Some readers listen to ebooks with a screen reader, or move through them with a keyboard or voice commands. Small things in your file, like a picture with no description, can make a book hard for them to follow. Most of these problems never show up in a normal proofread.
IngramSpark has added a check that finds five of the most common ones. Even if you never publish there, the same five make a good list to run on any ebook.
What IngramSpark announced
On 15 October 2026 (checked 26 October 2026), IngramSpark said every Spark account now includes an Accessibility Evaluation, built into its Book-Building Tool. It scans your ebook's interior file, flags common problems and shows where they are. IngramSpark calls the Book-Building Tool its "free online book-building tool" (checked 26 October 2026).
Two things to know before you rely on it:
- It flags problems. It does not certify your book. IngramSpark's words: "It won't certify your book as compliant, and it's not a substitute for content validation."
- It is optional. It opens on its own after you upload your interior file, and you can open it again from the left-hand menu. You can skip a section and come back later. "Nothing here is mandatory."
Right now it works for ebook-only and print-and-ebook setups in the Book-Building Tool.
The five checks, in plain words
- Picture descriptions (alt text). Every image needs a short written description that a screen reader can say out loud. IngramSpark suggests 4 to 125 characters. If an image is only decoration, you can mark it decorative and it will be skipped.
- Table headers. A table without a header row is read out as a jumble of words and numbers. The header tells the listener which column is which.
- Link text. Words like "click here" or "learn more" do not say where a link goes. Use words that name the place, such as "my author newsletter page".
- Headings in order. Chapter titles and section headings should step down in order, from the biggest heading to the next size down, without skipping a level.
- Working navigation. Your table of contents and any links inside the book should go to real places in the book.
Each section shows a warning icon until it is dealt with, and a checkmark when it is done.
How to use the list this week
- On IngramSpark: upload your ebook interior, let the evaluation open, and work through it one section at a time. Some checks offer a one-click fix for every flagged item.
- Anywhere else: open your ebook file and go through the same five points by hand before you upload.
- Keep a note of what you changed, so the next edition starts clean.
If your ebook is coming out over the holidays, our post on Apple Books holiday delivery dates has the dates to plan around, and our post on Smashwords pre-orders covers the file deadline through Draft2Digital.
A small example
This one is made up. Frank's walking-guide ebook has twelve maps and a table of trail lengths. He adds a one-line description to each map, marks the decorative border image as decorative, gives the table a header row and changes three "click here" links to say where they go. His book is not certified as anything. It is simply easier to follow for more readers.
Accessibility is a few small habits. Five checks, done once, carry into every book after this one.