and how to check it.

Updated

Accessibility determines whether readers with low vision, blindness, dyslexia, hearing loss or limited mobility can read and navigate your magazine, and many of the fixes make pages easier for everyone. This checklist covers both editions: type size, contrast, layout and paper for print, and structure, reading order, alternative text, links, captions, tagged PDFs and digital readers for the digital edition and website. For digital content the reference point is the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2; for print, the help texts draw on RNIB's Clear Print guidance. Where an item cites a standard or the European Accessibility Act, the help text links to the official source. Use it as practical guidance, not legal advice: which rules apply to you depends on your country, your readers and how you sell the edition.

Type, colour and paper
  • Why and how
    • The RNIB's Clear Print guidance (Word document) is written for all kinds of printed documents. It recommends 14 pt text, with 12 pt as the minimum, and leading at least 2 pt larger than the type size. Magazine body text is often set smaller, so make that a deliberate decision and test it with readers.
    • Judge size on paper, not only by the point value: typefaces with a small x-height look smaller at the same point size.
    • The same guidance suggests plain sans serif typefaces such as Arial, Helvetica, Calibri or Verdana for clear print. If your design uses a serif face for body text, check that it stays legible at the chosen size and weight.
    • The RNIB describes regular print as usually 10 or 12 point and large print as generally 16 to 18 point: see Large and giant print. Offering a large-print or accessible digital file on request is a practical way to serve readers who cannot use the printed issue.
    • For the digital edition, WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA) asks that readers can enlarge text to 200 percent without assistive technology and without losing any content or function; captions and images of text are exempt.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, or 3:1 for large-scale text (at least 18 point, or 14 point bold). Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no contrast requirement.
    • Contrast is measured against the background the text is actually rendered on. For text over a photograph, check the lightest or busiest area behind the letters, and add a solid panel or move the text if it fails there.
    • WCAG is written for digital content and sets no ratio for print. RNIB's Clear Print guidance asks for the highest possible contrast between text and background and says text should not be laid over images. Using 4.5:1 as an internal minimum for print as well gives designers a measurable target.
    • Check colours with a contrast checker on the final values, and look at a printed proof as well as the screen, because colours on paper can differ from what you see on screen.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A) rules out colour as the only visual cue for conveying information, signalling an action, prompting a response or telling one element from another.
    • For charts, icons and buttons, 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA) asks that the parts of a graphic a reader needs in order to understand it reach a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against the colours next to them.
    • Label lines and bars directly instead of relying on a colour key, and vary line styles or markers as well as colours.
    • RNIB's Clear Print guidance makes the same point for print: information conveyed only in colour or through images should also be described.
    • A quick test: view the page in greyscale. If a chart or a colour-coded section becomes ambiguous, it needs another cue.
  • Why and how
    • RNIB's Clear Print guidance recommends left-aligned body text without justification (headings may be centred), bold or quotation marks instead of italics for emphasis, no underlining, and capitals for no more than one or two words at a time.
    • It also asks for enough space between columns that they read as distinct, all text in the same orientation, and white space between paragraphs so the page does not look cluttered.
    • On paper choice, the guidance says gloss and other reflective finishes should be avoided; silk and uncoated papers have a matt finish and are preferred. The paper should be thick enough to stop text showing through from the other side.
    • If your house style uses justified columns, watch for large gaps between words in narrow columns, and adjust hyphenation to keep the word spacing even.
Structure and reading order
  • Why and how
    • If your layout or word-processing tool can map paragraph styles to heading tags when you export a PDF, EPUB or HTML, set this up once in your templates so every issue inherits it.
    • The W3C headings tutorial recommends nesting headings by rank and avoiding skipped ranks, for example a level-2 heading followed directly by a level-4 heading.
    • Relevant WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A), which expects structure shown visually to be available to assistive technology as well, and 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA), which expects headings to describe topic or purpose.
    • In PDFs, headings are tagged with heading tags (W3C technique PDF9); PDF/UA requires each heading to be tagged with an explicit level, such as H1 or H2 (see the Library of Congress PDF/UA-1 description).
