Accessibility Statement
Our commitment to making publishing accessible to everyone
| Our Commitment Futures Publishing is committed to ensuring that our website, digital publications, and physical materials are accessible to all readers — including people with disabilities, older readers, and those using assistive technologies. Accessibility is not an afterthought for us; it is a publishing value. |
1. About This Statement
This Accessibility Statement applies to the Futures Publishing website (futurespublishing.com) and to digital publications produced or distributed by Futures Publishing, including e-books, journal articles, and online resources.
It does not cover third-party websites linked from our site, or platforms and retailers (such as Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, or Kobo) through which our titles are sold. Those platforms publish their own accessibility statements.
This statement was prepared in May 2026 and is reviewed annually. It will be updated following any significant changes to our website or publishing practices.
| If you experience any accessibility barriers on our website or with any of our publications, we want to know. Contact us at accessibility@futurespublishing.com and we will respond within 5 working days. |
2. Compliance Status
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. There are three levels of conformance: Level A (minimum), Level AA (standard), and Level AAA (enhanced).
Futures Publishing aims to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA for its website. We are currently partially conformant — meaning that some content does not yet fully meet the standard. The known limitations are described in Section 4 of this statement.
| Standard | Target Level | Current Status |
| WCAG 2.1 | Level AA | Partially Conformant |
| WCAG 2.1 Level A | Minimum baseline | Substantially conformant |
| PDF Accessibility (PDF/UA) | ISO 14289-1 | In progress for key documents |
| EPUB Accessibility 1.1 | WCAG 2.0 AA | Applied to new e-book releases |
| EN 301 549 (EU) | European standard | Monitored; applicable to EU audience |
3. Accessibility Features on Our Website
The following accessibility features are currently implemented on futurespublishing.com:
Structure & Navigation
- Semantic HTML used throughout — headings, lists, landmarks, and page regions are properly coded
- Consistent navigation structure across all pages — menus and links appear in the same location
- Skip navigation link provided at the top of each page for keyboard users
- All pages have descriptive, unique title tags
- Breadcrumb navigation provided on content pages
- Logical reading order preserved when CSS is disabled
Text & Readability
- Body text is set at a minimum of 16px to support comfortable reading
- Line spacing of at least 1.5x applied across all body content
- Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- No text is rendered as images (all text is live, selectable, and searchable)
- Plain English used throughout; reading level targeted at Grade 10 or below for general pages
- Abbreviations and acronyms are explained on first use
Colour & Contrast
- Colour contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text (AA standard)
- Colour contrast ratio of at least 3:1 for large text and interactive elements
- Colour is never used as the sole means of conveying information
- Focus indicators are visible on all interactive elements
Images & Media
- All meaningful images carry descriptive alt text
- Decorative images use empty alt attributes (alt=””) to be ignored by screen readers
- Book cover images include alt text describing title, author, and key design elements
- Video content includes captions where available
- Audio content includes transcripts where available
Forms & Interactivity
- All form fields are labelled clearly and associated with their labels in code
- Error messages are descriptive and identify which field requires attention
- Forms can be completed using keyboard only
- Timeout warnings are provided before sessions expire
- No content flashes more than three times per second
Keyboard & Assistive Technology
- The entire website can be navigated using a keyboard alone
- Tab order follows a logical, predictable sequence
- No keyboard traps — users can always move focus away from any component
- ARIA landmarks and roles used where native HTML is insufficient
- Tested with NVDA (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS and iOS), and TalkBack (Android)
4. Known Limitations
Despite our efforts, some content on our website and in our publications does not yet fully meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We have identified the following known issues and are actively working to resolve them:
| Area | Known Issue | Impact | Target Fix |
| Older PDFs (pre-2023) | Not tagged for screen reader compatibility | High — screen readers cannot parse structure | Q3 2026 |
| Some journal article PDFs | Reading order inconsistent in multi-column layouts | Medium — reading order may be incorrect | Q4 2026 |
| Video content (archive) | Captions not available on videos published before 2022 | Medium — deaf and hard-of-hearing users affected | Ongoing |
| Third-party embedded content | Some social media embeds lack accessible labels | Low — limited to social feed widgets | Q3 2026 |
| Interactive charts (Journal) | Some data visualisations lack text alternatives | Medium — screen reader users cannot access data | Q4 2026 |
| Mobile navigation (some pages) | Dropdown menus require keyboard improvement on mobile | Low — affects keyboard-mobile users | Q2 2026 |
| If you encounter any issue not listed above, please report it to accessibility@futurespublishing.com. We treat all accessibility reports as high priority. |
5. Accessible Publication Formats
Futures Publishing is committed to making our publications available in formats that serve readers with different access needs. The following accessible formats are available or in development:
| Format | Who It Serves | Availability |
| Reflowable E-book (EPUB) | Screen reader users; users who adjust font size, spacing, or contrast | Available for all new titles from 2022 |
| Audiobook | Blind and low-vision readers; dyslexic readers; commuters | Selected titles; growing catalogue |
| Large Print Edition | Low-vision readers; older readers | Available on request for most titles |
| Accessible PDF (tagged) | Screen reader users accessing academic content | New journal articles from 2023 onwards |
| Braille Edition | Blind readers | Available via third-party arrangements; contact us |
| DAISY Format | Blind and print-disabled readers; specialist libraries | Available on request through partner organisations |
To request a publication in an accessible format, contact us at accessibility@futurespublishing.com with the title and ISBN of the book and your preferred format. We will respond within 5 working days and aim to fulfil requests within 30 days.
