Turning the page: An analysis of accessible publishing in Canada

Unfortunately, not every Canadian book is accessible to every Canadian reader. Print disabilities (which include visual, learning, and physical disabilities) affect a significant portion of Canadian readers, and in 2018 Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) arranged a Working Group on Alternate Format Materials for Canadians with Print Disabilities to come up with a strategy for producing more print materials in Canada in accessible formats. The Canada Book Fund in the Department of Canadian Heritage conducted research on the topic to provide ESDC with accurate data as well as to further the Department’s knowledge of a very niche market that may be underserved. This report examines the landscape of accessible publishing in Canada: who it is for, how it is done, and how it could be done better. Following an analysis of the industry, this report provides suggestions as to how accessible publishing might be supported through the Government of Canada.