    • If a headline is a pun or a single word, add a subheading or standfirst that says what the article is about. The headings tutorial notes that assistive technologies use headings for in-page navigation, and a headline alone may not tell a listener which article they have reached.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A) requires a correct reading sequence to be programmatically determinable when the order affects meaning. The W3C's explanation of the criterion uses a magazine article with callout sidebars as an example: whether the sidebars come before or after the article does not change what either of them means, so several reading orders can be correct. The article text itself still has to be read in sequence, because there the order does affect meaning.
    • The W3C technique PDF3 warns that a screen reader may run straight across both columns of a page that is not tagged properly, and that complex pages with graphics, tables, footnotes or sidebars can come out of the conversion to tagged PDF in the wrong order. The technique corrects such errors afterwards in a repair tool, for example by moving tags in the tags panel of a PDF editor.
    • Running heads and folios are produced by pagination and are not part of the article. PDF/UA calls such by-products of pagination and layout artifacts and keeps them out of the structure tree (see the PDF/UA-1 description); the W3C technique PDF14 shows running headers and footers tagged as pagination artifacts. Content marked as an artifact can be skipped by assistive technology (PDF4), so folios and running heads are not read out in the middle of the text.
    • Thread text frames in reading order in your layout file and anchor sidebars and pull quotes near the paragraph they belong to, so less needs repairing after export.
  • Why and how
    • The W3C tables tutorial explains how to mark header cells and link them to their data cells, notes that a caption naming the table's topic is useful in most situations, and advises against using tables for layout.
    • For PDFs, see the W3C techniques PDF6 (table elements for table markup) and PDF21 (list tags for lists).
    • Keep tables as simple as the content allows: one header row, few merged cells and no empty spacer columns make them far easier to follow with a screen reader.
    • RNIB's Clear Print guidance adds a print tip: use bold, solid bullet marks.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criteria 3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A) and 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA) require the default language and the language of each passage or phrase to be programmatically determinable, with some exceptions.
    • On the web, the default language is set with the lang attribute on the html element, for example lang="fr" for a French page: see the W3C technique H57.
    • In PDFs, set the document language (PDF16) and mark passages in other languages (PDF19). PDF/UA also requires the natural languages used in a document to be declared.
    • For a multilingual issue, set the language per article in the template rather than fixing it file by file.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A) requires titles that describe topic or purpose.
    • For PDFs, the W3C technique PDF18 describes setting the Title entry in the document properties and setting the viewer to display that document title in the title bar.
    • Bookmarks let readers jump between articles (PDF2); the technique's examples show headings turning into bookmarks when a document is exported to PDF, so check whether your tool does the same.
    • Set the PDF page labels so that the page numbers in the viewer match the page numbers printed in the issue (PDF17); otherwise "see page 34" points to the wrong page.
Images, links and media
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) asks for a text alternative that does the same job as the image, and for purely decorative images to be coded so that assistive technology can skip them.
    • The W3C images tutorial covers informative, decorative, functional and complex images, and the alt decision tree helps you choose the right approach for each image.
    • Write for the story: say what the image shows that matters for the article, keep it short, and do not repeat the caption word for word. Photo credits are not alternative text.
    • On the web, a decorative image gets an empty alternative (alt=""). In PDFs, alternative text goes in the Alt entry of the image's tag, usually a Figure tag (PDF1), and decorative images are marked as artifacts (PDF4).
    • Plan it into the workflow: ask writers or picture editors to supply alternative text together with captions, so it is not written in a rush at export.
  • Why and how
    • The W3C tutorial on complex images calls for a two-part alternative: a short text that identifies the image, and a longer description of the essential information such as values, relationships and trends. Showing that description as part of the visible content helps every reader.
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) asks for real text instead of images of text where the technology allows it; logotypes are treated as essential and are exempt.
    • A digital cover is often uploaded as a single image. Give it alternative text with the title, issue and main cover lines, or repeat them as text on the issue page.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) requires the purpose of each link to be clear from the link text alone or from the link text together with its context. The W3C's explanation advises making link text self-explanatory wherever possible and notes that, where context is needed, it works best before the link.
    • Prefer "Subscribe to the print edition" over "click here" or a bare URL. The same page points out that assistive technology can list all the links on a page and that some readers tab from link to link, so each link should make sense on its own.
