Accessible Books
All kids should be able to find and read books they love. But not all kids can read all books because they might have a print or perceptual disability.
Accessible books allow all young readers to access books in the way that works best for them.
Accessible books come in many forms, including print and electronic braille, audiobooks, described books, ebooks with special features, large print, and more.
With these formats, children who are blind or have low vision, who have difficulty holding or turning pages, who are neurodivergent, who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia, or who simply prefer alternate formats can explore the wonderful world of literature. Making sure that readers of all kinds can access books is fundamental to our core values of reading, promotion and inclusion.
Accessible books help children discover a love of reading that will stay with them for a lifetime.
Inclusivity in Reading: How the CCBC is Promoting Accessible Canadian Books
We are proud to present a dedicated multi-year project all about accessible Canadian children’s books, created to raise awareness of the need for accessible books, enhance discoverability of Canadian titles, and help market them to readers across Canada and globally.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for this project.
Here’s some of what we’re doing:
See how we’re making videos accessible
Our videos include features such as captioning, ASL interpreters, transcripts, and described video. To see an example, check out the described video version of our animated accessible books project promo. You’ll hear a second narrator describing the on-screen action for people who are blind or have low vision.
More to Explore
Many organizations across Canada are working to promote a better understanding of the need for accessible books for children and youth and to provide easier access.
Accessible Publishing Learning Network (APLN)
Alternate Education Resources Ontario (AERO)
Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA)
BookShare
Braille Literacy Canada
CAER Centres for Alternate Format Materials
Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA)
Dyslexia Canada
eBound Canada
National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS)
Public Library Accessibility Resource Centre (PLARC)
