# Our Auditing Tool - OARC ## **OARC** ## **The Open Accessibility Review Checker** [![Infographic showing the structure of OARC in sections A-F](https://compass.copim.pub/uploads/images/gallery/2025-12/scaled-1680-/0iToarc-version-2.jpg)](https://compass.copim.pub/uploads/images/gallery/2025-12/0iToarc-version-2.jpg) Our custom auditing tool has been developed by Open Book Futures to help small presses audit their static eBook files for accessibility. There are 40 points on the checklist, split into 5 sections: Text Features, Non-Text Features, Semantic Tagging, Reading Order and Navigation, and Metadata. There is an optional 6th section for if your book involves Pre-recorded Media, and for that there are 2 points. To determine these checklist points, we took out just the elements of WCAG that apply to static eBook files, removing those that apply to dynamic and interactive web pages, and adding in some additional EPUB or PDF specific points. Therefore the checklist is not suitable for auditing websites. You can also access OARC formatted as a spreadsheet: [OARC \[Google Sheets\]](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YAKHfLKj7kgtIorCQx5Akiww8Bi_9P_ezyfTP1zTLuc/edit?usp=sharing) On the spreadsheet you can find some additional context including whether each feature can be audited by a machine or needs to be done manually, and our approximation of how complicated each task is. Therefore, below, we present the checklist 3 times, in section order, and then split by human or machine audit and then by complexity. [View this information as a video.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ksEqPu4KUuJ_dRPN3Lwdq9amZaNpqbjX/view?usp=drive_link) ## OARC ### A Text Features 1. Text is actual text; not images of text. 2. Colours of text has contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 3. Headings are descriptive of the content they contain 4. Text is reflowable without causing horizontal scrolling or other problems 5. Text can be resized without causing horizontal scrolling or other problems 6. Line height and spacing, letter spacing and word spacing can all be changed without problems 7. Orientation can be changed without problems 8. Fonts are coded correctly ### B Non-Text Features 1. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) have meaningful ALT text 2. Colours of non-text features (figures, graphics) has contrast ratio of at least 3:1 3. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) have multiple ways of conveying meaning 4. Links are accessible and meaningful 5. Other clickable elements are 24 x 24 pixels 6. Other clickable elements have visible text that matches the text in the underlying code 7. A list's numbers, letters or bullets are displayed and tagged correctly 8. A tables's headers, rows and columns are tagged correctly ### C Semantic Tagging 1. Non-decorative/real and decorative/artefact content is all tagged correctly 2. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) are tagged and grouped correctly 3. Lists, tables and TOCs are tagged correctly 4. Headers, footers, notes and references are tagged correctly 5. Headings are tagged as headings 6. Headings have just 1 <H1>, at the beginning 7. Headings <H2>-<H6> don't skip levels 8. No headings <H7> or higher 9. Other non-PDF structure elements tagged correctly (EPUBs) 10. PDF tags support the separate reading order (PDFs) 11. PDF role mapping is correct (PDFs) 12. Other structure elements in PDF tagged correctly (PDFs) ### D Reading Order and Navigation 1. Multiple ways to navigate 2. Static page breaks are present (EPUBs) 3. Static page breaks are navigable (EPUBs) 4. Navigation consistent throughout 5. Reading/focus order retains meaning when using tabs or a screenreader 6. Repeating blocks of content can be skipped ### E Metadata and Conformance reporting 1. File has metadata 2. File metadata has a title that is used instead of file name 3. File metadata has a valid language 4. Where the language changes, individual parts have a valid language 5. Source of static page breaks/pagination is identifiable (EPUBs) 6. File metadata includes full accessibility conformance information ### F Pre-recorded Media (optional) 1. All audio only content has an alternative suitable for individuals with a hearing impairment 2. All video only content has an alternative suitable for individuals with a visual impairment ## OARC by auditing type ### Machine/Automated Auditing A2. Colours of text has contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 A8. Fonts are coded correctly B2. Colours of non-text features (figures, graphics) has contrast ratio of at least 3:1 B5. Other clickable elements are 24 x 24 pixels B6. Other clickable elements have visible text that matches