More often than you might realize, I come across entrepreneurs and self-published authors who fail to offer options for people with low vision. With over 8 million Americans being considered blind or visually impaired, it just makes good business sense to produce and publish accessible versions of your work. Ya know, on top of the whole “accessibility matters” thing…

“Well, you can get a digital copy of my book… what about e-books?“

Big ol’ Family Feud ‘X’ to that.

Digital eyestrain often leads to dry eyes and puts an extra burden on the muscles that help the eye focus. Also, the eyes do not blink as frequently when looking at digital devices, which causes faster disruption and evaporation of the film of tears that protects the surface of the eye.

Some eye conditions are not compatible with screen use. Others are made worse by starting at screens.

Plus, if you’re like me, nothing can replace the loveliness of holding a physical book, of turning pages, highlighting… no device has replicated that experience, an experience that I – an avid reader – missed for a long time as I dealt with my vision loss.

In short, no, digital isn’t the complete answer.

So, here’s how to make your books accessible…

You’ve probably heard of Large Print books – that’s a technical term for print that is generally 16 to 18 point size. Giant print is anything larger than 18-point. But there’s more than font size to consider – you’ve got color choice, paragraph formatting, column layout…

To avoid things getting too confusing or complicated, I’ve broken it down to a few key tips which you’ll find in the PDF below. I hope this helps you create more accessible work and reach a wider audience.

If you’d like a Viz-Serv accessibility analyst to review your work, send over a message.

View the PDF: