The EPUB3 is one of the most accessible digital publishing formats. It is based on web technologies therefore, most of the accessibility guidelines and best practices of web development apply here too. This format is recommended for books, reference material, class handouts and other documents intended for reading-only.
The Portable Document Format (PDF) is originally aimed for exchanging documents in a way that the arrangement of the content is preserved whichever device is used for reading. This is a great choice for sharing read-only educational material like literature and handouts to students.
Web accessibility is crucial in digital education, as it lays the groundwork for creating inclusive digital resources, including office documents, PDFs, and EPUBs, by adhering to accessibility standards and best practices. Additionally, a significant number of educational applications rely on web technologies or are integrated within websites. As university staff, it is important to understand and implement web accessibility to provide an inclusive and accessible digital education experience for all students.