PALO ALTO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 7, 2026 / W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., the nation's oldest and largest employee-owned book publishing house, has been designated a Global Certified Accessible (GCA) publisher. Benetech, a global nonprofit focused on providing equitable opportunities for all learners, awards GCA certification to publishers who demonstrate consistent success in producing accessible EPUBs, which are the industry-standard files for ebook content. Through its rigorous certification process, Benetech has recognized W. W. Norton's methodology of creating ebooks that support the needs of all learners by meeting the highest international standards for accessibility. As the largest independent publisher in the United States to earn GCA certification, Norton sets a new benchmark while taking its place among a growing community of publishers with a deep, enduring commitment to accessible publishing.
Meeting the Moment for Educators and Institutions
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment: ADA Title II deadlines now require public institutions and schools to ensure all digital content is fully accessible. GCA certification means Norton's titles are "born accessible" - ready for every student from day one - giving immediate peace of mind to administrators, disability officers, and educators.
"For more than a century, Norton has strived to democratize education through trade books, then textbooks, and now courseware that both instructs and engages. It is at the heart of our commitment to readers and students that everything we publish be accessible in ways that are comprehensive and rewarding," notes Julia Reidhead, Chairman and President, W. W. Norton & Company.
"This certification affirms that our content is ready for all students from the very first day of class," adds Karl Bakeman, Vice President and Chief Product Officer, W. W. Norton & Company. "Endorsement by an organization such as Benetech affirms that we are making meaningful and thorough contributions aligned with our mission to provide everyone with the simplest access to the best content. Norton's achievement also signals to the broader publishing industry that rigorous, workflow-level accessibility is both attainable and essential for publishers of every size."
The Journey to Certification
To earn its GCA designation, Norton underwent a two-year comprehensive evaluation and fine-tuning of its EPUB production processes to make sure that the essential elements that make an ebook accessible are present, such as textual alternatives for images, logically structured headings, and accessibility metadata.
"The journey toward GCA certification was invaluable, with Benetech validating the progress we've made and offering expert mentorship as we refined our practices and processes. The results of that work are now visible in the accessibility metadata of our new titles-educators can see exactly how our content supports diverse ways of reading and learning and can make more-informed decisions for their students," remarks Jonathan Miller, Accessibility Program Manager, W. W. Norton & Company.
Impact and Future Commitment
Norton's GCA certification currently applies to its ebook creation process for college and high school, with an accelerated initiative underway to include its backlist titles. This commitment supports long-term consistency and growth, allowing Norton to provide a truly inclusive learning ecosystem.
"W. W. Norton's GCA certification sends a clear signal to the publishing industry," states Ayan Kishore, CEO, Benetech. "When a century-old independent publisher makes accessibility core to its production, it proves this can be achieved at scale and that inclusive reading experiences can be built in from the start. The majority of the world's learning content remains inaccessible to people with disabilities. That is changing because of partners like Norton."
For more information about W. W. Norton's commitment to accessibility, visit wwnorton.com/accessibility. To learn more about Benetech's GCA program, visit bornaccessible.benetech.org.
PRESS CONTACT: Jonathan Miller jmiller@wwnorton.com
George Mastoras georgem@benetech.org
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About W. W. Norton & Company
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., is the nation's oldest and largest independent, employee-owned book publishing house. The firm was founded by William Warder Norton and Mary Dows Herter Norton in 1923 and now publishes approximately 450 books annually in its combined groups and imprints. It continues to adhere to its original motto, "Books That Live," striving to publish works of enduring distinction in the areas of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, textbooks, and digital media.
About Benetech
Benetech is a nonprofit advancing access to information for people who need to learn, work, and thrive. Its flagship program, Bookshare, is the world's largest online library of accessible reading materials, serving people with print disabilities in schools, workplaces, and communities worldwide. A Forbes Top 100 Accessibility Leader. For more information, visit www.benetech.org.
SOURCE: Benetech
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/w.-w.-norton-and-company-achieves-global-certified-accessibletm-1154863
