Simon & Schuster's accessibility initiative deserves recognition as both a moral imperative and a smart business strategy. By making all new e-books 'born accessible' — meaning accessibility features are built in from the start rather than retrofitted — they're setting a standard that other publishers will eventually need to match. The use of AI with human oversight for generating alt text and image descriptions is a perfect example of responsible AI deployment: leveraging technology for efficiency while maintaining human quality control.

With accessibility regulations tightening globally and the European Accessibility Act setting new requirements, publishers who invest in accessibility now will avoid costly compliance scrambles later. The 2030 target for converting the entire active backlist is ambitious but achievable, and it positions Simon & Schuster to serve the estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide with visual impairments — a massive underserved market.