Cost-effective solutions for incorporating accessibility at the onset of book development

The Grand Challenge

Shortage of quality books in accessible formats for children with disabilities

More than 250 million children of primary school age globally are unable to recognize basic letters and numbers, even though half of them have spent at least four years in school. Despite the importance of books in boosting foundational literacy skills, there is a shortage of books for children in many local languages. For the estimated 19 million children globally who are blind or have low vision, or the millions of children with other disabilities that impact their use of traditionally printed materials, the shortage of quality books in accessible formats is even more severe.

The Big Idea

Innovation in accessible publishing

All Children Reading partnered with Pearson and Project Literacy to fund the Book Boost: Access for All Challenge—a competition that awarded innovators for changing the way they create book files, so that when a book is created, all the components necessary for accessibility are built in from the start.