Authors and Publishers
La Bibliothèque en français
CNIB is Canada's largest producer of alternative format
materials offering access to thousands of titles in braille,
printbraille and talking books; descriptive videos; newspapers;
and magazines; as well as telephone, reference and online
services. The collection consists of the type of books and
reading materials found in a public library collection.
The Library exists to address barriers to access to information.
Today, less than five per cent of published literature in Canada
is available in formats that can be read by people living with
vision loss, such as braille or audio.
CNIB also produces student materials via contractual agreements
with the educational sector.
Three million people in Canada are print disabled (have a
learning, visual, or physical disability that would prevent them
from reading a book). The Library serves many of these Canadians
through partnerships with public and academic libraries.
How the publishing community can increase access to information:
Three million people in Canada, and millions more worldwide,
cannot read regular print due to a disability. As this market
has the same reading and information needs as the general
public, including the desire to purchase books, a significant
market for published materials is largely ignored.
How can publishers decrease the information gap?
publishing at the source in audio, large print,
accessible e-text, and even braille formats.
Provision of electronic text or audio files to alternate
format producers to reduce time and labour in producing the
book. This process is particularly crucial for student textbook
materials.
Facilitate resource sharing globally among libraries serving
people who have a print-disability. For example, the same book
may be produced in braille in numerous countries. This is a
barrier to decreasing the information gap.
For more information on what is happening in this area, see
Current
Projects.