General accessibility information

On this page, you’ll find tips, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions related to accessibility and Pearson eTextbooks.

The Pearson Accessibility Guidelines for Higher Education are based on the WCAG 2.1 standards for product development. We regularly review Pearson platforms, products, and content to improve accessibility and ensure compliance with these standards.

To learn more about our commitment to accessibility, please visit Pearson’s higher education accessibility home page or read our Global Accessibility Policy Framework.

For help with specific Pearson products, please see the support page for those products or contact Pearson Disability Support.

Using screen readers and keyboard navigation

Pearson eTextbook is compatible with screen readers and keyboard navigation.

Recommended screen reader configurations

We recommend using the most current release of any screen reader program, operating system, and browser for the best user experience.

Following are the suggested configurations for the optimal use of a desktop screen reader.

                                                    

Screen reader

Operating system

Browser

JAWS

Windows 8.1, 10

Firefox, Chrome

NVDA

Windows 8.1, 10

Firefox

VoiceOver

MacOS High Sierra

MacOS Catalina

MacOS Big Sur

Safari, Chrome

                                                    

Screen reader

Operating system

Browser

Talkback

Android 7 and up

Firefox, Chrome

VoiceOver

iOS 11 and up

Safari

 

Tips for those with visual impairments

Screen resolution

You may find that lowering your screen resolution helps you see text and images more easily. As a start, try a resolution of 800 x 600 (in Windows). Learn more about how to change your screen resolution.

Browser zoom

While you’re working, you may want to magnify certain areas of the site. Use the zoom-in hotkeys available in most browsers.

Screen magnifiers

Users who need to magnify a page may find that operating system or third-party magnification programs work best. These programs have more options for magnification strength and other display settings, including color and contrast.

Specifying color and contrast settings

Some users need a higher or different color scheme or color contrast to see content on pages. For example, you may find it easier to see light text on a dark background, dark text on a light background, or text in grayscale.

Closed captioning

Embedded Pearson eTextbook videos include closed captions.

To turn on closed captions, click the “CC” button toward the lower-right corner of the video. If you don’t see the “CC” button, place your mouse toward the bottom of the video frame until the video controls appear.

Please contact Pearson Disability Support if you encounter a video that is not displaying closed captions or if you need additional help with the controls.

Alt text

Most responsive Pearson eTextbook products with a copyright year of 2018 or later already have alternative text for images.The exception is Math titles, for which alt text images are consistently available for titles with a copyright year of 2020 or later.

We’re currently remediating additional Pearson eTextbook images to include alternative text descriptions. Once complete, about 90% of eTextbook users will be using an eTextbook with alt text.

For questions about the Pearson eTextbook alternative text status for specific titles, please contact Pearson Disability Support.

Audio

All responsive Pearson eTextbooks for current editions will have audio by fall 2021. We are in the process of enabling audio functionality in all Pearson eTextbooks for current editions by the end of 2021. 

Accessibility documentation

We provide clear, up-to-date statements on the accessibility of our products. VPATs and Accessibility Conformance and Remediation Forms (ACC&R) are available for many products upon request.  For more information, please contact Pearson Disability Support.

Accessibility support

Contact us for assistance

For accessibility support, email the Pearson Disability Support team at disability.support@pearson.com. They are always available to help with accessibility-related issues such as using assistive technology with Pearson products, alternative text requests, or accessibility documentation.

For technical or general customer support, visit Pearson support.

Get more information

For general accessibility information, please visit Pearson’s higher education accessibility home page.