| Futures Publishing works with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and equivalent organisations in India to ensure our titles are included in accessible library collections. Authors are encouraged to support accessible publishing by providing high-quality image descriptions at manuscript stage. |
6. Assistive Technology Compatibility
Our website has been tested with the following assistive technologies. We aim to ensure a good experience across all platforms, though individual device and software configurations may vary.
| Assistive Technology | Browser Tested | Platform | Status |
| NVDA (latest) | Chrome, Firefox | Windows | Supported |
| JAWS 2024 | Chrome, Edge | Windows | Supported |
| VoiceOver | Safari | macOS, iOS | Supported |
| TalkBack | Chrome | Android | Supported |
| Narrator | Edge | Windows | Partially supported |
| Zoom Text | Chrome | Windows | Supported |
| Dragon NaturallySpeaking | Chrome | Windows | Substantially supported |
7. Our Ongoing Accessibility Work
Accessibility is a continuous effort, not a one-time task. The following initiatives are currently underway or planned at Futures Publishing:
Website Improvements
- Accessibility audit of all pages by a certified WCAG specialist — Q2 2026
- Remediation of all pre-2023 PDF documents with screen reader tags — Q3 2026
- Captioning of all archived video content — Ongoing through 2026
- Introduction of a user-controlled accessibility widget (text size, contrast, dyslexia font) — Q3 2026
- Annual third-party accessibility review from 2027 onwards
Publication Standards
- All new e-books to meet EPUB Accessibility 1.1 standard from January 2025 onwards
- All new PDFs to meet PDF/UA standard from January 2025 onwards
- Author guidelines updated to include accessible image description requirements
- Accessibility checklist added to editorial production workflow
- Partnership with RNIB and Daisy Consortium to expand accessible format availability
Staff Training
- Accessibility awareness training for all editorial and digital staff — Annual
- WCAG 2.1 training for web development team — Completed Q1 2026
- Accessible document creation training for production team — Q2 2026
8. Reporting Accessibility Issues
We welcome feedback on the accessibility of our website and publications. If you encounter a barrier — whether it is a page that does not work with your screen reader, a document that cannot be resized, or anything else — we want to hear about it.
How to Contact Us
- Email: accessibility@futurespublishing.com
- Subject line: ACCESSIBILITY FEEDBACK — [brief description]
- In your message, please describe the issue, the page or document affected, and the assistive technology or browser you were using
- We will acknowledge your message within 2 working days and aim to respond fully within 5 working days
What Happens Next
- We log every accessibility report in our accessibility issue tracker
- Issues are assessed and prioritised based on impact
- We communicate a fix timeline to the person who reported the issue
- Resolved issues are reflected in our next quarterly review of this statement
| We do not use accessibility reports for marketing purposes. Your contact details will only be used to respond to your specific feedback. |
9. Formal Complaints & Enforcement
If you are not satisfied with our response to an accessibility complaint, or if you believe we are not meeting our accessibility commitments, you may escalate your concern through the following channels:
- Write to our Publisher directly at publisher@futurespublishing.com, marked for the attention of the Accessibility Complaints Officer
- If the matter relates to a digital product or website, you may refer your complaint to the relevant consumer protection or digital rights authority in your jurisdiction
- In India, complaints relating to digital accessibility may be directed to the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) or to the Cyber Appellate Tribunal
- Users in the European Union may contact their national accessibility authority if content fails to meet EN 301 549 requirements
We are committed to resolving all accessibility complaints fairly and promptly. We aim to close formal complaints within 20 working days.
10. Legal Framework
Futures Publishing is guided by the following legislation and standards in its approach to accessibility:
| Legislation / Standard | Jurisdiction | Relevance |
| Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 | India | Mandates accessible communication for persons with disabilities |
| Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) | India | Accessibility framework for Indian digital services |
| WCAG 2.1 (W3C) | International | Global benchmark for web accessibility |
| EPUB Accessibility 1.1 (W3C / DAISY) | International | E-book accessibility standard |
| EN 301 549 | European Union | ICT accessibility standard covering websites and software |
| Equality Act 2010 | United Kingdom | Requires reasonable adjustments for disabled users |
| Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) | United States | Applies to digital content for US-based users |
This statement was last reviewed and updated in May 2026.
It is reviewed annually and updated following any significant changes to our website or digital publishing practices.
Futures Publishing
Shaping the stories of tomorrow.
futurespublishing.com | accessibility@futurespublishing.com