    • In PDFs, links are made with a Link annotation and a Link structure element (PDF11); test them after export and again after upload to the platform.
    • Underlining or another visual cue keeps links recognisable for readers who cannot distinguish colours (1.4.1 Use of Color).
    • In print, not every reader can scan a QR code, so print a short, readable URL next to it.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) requires captions for all pre-recorded audio in video and other synchronised media; the only exception is media that is itself an alternative to text and clearly labelled as such.
    • The W3C page Captions/Subtitles explains that captions put into text both the dialogue and the other sounds a viewer needs in order to follow the content. It warns that automatic captions fall short of user needs and accessibility requirements unless someone has confirmed they are fully accurate, and that they usually need substantial editing, so treat them as a first draft.
    • One missing word, such as "not", can reverse the meaning of a sentence, so proofread captions like any other text.
    • Closed captions can be switched on and off by the viewer; open captions are always visible. Check that captions also appear when the video is embedded in the digital edition or played on another platform.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criteria: 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A) requires an alternative such as a transcript for pre-recorded audio-only content; 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) allows either audio description or a text alternative for pre-recorded video with sound; 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA) requires audio description.
    • The W3C page on audio description says description is not needed for audio-only content or for videos without essential visual information, such as a person simply talking. One approach it describes is integrated description: the visual information is worked into the script and spoken by the presenter, which suits presentations and training videos.
    • A descriptive transcript adds the essential visual information to the dialogue and sounds. The W3C page on transcripts explains that this is the format people who are both Deaf and blind need, and that once you provide one, a separate basic transcript is unnecessary.
  • Why and how
    • WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A): audio that starts by itself and lasts longer than three seconds needs a control to pause or stop it, or a volume control that works separately from the device's own volume.
    • 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A): moving, blinking or scrolling content that starts automatically, runs for more than five seconds and is shown alongside other content needs a way to pause, stop or hide it, unless the movement is essential. Animated covers, looping video backgrounds and auto-advancing slideshows are typical cases in a digital edition.
    • 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A): content must not flash more than three times within any one second, unless the flashes stay below the general and red flash thresholds.
    • Page-turn effects are worth reviewing too: check that they do not distract from the text.
Accessible PDFs and digital editions
  • Why and how
    • The Library of Congress PDF/UA-1 description summarises the main requirements: all real content tagged in a logical reading order, layout elements marked as artifacts, figures with alternative text, headings tagged with explicit levels, natural languages declared and fonts embedded. PDF/UA-1 was published in 2012 and updated in 2014; a later part, ISO 14289-2 (PDF/UA-2), was published in 2024.
    • Keep the press file and the digital file separate: export the digital version with tagging, bookmarks and hyperlinks switched on, rather than uploading the PDF made for the printer.
    • RNIB's Clear Print guidance notes that it is easier to check accessibility at source and then convert to PDF. Fix structure in the layout file first; repairs made only in the PDF are lost at the next export.
    • The W3C PDF techniques show how individual WCAG success criteria are met in PDF documents, and WCAG2ICT explains how WCAG can be applied to non-web documents. WCAG2ICT is informative guidance, not a separate standard.
    • Run a PDF/UA check after every export, then review the tags and reading order by hand, because a checker cannot judge whether the order makes sense.
  • Why and how
    • The W3C technique PDF7 covers performing OCR on a scanned PDF so that it contains actual text.
    • OCR adds text but not structure: headings, reading order and alternative text still need tagging and checking afterwards. Proofread at least the headlines, names and figures, where recognition errors matter most.
    • Pages flattened into images turn all their text into images of text, which 1.4.5 Images of Text asks you to avoid, and their text cannot be resized or reflowed.
    • RNIB's Clear Print guidance suggests considering alternatives to PDF, such as HTML or a Word document, and says a Word version should also be offered with PDF files because some screen readers cannot access PDFs.
  • Why and how
    • Relevant WCAG 2.2 success criteria include 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A: all functionality operable through a keyboard interface, with narrow exceptions), 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA), 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA) and 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA: content usable at a width equivalent to 320 CSS pixels without scrolling in two directions).
