Accessibility Statement
Our commitment to accessibility
At Usborne, we believe that books should be accessible to everyone. This commitment extends to our website and eBooks, where we strive to provide an inclusive and accessible experience for readers, regardless of ability or technology. We want everyone to enjoy exploring our books and resources online.
As a children's publisher, many of our books rely heavily on illustrations and visual design. We work to improve accessibility while preserving the reading experience and educational value of our publications.
Standards we follow
We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of www.usborne.com and our digital publications. Our aim is for new websites and reflowable eBooks to meet relevant accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.2 AA and EPUB Accessibility standards where applicable. This means we're committed to making our website and eBooks perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users.
Accessibility features
We aim for our website and eBooks to include features designed to improve accessibility, including but not limited to:
eBooks
- Accessible eBook formats such as EPUB3, with tagging and structured headings
- Text reflow and resizable fonts in eBook formats to support users with visual impairments where possible (please note some highly illustrated eBooks will not be reflowable).
- Alternative text descriptions for non-decorative images
- We provide accessibility metadata to retailers to help customers understand which accessibility features are included in an eBook
Websites
- Clear, readable text with appropriate contrast
- Alternative text descriptions for non-decorative images
- Keyboard navigation support
- Responsive design that works across different devices
- Clear headings and site structure
- Accessible forms with appropriate labels
- Focus indicators for keyboard users
Our accessibility journey
While we strive for improved accessibility, some of our older eBooks and aspects of our website do not meet all accessibility standards.
eBooks
- Reflowable EPUB eBooks created from January 2025 were created with the objective of meeting accessibility standards. Most eBooks created before January 2025 and fixed-format EPUBs created on any date will not include accessibility features. You can email us on [email protected] if you have any questions.
- We use fixed-layout EPUB format for highly illustrated titles to ensure correct placement of images and text. We also have some older eBooks in PDF format. By definition neither of these formats support reflowable text, although fixed-layout EPUBs can incorporate other accessibility features. We are not yet able to create accessible fixed-layout EPUBs although we are working on it with our converters.
- We are currently reviewing our backlist of eBooks to assess whether accessibility can be improved without either imposing a disproportionate burden or fundamentally altering the nature of the content.
- You can email us on [email protected] if there is a specific backlist eBook title you would like us to prioritise for this review. We will consider requests on a case-by-case basis, taking into account technical feasibility and the nature of the content.
- Reflowable EPUB eBooks created since January 2025 were produced with the objective of meeting EPUB Accessibility standards and include accessibility features such as structured headings, navigation and alternative text for non-decorative images.
- We have adopted a distribution platform that supports accessibility metadata (ONIX 3). This enables retailers to receive information about the accessibility features available in our eBooks, and we are currently working to ensure this information is processed correctly.
Websites
- We have undertaken significant work to improve the accessibility of the websites at usborne.com including expanded implementation of alternative text for images and higher levels of contrast for text on background images.
- However, some complex interactive elements may not be fully keyboard accessible and some older content such as images with text may still have issues with colour contrast.
- Downloadable media such as activity sheets and teachers' resources are primarily designed for print use and are not currently fully accessible. If you require an alternative format, please contact us and we will consider requests on a case-by-case basis.
- Please email us on [email protected] if there are aspects of our websites which make it difficult to use from an accessibility perspective or where you do not think the website is meeting WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
Contact us
As well as emailing us at [email protected], you can also write to us at Accessibility Enquiries, Usborne Publishing, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8RT. We aim to acknowledge accessibility enquiries within five working days and provide a substantive response within 20 working days. If you are dissatisfied with our response to an accessibility enquiry, you may request that the matter be reviewed by senior management.
This statement
This accessibility statement was last updated on 15 June 2026 and shows our commitment to making our website and eBooks accessible to all users.