Project Gutenberg Accessibility Conformance Report
WCAG Edition(Based on VPAT® Version 2.5Rev)
Name of Product/Version: Project Gutenberg plain text files
Report Date:
4/27/2026
Product Description:
This report covers plain text ebook files on the Project Gutenberg website, which delivers over 75,000 free ebooks, most of them in the US public domain. Contact Information: a11y@pglaf.org
Notes:
This report covers plain text ebook files available on the Project Gutenberg website. In some sense, plain text files are always accessible; but the lack of capability means that some texts cannot be made fully accessible. For example, there are a small number of books that use layout expressively (poetry sometimes) and more that format tables visually. These can’t be made accessible, but the website also provides the same books in accessible HTML and EPUB3. See separate VPATs for HTML and EPUB3 Ebooks, along with the website itself. The website also offers PDF and EPUB2 files for the benefit of readers using older generation ebook readers. These are not generally accessible.
Project Gutenberg is a not-for-profit organization driven by volunteers. We welcome comments and improvements for our accessibility documentation, and we are committed to improving accessibility of our very large collection books that belong to all of us; we can only do that with help from volunteers. Maybe you, dear reader, will be one of those volunteers?
Evaluation Methods Used:
The plain text files on the Project Gutenberg website are converted to UTF-8 Normal form encoding by open source software called Ebookmaker, which is available for download on Github.
Applicable Standards/Guidelines
This report covers the degree of conformance for the following accessibility standard/guidelines:
| Standard/Guideline | Included In Report |
|---|---|
| Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 | Level A (Yes) Level AA (Yes) Level AAA (No) |
Terms
The terms used in the Conformance Level information are defined as follows:
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Supports: The functionality of the product has at least one method that meets the criterion without known defects or meets with equivalent facilitation.
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Partially Supports: Some functionality of the product does not meet the criterion.
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Does Not Support: The majority of product functionality does not meet the criterion.
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Not Applicable: The criterion is not relevant to the product.
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Not Evaluated: The product has not been evaluated against the criterion. This can only be used in WCAG Level AAA criteria.
WCAG 2.x Report
Note: When reporting on conformance with the WCAG 2.x Success Criteria, they are scoped for full pages, complete processes, and accessibility-supported ways of using technology as documented in the WCAG 2.0 Conformance Requirements.
Table 1: Success Criteria, Level A
Notes: In a collection of over 75,000 books produced by hundreds of different volunteers, many books will succeed in AAA criteria, while some will fail for A criteria. While Project Gutenberg endeavors to update its entire collection to modern accessibility standards, it is not realistic to expect 100% compliance in the foreseeable future. Many books are compliant today; others are more problematic.
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A) | Supports | |
| 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) | Supports | |
| 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A) | Supports | |
| 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A) | Supports | |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A) | Supports | |
| 3.2.1 On Focus (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 3.2.2 On Input (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 3.2.6 Consistent Help (Level A 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.7 Redundant Entry (Level A 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 4.1.1 Parsing (Level A) WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 – Always answer ‘Supports’ WCAG 2.2 (obsolete and removed) - Does not apply | Not applicable | For WCAG 2.0 and 2.1, the September 2023 errata update indicates this criterion is always supported. See the WCAG 2.0 Editorial Errata and the WCAG 2.1 Editorial Errata. |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A) | Not applicable |
Table 2: Success Criteria, Level AA
Notes:
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) | Supports | |
| 1.4.4 Resize text (Level AA) | Supports | |
| 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Supports | |
| 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Supports | |
| 1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Partially Supports | Most books have appropriate spacing |
| 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.7 Dragging Movements (Level AA 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA) | Supports | |
| 3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (Level AA 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable |
Table 3: Success Criteria, Level AAA
Notes:
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded) (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.2.9 Audio-only (Live) (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.3.6 Identify Purpose (Level AAA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA) | Supports | |
| 1.4.7 Low or No Background Audio (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 1.4.8 Visual Presentation (Level AAA) | Does not Support | |
| 1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception) (Level AAA) | Supports | |
| 2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception) (Level AAA) | Supports | |
| 2.2.3 No Timing (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.2.4 Interruptions (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.2.5 Re-authenticating (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.2.6 Timeouts (Level AAA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.3.2 Three Flashes (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.3.3 Animation from Interactions (Level AAA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.8 Location (Level AAA) | Supports | Books are single pages |
| 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only) (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.10 Section Headings (Level AAA) | Supports | |
| 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) (Level AAA 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 2.4.13 Focus Appearance (Level AAA 2.2 only) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.5 Target Size (Level AAA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 2.5.6 Concurrent Input Mechanisms (Level AAA 2.1 and 2.2) | Not applicable | |
| 3.1.3 Unusual Words (Level AAA) | Not Evaluated | PG does not change words in books |
| 3.1.4 Abbreviations (Level AAA) | Not Evaluated | PG does not change abbreviations in books |
| 3.1.5 Reading Level (Level AAA) | Not Evaluated | PG does not rewrite books |
| 3.1.6 Pronunciation (Level AAA) | Not Evaluated | |
| 3.2.5 Change on Request (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.5 Help (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.6 Error Prevention (All) (Level AAA) | Not applicable | |
| 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) (Level AAA 2.2 only) | Not applicable |
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