.epub Files and Accessibility

[garciah]

Are the .epub files exported in a Canvas user's settings area accessible? I have read that the epub3 file format is the recommended standard for epub files, but I can't seem to figure out which "version" of .epub file Canvas exports. Any information on this topic would be helpful.

[kblack]

Hi  @garciah ​ - First, I will admit I'm not a huge user of the epub format, but I'm always game for a challenge and am definitely a huge booster of accessibility.

I did a test export as a student user in my system, and my testing indicates that is indeed version 3.  However, I would prefer to have someone from Instructure weigh in on this with the definitive word, and I am tagging the  @CanvasDocTeam ​ on this so that it can be added to the appropriate places in the documentation.  So that you can repeat the process yourself, I followed the information that was given on this page I found through Google. I then downloaded an epub and went through the steps noted on that page.  The example file that I downloaded had this information:

<package xmlns="http://www.idpf.org/2007/opf" version="3.0" unique-identifier="BookId">

Which indeed--according to the page I referenced, indicates it is a version 3 epub, as you can see in the version= reference in that tag.

Hope this helps.

[garciah]

Hi Ken Black, Thank you for the response and for checking the ePub version! This is helpful and encouraging. I look forward to hearing more from Canvas. As I learn more about the accessibility of these files, I'll share it here.

[TanaMobley]

I realize this thread is old, but I am looking to find out whether an epub for an accessible course would also be accessible if downloaded in that format or whether it would be better to go through the laborious process of copying course content into a separate document and making an accessible pdf as the "online textbook" for my Canvas course. Any information would be greatly appreciated!!