the text in the underlying code C6. Headings have just 1 <H1>, at the beginning C7. Headings <H2>-<H6> don't skip levels C8. No headings <H7> or higher C10. PDF tags support the separate reading order C11. PDF role mapping is correct C12. Other structure elements in PDF tagged correctly D1. Multiple ways to navigate D2. Static page breaks are present D3. Static page breaks are navigable E1. File has metadata E2. File metadata has a title that is used instead of file name E3. File metadata has a valid language E4. Where the language changes, individual parts have a valid language E6. File metadata includes full accessibility conformance information ### Human/Manual Auditing A1. Text is actual text; not images of text A3. Headings are descriptive of the content they contain A4. Text is reflowable without causing horizontal scrolling or other problems A5. Text can be resized without causing horizontal scrolling or other problems A6. Line height and spacing, letter spacing and word spacing can all be changed without problems A7. Orientation can be changed without problems B1. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) have meaningful ALT text B3. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) have multiple ways of conveying meaning B4. Links are accessible and meaningful B7. A list's numbers, letters or bullets are displayed and tagged correctly B8. A tables's headers, rows and columns are tagged correctly C1. Non-decorative/real and decorative/artefact content is all tagged correctly C2. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) are tagged and grouped correctly C3. Lists, tables and TOCs are tagged correctly C4. Headers, footers, notes and references are tagged correctly C5. Headings are tagged as headings C9. Other non-PDF structure elements tagged correctly D4. Navigation consistent throughout D5. Reading/focus order retains meaning when using tabs or a screenreader D6. Repeating blocks of content can be skipped E5. Source of static page breaks/pagination is identifiable F1. All audio only content has an alternative suitable for individuals with a hearing impairment F2. All video only content has an alternative suitable for individuals with a visual impairment ## OARC by complexity ### Easy wins A1. Text is actual text; not images of text A2. Colours of text has contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 A4. Text is reflowable without problems A5. Text can be resized without problems A6. Line height and spacing, letter spacing and word spacing can all be changed without problems A7. Orientation can be changed without problems B5. Other clickable elements are 24 x 24 pixels B6. Other clickable elements have visible text that matches the text in the underlying code B7. A list's numbers, letters or bullets are displayed and tagged correctly C1. Non-decorative/real and decorative/artefact content is all tagged correctly C2. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) are tagged and grouped correctly C3. Lists, tables and TOCs are tagged correctly C4. Headers, footers, notes and references are tagged correctly C5. Headings are tagged as headings C6. Headings have just 1 <H1>, at the beginning C7. Headings <H2>-<H6> don't skip levels C8. No headings <H7> or higher C9. Other non-PDF structure elements tagged correctly D1. Multiple ways to navigate D4. Navigation consistent throughout D6. Repeating blocks of content can be skipped ### Medium A3. Headings are descriptive of the content they contain A8. Fonts are coded correctly B2. Colours of non-text features (figures, graphics) has contrast ratio of at least 3:1 B4. Links are accessible and meaningful B8. A tables's headers, rows and columns are tagged correctly D2. Static page breaks are present D3. Static page breaks are navigable D5. Reading/focus order retains meaning when using tabs or a screenreader E1. File has metadata E2. File metadata has a title that is used instead of file name E3. File metadata has a valid language E5. Source of static page breaks/pagination is identifiable E6. File metadata includes full accessibility conformance information ### Complicated B1. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) have meaningful ALT text B3. Non-text features (figures, graphics, captions, links, mathematical expressions) have multiple ways of conveying meaning B10. PDF tags support the separate reading order B11. PDF role mapping is correct B12. Other structure elements in PDF tagged correctly ### Variable E4. Where the language changes, individual parts have a valid language F1. All audio only content has an alternative suitable for individuals with a hearing impairment F2. All video only content has an alternative suitable for individuals with a visual impairment