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Canadians who have a print disability do not have equitable access to books and information in their public or academic libraries as their peers who can read print.

Questions and Answers

1. How many Canadians cannot access regular print due to a disability and therefore require alternative formats such as audio, electronic text, large print, or braille?

2. How much of what is available in print is also available in an alternative format?

3. What sorts of disabilities prevent Canadians from accessing print?

4. Does the government provide funding support for library services to Canadians who have a print disability?

5. How does Canada compare to other countries in its support for library services for those with print disabilities?

6. Who does produce and circulate materials in alternative format in Canada?

7. Is there legislation that protects the right to equitable library services for Canadians who have a print disability?

8. Is there a government department that is responsible for nationwide accessible library service?

Myths and Realities

Myth #1: Audiobooks are available for sale so people who have a print disability can buy what they need.

Myth #2: There seem to be a lot of audiobooks available in public libraries. My local library has at least 500.

Myth #3: The CNIB serves those who are blind or visually impaired - why should libraries be concerned with this issue?

1. How many Canadians cannot access regular print due to a disability and therefore require alternative formats such as audio, electronic text, large print, or braille?

According to the 1991 Statistics Canada Health and Activity Limitations Survey: 3 million, or 10% of the population.

However, Canada is on the verge of a crisis in vision health care and services. There are 10 million Canadians born between 1946 and 1965. Age-related eye conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and others will drastically increase the number of Canadians who rely on access to information in alternative formats.

2. How much of what is available in print is also available in an alternative format?

Less than 5 %.

Producing a book in an alternative format can require the same amount of time and resources it takes to publish the print version. For example, it takes approximately 18 months to produce a book in braille and up to one year to produce an audiobook. There are far fewer alternative format producers than print publishers. This results in a significant information gap for people with a print disability.

3. What sorts of disabilities prevent Canadians from accessing print?

The Canadian Copyright Act indicates that people with a “perceptual disability” as defined in Section 32. (1) require non-print materials. The disabilities are defined as blindness, visually impairment, a learning disability (such as dyslexia), or a disability that prevents physically holding a book.

4. Does the government provide funding support for library services to Canadians who have a print disability?

Except for the province of Quebec, there is no direct sustained government funding specifically to support a special library service targeted to those unable to read print.

Most public libraries, which are government funded at the municipal level, have a small collection of audio and large print books.

The Canadian Government supports free circulation of “matter for the blind” through Canada Post. This service is valued at 12 million dollars per year.

5. How does Canada compare to other countries in its support for library services for those with print disabilities?

Canada is the only country of the eight major industrialized nations (G8) that does not fund or legislate support for a national library service for people who have a print disability. For example, The United States: The Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Disabled has a budget of more than 50 million dollars to produce materials in alternative format. The total budget that includes production, network libraries, and Post Free circulation is 166 million annually. In 2001, 700,000 blind or physically disabled library users were served.

Other examples of government legislated and funded services include Denmark’s Danish National Library (DBB) for the Blind (part of the Danish Ministry of Culture), Sweden’s Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB), and Finlands, Celia, Library for the Visually Impaired.

6. Who does produce and circulate materials in alternative format in Canada?

Canada’s largest producer and distributor of alternative-format materials is The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), which receives no sustained government funding. The CNIB Library relies on charitable donations and on 700 volunteers to produce books in alternative formats.

Up until 2002, two provincial governments funded the production of books in alternative formats for circulation to library users with a print disability: British Columbia and Quebec. However, in January 2002, the BC government discontinued its funding support of the BC audiobook production program. This means there are even fewer unabridged Canadian audiobooks available for Canadians with a print disability.

To serve the curriculum needs of students up to grade 12, each provincial Ministry of Education has a Materials Resource Centre that is responsible for producing and providing educational materials in alternative format.

The Federal government and social policy research institutes can provide all public documents in an alternative format upon request.

There are also some commercial agencies that will produce business or government document information in alternative formats for a fee.

7. Is there legislation that protects the right to equitable library services for Canadians who have a print disability?

Some legislation can be interpreted to cover an individuals right to have equitable access to a government-funded service such as a library service. The Charter of Rights and Freedom, Provincial Human Rights legislation, and Provincial Public Library Acts should be reviewed depending on the jurisdiction you are in.

Some provinces have a Blind Persons Rights Act. These documents are referred to in the resources section. However, apart from the Province of Quebec no legislation explicitly states that a person who is print disabled must have the same access to a public library service that a sighted person has.

The Canadian Copyright Act (Bill C 32) addresses the permissions for the production of alternate format materials for people who have a perceptual disability.

8. Is there a government department that is responsible for nationwide accessible library service?

No. Canada lacks a cohesive national funding strategy for library service for its citizens who are print disabled. In large part, this is because there is no federal funding structure for library service in Canada. Libraries (public, school, college and university) are funded through municipal and provincial government programs. Each province or territory administers its own public library legislation and provides a range of programs to support its public libraries.

The National Library has recognized there is an issue and established the Council on Access to Information for Print-Disabled Canadians.

In 2000, the National Library and the CNIB commissioned a Task Force Report on access to Information for print-disabled Canadians. The report resulted in 26 recommendations. As of April 2003, the Council on Access focus has been on very specific and worthy recommendations. They do not, however, address the crisis in access to equitable library services for print-disabled Canadians.

Myths and Realities:

Myth: Audiobooks are available for sale so people who have a print disability can buy what they need.

Reality: We do not ask the average Canadian to completely rely on their ability to purchase books in bookstores – they have a choice, they can buy books and borrow from their local library. In addition, the typical retail cost of an unabridged audiobook can be as much as $200, considerably more than a print edition. Libraries, by their very nature, are about access to books regardless of the ability to pay.

Myth: There seem to be a lot of audiobooks available in public libraries. My local library has at least 500.

Reality: A sighted person would not be satisfied with a library of 500 books. Why would someone with a print disability be satisfied with this, or fewer? Consider that the average number of print books available through a local public library system in Canada is one million and many millions more by inter-library loan, versus, for example, the 60,000 books that are available through the CNIB Library.

In the year 2000, Canadian publishers produced 814 commercial audiobooks. Less than five were unabridged. People with a print disability want a wide selection of content just like anyone else – and they want to read the whole book! Imagine competing with your fellow students or business colleagues with such limited resources.

Audiobooks are not suitable for all print-disabled people. Braille is the only format that will meet the literacy needs of readers who are blind. A growing number will also require access to digital media.

Myth: The CNIB serves those who are blind or visually impaired – why should libraries be concerned with this issue?

Reality: People with a print disability are taxpayers and expect the same access to public services, including libraries that the rest of the community expects. However, recognizing that libraries cannot physically reproduce every item in their collection in an alternative format, and that 10 % of their community will require access, most countries have a national agency that coordinates the production and circulation of alternative-format materials. The success of this model relies upon partnerships between the production agency and local community access points.

As a charitable organization, the CNIB Library can only produce between 2,000 and 2,500 audio and braille books a year. Sustained government funding is required to improve upon the less than 5% statistic.

The local library is also a natural choice for any citizen. A person who is print disabled would like to be able to walk into the library with their friends or family members, just like anyone else.

The CNIB Library, is charitably funded to serve only Canadians who are blind or visually impaired, it does not directly serve Canadians who have a print disability other than a visual impairment. There are almost no resources available for those who have a learning disability or are physically disabled and cannot hold a book. The CNIB Library offers the CNIB Library Partners Program. For a fee, libraries may access the CNIB collection to serve their community. However, this program is voluntary and does not ensure uniform access across the country.