Accessibility at OpenStax

Frequently asked questions

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We are committed to making our textbooks and products accessible to all students and educators. Based on your most common questions, we’ve compiled this guide to help you find the information and resources you need.

Sign up to receive accessibility updates from OpenStax by completing the OpenStax Accessibility Communications form.

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Are OpenStax textbooks ADA compliant?

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OpenStax is committed to making all of our materials accessible. Our online web view textbooks and OpenStax Assignable are designed to meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 Levels A and AA. We are actively working with third-party accessibility specialists at Level Access to update PDF versions of our books and instructor resources, such as PowerPoint slides, to align with WCAG 2.1 Levels A and AA and Section 508 requirements.

Read our blog post to learn more about how our long-standing accessibility framework supports ADA compliance and inclusive learning.

Is OpenStax working toward WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for the April 2027 DOJ deadline?

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Yes. We understand the urgency, especially with the April 2027 (previously April 2026) deadline for institutions covered by the Department of Justice’s updated Title II rule. While our online textbooks are already highly compliant, we are actively working to ensure that all other materials (e.g., PDF versions of textbooks, supplemental PowerPoint slides, etc.) meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. Our latest Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR / completed VPAT) confirms that the web view of our textbooks is highly conformant.

OpenStax proactively works to ensure our materials meet WCAG standards; our efforts include:

• Ongoing accessibility audits of our online web view content
• Updating PDF versions of textbooks with proper tagging, alt text, and heading structure
• Remediating instructor resources, including PowerPoint slides
• Working with Level Access, a third-party accessibility firm, to validate compliance
• Updating our Accessibility Conformance Reports (VPATs)

Where can I find OpenStax’s Accessibility Statement?

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Our Accessibility Statement is available at openstax.org/accessibility-statement. It outlines our commitment to accessibility, the standards we follow, and how to contact us with accessibility concerns.

Can I continue using my current OpenStax textbook after the April 2027 DOJ Title II deadline?

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Yes, you can. We are dedicated to ensuring ongoing access and compliance. For the most up-to-date information on specific titles and to see our latest VPAT, please refer to our Accessibility Statement. If you have additional questions about a specific textbook, we are happy to answer them; reach out to accessibility@openstax.org.

My institution’s accessibility checker flagged issues with OpenStax content. What should I do?

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Accessibility checkers like Adobe Acrobat, Blackboard Ally, WAVE, Google Lighthouse, and Microsoft’s built-in checker are valuable tools, but they can flag different issues depending on the format and settings used. Additionally, automated accessibility checkers are not infallible and may miss issues and/or flag false positives. If you encounter accessibility issues with any OpenStax content, please submit a correction via our errata form with the specific title, format (online, PDF, PPT, docx, etc.), and a description of the issue(s) found. We will work closely with our third-party accessibility experts, Level Access, to investigate and remediate the issue(s).

Where can I find the latest accessibility documentation for OpenStax’ products and materials?

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The most recent ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report / completed VPAT), dated March 2026, for our online textbooks is available for download. We update our ACR annually. This document details our conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA. You can also reference our Conformance and Remediation Form to learn more about our ongoing accessibility remediation efforts.

To access Assignable’s ACR, please contact our support team directly at accessibility@openstax.org.

I’m having trouble with a Word (.docx) file / PowerPoint / other resource. How can I get an accessible version?

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We are actively working to improve the accessibility of our instructor resources, including PowerPoint slides. Known issues in some existing slide decks include missing slide titles, low color contrast, small font sizes, and images without alt text. Some current Word files may have issues such as font sizes below 11 points or missing heading structure.

Beginning in April 2026, we will temporarily depreciate instructor resources that do not meet the accessibility requirements stipulated by the Department of Justice’s updated Title II rule (which has a now-extended deadline of April 2027). Updated, accessible versions are being rolled out on an ongoing basis. You can subscribe to accessibility email updates where we will alert users when resources that have accessibility updates can be downloaded again. You can review which resources have been updated, need to be deprecated temporarily, or are being removed entirely, by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

If you encounter a specific issue, like missing slide titles, low contrast, or missing alt text, please report the specific title and chapter to us. We appreciate your feedback as we work to enhance these materials.

Additionally, you can choose to edit documents yourself to fix any accessibility issues; OpenStax materials are openly licensed under Creative Commons, which means you are free to modify and adapt them.

What about the accessibility of PDF textbooks?

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Because PDFs can be difficult to make fully accessible, we recommend using the web view of our textbooks. This provides the most robust and accessible experience for students using screen readers and other assistive technologies. Our web view textbooks are compliant with the Department of Justice’s updated Title II rule.

However, we know that some users rely on PDF versions of our textbooks and our team has worked diligently to remediate our entire library of PDF textbooks to be WCAG compliant. If you haven’t already, you can download the updated versions of our PDF textbooks on the corresponding book details page of our website. Note: to confirm your PDF is the most updated version, check the publication information in the preface to ensure “26” appears next to the initials in the printer’s key (e.g., 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 CJP 26 22).

Can I change the font in OpenStax textbooks?

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Font size

In the online web view, you can use the text size slider in the toolbar to adjust font size without affecting layout. You can also use your browser’s built-in zoom (Ctrl/Cmd + or -). In the PDF version, font size is fixed, so we recommend using the online view for the most flexible reading experience.

Font type

If you wish to change the font type itself, here are a few options:

• Browser settings: In your browser's settings menu, look for "Appearance" or "Accessibility" options where you can adjust default font size or type.
• Device settings: On desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, you can typically adjust text size in the "Display" or "Accessibility" section of your system settings.

Is there a dark mode for OpenStax textbooks?

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OpenStax does not currently offer a built-in dark mode. However, you can use:

• Browser extensions like Dark Reader (available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge)
• Operating system settings for system-wide dark mode
• Accessibility features on your device to invert colors

I’m colorblind. Are OpenStax materials designed for color accessibility?

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We strive to design content that is accessible to people with color vision deficiencies. If you encounter specific content (such as charts, figures, or interactive elements) that relies solely on color to convey information, please report it to accessibility@openstax.org so we can address it.

Do the videos embedded in OpenStax textbooks have captions?

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OpenStax aims to provide captions for all embedded video content. Some older videos may have auto-generated captions rather than human-reviewed captions, but we are actively working to update these resources. If you encounter a video without captions or with inaccurate captions, please report it to accessibility@openstax.org with the book title and section.

How do I report an accessibility issue with OpenStax content?

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Please email accessibility@openstax.org with the following details:

• Book title and edition
• Format (online web view, PDF, PowerPoint, Word)
• Specific section or page where the issue occurs
• Description of the issue (e.g., missing alt text, screen reader error, contrast problem). Screenshots or screen recordings are always welcome!
• Your device, browser, and assistive technology (if applicable)
  

Where can I find other answers to my accessibility questions?

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Check out the OpenStax Help Center for more accessibility information, and reach out to our team with any other questions:

• General accessibility questions: accessibility@openstax.org
• OpenStax Assignable: assignable@openstax.org
• Accessibility Statement: openstax.org/accessibility-statement

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Resource remediation status

Tip: This is a long list. To quickly locate your title, use your browser's search feature:

• Ctrl + F (Windows) or Command + F (Mac)
• Enter your book title to jump directly to matching results

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