    • The W3C's explanation of Reflow notes that 320 CSS pixels corresponds to a 1280-pixel-wide viewport at 400 percent zoom, and that parts of the content that need a two-dimensional layout, such as maps, diagrams and data tables, are exempt. It also gives a PDF made to PDF/UA (ISO 14289) as an example of a document whose content can be reflowed, so readers with low vision can zoom in and still read it.
    • Small page-turn, zoom and menu buttons are hard to hit: 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA) asks for targets of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions.
    • Ask your platform for its accessibility documentation and check whether it covers the reader your audience uses, not only the publishing dashboard.
  • Why and how
    • EPUB Accessibility 1.1 has been a W3C Recommendation since 25 May 2023; the current edition is dated 17 October 2024 (see the publication history). Version 1.2 is in development, but its latest draft, dated 12 September 2026, is a Candidate Recommendation Draft (history), so 1.1 remains the current Recommendation.
    • Every EPUB must include the accessibility metadata accessMode, accessibilityFeature and accessibilityHazard in the package document, whether or not it meets the accessibility requirements; accessibilitySummary and accessModeSufficient are recommended. The specification calls this discoverability metadata: it describes how the content can be accessed, so readers can find out whether it suits them.
    • To conform, a publication must meet at least WCAG 2.0 Level A; the specification strongly recommends the latest WCAG 2 version and Level AA.
    • Page navigation should be included when the EPUB is the digital equivalent of a print edition. If you include it, a page list is required and the source of the pagination has to be identified in the metadata.
Test and publish
  • Why and how
    • Automated checkers find missing tags or missing alternative text, but they cannot tell whether a description is useful or whether the reading order makes sense. Manual checks close that gap.
    • The W3C's Easy Checks walk through quick tests of page titles, image text alternatives, headings, contrast, keyboard focus, language, zoom, captions, transcripts and audio description. The page itself warns that the checks are deliberately limited and that passing them does not mean a page is free of serious barriers.
    • The screen reader built into your computer or phone is enough for a first test. Test the same issue on desktop and mobile, because readers and apps behave differently.
    • Where you can, ask readers with disabilities to test an issue, and keep a list of recurring problems so they are fixed in the templates rather than in every issue.
  • Why and how
    • The W3C's guidance on accessibility statements says a statement should at least contain a commitment to accessibility, the standard applied (such as WCAG 2.2) and contact information; known limitations, technical prerequisites and the environments you tested in are advisable additions. A statement generator helps you draft one.
    • RNIB's Clear Print guidance suggests providing information in alternative formats such as large print, audio or braille, and offering HTML or Word versions as alternatives to PDF.
    • Answer requests promptly and keep a record of them: repeated requests show where the regular edition needs to improve.
    • When you name the standard, include the version. According to the WCAG overview, WCAG 2.2 was published on 5 October 2023 and updated on 12 December 2024, WCAG 3 is still an early draft, and W3C encourages using the latest version of WCAG. The October 2023 version of WCAG 2.2 is identical to the ISO standard ISO/IEC 40500:2025.
  • Why and how
    • The European Accessibility Act, Directive (EU) 2019/882, applies to the covered services provided to consumers after 28 June 2025. The European Commission's overview of the Act lists e-books and e-commerce among the covered products and services.
    • Article 3 defines "e-book and dedicated software" as a service providing digital files that convey an electronic version of a book, together with the software, including apps, used to access, navigate and read them, and "e-commerce services" as services provided at a distance by electronic means, through websites and mobile device-based services, at a consumer's individual request with a view to concluding a consumer contract. The directive does not mention magazines or periodicals anywhere, so whether your edition, shop or app is covered depends on these definitions and on your country's implementing law.
    • Microenterprises that provide services are exempt from the service accessibility requirements. The directive defines a microenterprise as employing fewer than 10 persons with an annual turnover or annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 2 million.
    • For website and app content, the directive excludes, among other things, pre-recorded time-based media (audio and video) and office file formats published before 28 June 2025, and archives whose content is not updated or edited after that date.
    • Member States had to transpose the directive into national law by 28 June 2022 and apply their national rules from 28 June 2025, so the national rules and authorities are the binding reference. This checklist is practical guidance, not legal advice; for a definitive answer, ask a lawyer or the competent national authority.

Guides for this checklist