Policies
Accessibility
A reading platform that is hard to read is not finished. This page describes what we built to, how to get the most out of the reader, and how to tell us when something is still wrong.
Last updated 15 October 2026
Our commitment
We build Distinct Learners Series™ to WCAG 2.2 AA. We target that standard because a reader who cannot finish a chapter has not been served, whatever the reason.
Accessibility is not a post-launch clean-up here. It is part of the definition of done for every screen.
What we have actually built
- A skip link to the main content as the first focusable element on every page.
- Visible, high-contrast focus indicators that are never removed.
- Full keyboard operability across the catalog filters, the mobile menu, the reader, and every dialog. No interaction requires a pointer.
- Every image, control and region that carries meaning has an accessible name. Decorative elements are hidden from assistive technology instead of being read aloud.
- Form fields have real, associated labels — not placeholder text standing in for a label.
- Filter and sort results are announced through a live region, so a screen-reader user hears the list change.
- Status and error messages are announced, not just coloured.
- Text and interface colours meet or exceed 4.5:1 contrast against their actual backgrounds.
- Targets are large enough to hit accurately, with generous spacing between adjacent controls.
Using the reader
The reader is the surface where we hold the highest bar, because it is the one people spend hours in.
Keyboard shortcuts
Left and right arrow keys turn the page. Page Up and Page Down do the same. Escape closes the contents panel or the settings panel. T opens the table of contents. S opens reading settings.
Settings are stored in your browser only. Nothing about your reading preferences is sent to us.
Typography
Six text sizes and three line spacings, all chosen to keep a comfortable line length. Three themes: paper, sepia and night. All three are contrast-checked.
The reader respects your system's zoom, and your reduced-motion setting removes the page-turn transition entirely.
Screen readers
Page text is a single live region, so a page turn announces the new content rather than reading a stream of individual paragraphs. The progress bar and page position are exposed as values, not decoration.
Motion and animation
Every decorative animation on this site — including the 3D hero — is removed entirely when your system requests reduced motion. Nothing is merely sped up.
There is no autoplaying video, no parallax you cannot switch off, and no scroll hijacking anywhere on the site.
Known limitations
We would rather publish this section than let you discover the gaps. If you hit any of these, please tell us and we will treat it as a defect.
- Book figures and diagrams in fixed-layout titles are not yet fully described for screen readers. Reflowable text titles are unaffected.
- The table of contents panel does not yet support grouping by chapter part for longer titles.
- Our third-party payment page is outside our control; we choose providers carefully but cannot audit their accessibility to the same standard.
Tell us about a barrier
Email hello@distinctlearnersseries.com with the page you were on and what happened. We aim to acknowledge accessibility reports within two working days and to tell you what we intend to do about them.
You can also read our terms of sale or refund policy if you would rather not write to us at all.