Rakuten Kobo Inc. Accessibility Statement | Rakuten Kobo

Rakuten Kobo Inc. Accessibility Statement

Last updated: November 2025

Rakuten Kobo believes digital reading can remove barriers. Our mission is to ensure that Kobo Website, Kobo Apps, eReaders, and services can be used by as many people as possible.
This statement applies to Kobo webpages on the Kobo Website (‘Kobo Website’) the Kobo Books iOS and Android mobile apps (‘Kobo Apps’), Kobo eReader devices (‘Kobo eReaders’) and related software. These products and services are designed to comply with both the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA, and the laws implementing the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) (‘EAA’).

Overview of our Services & Products to which this Statement Relates

Kobo Website: Web pages found on https://kobo.com to browse and purchase eBooks, audiobooks and subscription products. This also includes the web reader product to read digital books and the https://eu.kobobooks.com/ website to purchase eReaders.

Kobo Apps: Kobo mobile applications for iOS and Android found on the respective app stores, designed to browse and read eBooks, audiobooks and subscription products.

Kobo eReaders: Purpose-built eReader devices optimized for reading digital books. This applies to device models placed in the European market after June 28, 2025, using the latest software version.

Kobo offers discovery, browsing, and purchasing of digital books (eBooks and audiobooks) through its website, mobile applications and eReaders. Readers can search, add to wishlist and securely purchase digital books and subscriptions with a range of payment options.

You should be able to:

  • Browse the Kobo Website and Kobo Apps using assistive technologies such as screen readers, keyboard, and voice control.
  • Use your operating system or browser settings to control the font size and colour contrast of Kobo Website, and Kobo Apps.
  • Use operating-system zoom features for iOS and Android Kobo Apps.
  • Zoom in to up to 200% on the Kobo Website, Kobo eReaders, and Kobo Apps.
  • Access help articles and product information, including how to operate accessibility features, through webpages on the Kobo Website.
  • Read Kobo eBooks using a screen reader on the Kobo Website, Kobo eReaders, and Kobo Apps. Kobo eReaders have a native screen reader functionality.
  • Adjust the font size, font face, margins, and line spacing of Kobo eBooks in the reading experience for the Kobo Website, Kobo eReaders, and Kobo Apps.
  • Find Kobo eBooks that have been developed by publishers with accessibility features, including metadata and details on those features and any potential accessibility issues with the book.
  • Enable text-to-speech for eBook content.
  • More information on how to operate each of the above capabilities can be found on https://help.kobo.com.

Conformance and Compliance Status

Kobo’s web services are compliant with WCAG version 2.2 AA standard. For more information on the issues and expected timing for remediation, please refer to the “Planned Improvements” section below.
Kobo is compliant with the accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario’s accessibility laws.
Kobo complies with the accessibility requirements under the EAA for e-commerce services and e-books and dedicated software on the Kobo Website, Kobo eReaders and Kobo Apps.

Planned Improvements

By the end of 2025, we will:

  • Continue improving screen reader experience on eReaders.
  • Enhance the increased UI font size experience on eReaders.
  • Improve the accessibility of annotation features.

Our Accessibility Commitments

Rakuten Kobo is committed to ensuring our products, services, and workplace meet the needs of people with disabilities.
We are committed to training all staff in accessibility standards and policies suitable for their role, including accessible customer service, development, and testing.
We do our best to ensure our communications and documentation are accessible to all. Should there be a need for an accessible format we currently do not provide, we will do so in a timely manner.
We incorporate accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, services, or facilities.
We notify employees, job applicants and the public that accommodations can be made during recruitment and hiring. We notify job applicants that accommodations are available upon request. We consult with applicants and provide or arrange for suitable accommodation.

Kobo regularly conducts internal and external 3rd party testing and accessibility audits to ensure our adherence to the applicable accessibility requirements. For these tests and assessments, Kobo uses a combination of static analysis tools and manual testing with assistive technologies.

Kobo encourages users to report problems (please refer to the Contact and Feedback section below). When received, accessibility-related requests, complaints or recommendations, are reviewed for potential future improvements and updates.

Preparation of this Statement

This statement was prepared on November 2025.

In preparation for this statement, the Kobo Website, Kobo eReaders, and Kobo Apps were tested by internal and external accessibility experts (Tetralogical Services Limited) using a combination of manual and automated testing.

Contact and Feedback

We are always looking to improve the accessibility and usability of our platforms and services.

If you find any problems or have improvements to request or recommend, please contact us at [email protected], or use the feedback options for each service or product.

Back