Accessible Books
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.
Hi, I'm Axi!
Axi is a character we’ve created to introduce kids to the world of accessible books.
Axi’s mission is to ensure that all readers can find great Canadian books in whatever format works best for them: ebooks, braille, audiobooks, decodable books, and more.
Accessible books open the door to reading for kids with no or low vision, with mobility issues that prevent them from holding a book or turning a page, or with learning challenges such as dyslexia or attention deficits.
Look for Axi as a comic character, too!
Thanks to artist Rosena Fung for bringing Axi to life in the November 2024 issue of Chickadee magazine.
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)
CAER Centres for Alternate Format Materials
Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA)