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Scaling Accessible Publishing Across Formats for a Global Education Publisher

CLIENT

Large international higher education publisher (STEM and humanities titles, global distribution)

SCOPE

eBooks, PDFs, images, video assets, and digital course materials across multiple production vendors

THE SITUATION

A leading global education publisher faced a growing operational challenge. Accessibility requirements were expanding rapidly across procurement contracts, higher education adoption processes, and institutional purchasing. At the same time, their production workflow relied on multiple composition vendors, tight seasonal schedules, and thousands of titles moving through production each year.
The publisher was not starting from zero. Accessibility work required a combination of internal teams and external remediation vendors. However, several issues began to compound:
  • Alt text quality varied significantly between vendors and disciplines
  • Manual remediation timelines delayed publication schedules
  • Accessibility fixes were occurring post-production rather than during production
  • Rework rates were high, especially for STEM titles
  • Costs were increasing annually without improved consistency
  • Large backlists remained unaddressed
Accessibility was operating separately from the core publishing workflow, creating risk. Titles could be editorially complete but not ready for institutional adoption due to incomplete accessibility verification. The publisher needed a solution that not only remediated files but also integrated directly into their production process.

THE CHALLENGE

The publisher needed to:
  • Produce accessible content across EPUB, PDF, HTML, and image formats
  • Generate accurate, discipline-appropriate alt text at scale
  • Maintain formatting integrity of complex layouts
  • Reduce turnaround time without increasing staff
  • Standardize accessibility quality across multiple vendors
  • Avoid disruption to existing composition workflows
Traditional manual remediation vendors could address individual books but could not scale to thousands of titles annually. Software-only tools improved tagging but could not address complex content, quality review, or cross-format production.
They needed both automation and expertise.

THE APPROACH

Continual Engine implemented a blended production model combining automation platforms with expert accessibility review. The solution integrated three components directly into the publisher’s existing production pipeline.

  • Automated Image Analysis and Alt Text Creation (Invicta)

    Images were extracted from EPUB and layout files in bulk. Invicta generated contextual alt text using AI models trained on educational content. Subject matter experts then reviewed and refined the descriptions, ensuring discipline accuracy for diagrams, charts, and instructional graphics.

    This replaced inconsistent manual authoring and reduced the need for author intervention.

  • Automated Remediation and Validation (PREP)

    Files were processed through PREP to automate the majority of structural remediation, including tagging, reading order, semantic structure, tables, lists, and navigation elements.

    PREP automated approximately 90% of remediation tasks. Accessibility specialists addressed complex remaining items and verified compliance. Files were then exported back into EPUB and PDF formats without disrupting layout integrity.

  • Workflow Integration and Standardization

    Rather than requiring the publisher to change vendors, Continual Engine standardized accessibility across them.

    Workflow: composition vendor → automated processing → expert review → validated accessible output

    Automated reporting identified missing alt text, structural issues, and compliance gaps. This allowed accessibility to occur during production instead of after production.

RESULTS

Financial Impact

  • Approximately 50% lower cost compared to fully manual remediation
  • Estimated savings exceeding $2 million across the program
  • Reduction in internal staff intervention

Scale Achieved

  • 7,000+ EPUBs remediated
  • 2.4 million pages processed
  • ~350,000 alt text descriptions generated
  • 2.4 million pages processed
  • ~350,000 alt text descriptions generated

Operational Impact

  • Up to 70% reduction in processing time
  • Ability to process thousands of titles annually
  • Accessibility embedded within publishing workflow
  • Reduced post-production corrections

Quality Improvements

  • Consistent alt text across disciplines
  • Less rework from institutions and adoption reviewers
  • Reliable WCAG, ADA, Section 508, and PDF/UA compliance

WHY THE PUBLISHER SELECTED CONTINUAL ENGINE

The publisher did not select a tool or a remediation vendor. They selected a workflow partner.
Continual Engine’s model enabled them to engage existing composition vendors, automate accessibility across formats, combine AI efficiency with human quality control, meet procurement accessibility expectations, and scale accessibility to the full catalog.
Accessibility shifted from a compliance project to a production capability.
“It has been a truly positive experience working with the Continual Engine team and their Invicta tool. I can certainly attest to the efficiency, consistency, and excellent quality of the alternative text that has been developed thus far for about 30 titles across our Math, Computer Science and Engineering discipline lists. With another 40 projects currently underway, my team and I now have the confidence to have final quality product ahead of our scheduled deadlines while improving costs throughout the production list. Developing this new workflow and implementing it to our lists to come will undoubtedly support providing an excellent learner experience for all our consumers. ”
Managing Producer,
One of the largest education publishers and learning companies

CONCLUSION

For education publishers, accessibility is no longer a post- production task. It is a production requirement.
By combining PREP automation, Invicta alt text generation, and expert remediation services, Continual Engine enabled the publisher to make accessibility repeatable, scalable, and predictable across its publishing program.
The result was not simply compliant content, but a sustainable, accessible publishing workflow.

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