Accessible Books Consortium

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is a public-private partnership which was launched in 2014 by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The ABC was created with the intent of being "one possible initiative, amongst others, to implement the aims of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty at a practical level."[1][2][3] ABC's goal is "to increase the number of books worldwide in accessible formats - such as braille, audio, e-text, and large print and to make them available to people who are blind, have low vision or are otherwise print disabled."[4][5][6]

Accessible Books Consortium
HeadquartersWorld Intellectual Property Organization headquarters
Location
  • Geneva, Switzerland
Region served
Worldwide
ServicesTo increase the number of books worldwide in accessible formats
Parent organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
Websitewww.accessiblebooksconsortium.org

Context

The World Health Organization estimated in 2018 that worldwide 253 million people are visually impaired, with more than 90% of them living in developing and least developed countries. The World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that only 10% of people who are blind are able to go to school or have employment. World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that less than 10% of all published materials can be read by people who are blind or visually impaired, with the lack of accessible books being a significant barrier to getting an education and leading an independent life.[1]

Work

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) operates through three channels:

  1. The ABC Global Book Service: hosting an online platform that allows for the cross-border exchange of books in accessible formats. The Service contains titles in over 80 languages, with English, French and Spanish being the predominant languages.[7][8]
  2. Training and Technical Assistance: establishing projects in developing and least-developed countries to "provide training and funding for the production of educational materials in accessible formats in national languages for students who are print disabled."[9][10]
  3. Accessible Publishing: promoting the production of "born accessible" publications by all publishers. Born accessible books are usable by both people who are print disabled or sighted. ABC encourage accessible publishing through the ABC Charter for Accessible Publishing and the ABC International Excellence Award, which 'recognizes outstanding leadership and achievements in advancing the accessibility of digital publications'.[11][12]

Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) Global Book Service

The ABC Global Book Service is a free service that puts into practice the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty. It allows participating libraries for the blind, referred to in the Marrakesh Treaty as Authorized Entities (AEs), to search, order and exchange books in accessible digital formats across national borders. Through the Service, Authorized Entities that are located in countries that have implemented the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty are able to perform these exchanges without requiring further authorization from rights holders.[13][14][15]

Through their participation in the Service, AEs are able to make the accessible books that are shared by all other AEs available to their own patrons.[16] By pooling their collective resources in this way, libraries can vastly increase their selection of books in large-print, audio books, digital braille and braille music.[17][18]

In April 2021, ABC launched an additional application that allows individuals who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled to have direct access to search and download books in accessible formats from the ABC Global Book Service. This new application is offered to Authorized Entities located in countries that have ratified and implemented the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty.[19][20][21]

List of authorized entities that have joined the ABC Global Book Service
Country Organization[22]
Antigua and Barbuda The Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired (UBV)
Argentina Asociación Civil Tiflonexos (Tiflonexos)
Australia VisAbility
Vision Australia (VA)
Austria Hörbücherei (HBOE)
Bangladesh Young Power in Social Action (YPSA)
Belgium Luisterpuntbibliotheek previously known as Flemish Library for Audiobooks and Braille LPB
L'CEuvre Nationale des Aveugles (EQLA)
Ligue Braille (LBB)
Bhutan The Muenselling Institute (MI)
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Instituto Boliviano de la Ceguera (IBC)
Brazil Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos
Bulgaria The National Library for the Blind "Louis Braille 1928"
Burkina Faso Union Nationale Des Associations Burkinabé pour la Promotion des Aveugles et Malvoyants (UNABPAM)
Canada BC Libraries Cooperative 2009, National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS)
Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec (BAnQ)
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA)
Chile Biblioteca Central para Ciegos (BCC)
Fundación Chile, Música y Braille
Colombia Instituto Nacional para Ciegos (INCI) Archived 2017-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
Croatia Croatian Library for the Blind (CLB)
Cyprus Pancyprian Organization of the Blind
Czech Republic Czech Blind United (SONS)
Denmark Danish National Library for Persons with Print Disabilities (NOTA)
Dominican Republic Asociación de Ciegos del Cibao de la República Dominicana (ACICIRD)
Biblioteca Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (BNPHU)
Fundación Francina Hungría (FFH)
Egypt Biblioteca Alexandrina (BA)
Estonia The Estonian Library for the Blind (EPR)
Finland Celia Library (CELIA)
France Accompagner Promouvoir et Intégrer les Déficients Visuels (previously known as Groupement des Intellectuels Aveugles ou Amblyopes) (apiDV)
Association Valentin Haüy (AVH)
BrailleNet
Groupement des Intellectuels Aveugles ou Amblyopes (GIAA)
Germany German Center for Accessible Reading (previously known as German Central Library for the Blind) (DZB)
Greece The Hellenic Academic Libraries Link (HEAL-Link) (AMELIB)
Guatemala Benemérito Comité Pro Ciegos y Sordos de Guatemala (BCPCSG)
Hungary The Hungarian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (MVGYOSZ)
Iceland The Icelandic Talking Book Library (HBS)
India DAISY Forum of India (DFI)
Chennai Publishing Services
Ireland NCBI Library and Media Center (NCBI)
Israel The Central Library for Blind and Reading Impaired People (CLFB)
Jamaica Jamaican Society for the Blind (JSB)
Japan National Diet Library (NDL)
National Association of Institutions of Information Service for Visually Impaired Persons (NAIIV)
Kazakhstan The Republican Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired Citizens
Kenya Kenya Institute for the Blind (KIB)
Kyrgyzstan The Library and Information Consortium (AFB)
Latvia Latvian Library for the Blind (LNerB)
Lithuania Lithuanian Library for the Blind (LAB)
Malawi University of Malawi, Chancellor College (UOFM)
Malaysia St. Nicholas' Home, Penang (SNH)
Malta Malta Libraries (ML)
Mexico Discapacitados Visuales I.A.P. (DIVIAP) Archived 2019-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
Republic of Moldova National Information and Rehabilitation Center of the "Association of the Blind People of Moldova"
Mongolia The Mongolian National Federation of the Blind (MNFB)
The Braille and Digital Library for Blind, Metropolitan Library of Ulaanbaatar (UBPL)
Myanmar Myanmar National Association of the Blind (MNAB)
Nepal Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD)
Netherlands Bibliotheekservice Passend Lezen (BPL)
Dedicon
New Zealand Blind Low Vision NZ previously known as Blind Foundation (BLVNZ)
Niger L'Union Nationale des Aveugles du Niger (UNAN)
Nigeria Books and Gavel Archived 2022-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
Norway Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB)
Pakistan The Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness (PFFB)
Palestine Palestine Association of Visually Impaired Persons (PAVIP)
Poland Central Library of Labour and Social Security (DZDN)
Portugal Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (BNP)
Qatar Qatar National Library (QNL)
Republic of Korea National Library for the Disabled in Korea (NLD)
Romania Fundația Cartea Călătoare (FCC)
Republic of Moldova National Information and Rehabilitation Center of the "Association of the Blind People of Moldova"
Russian Federation Bashkir Republican Special Library for the Blind named after Makarim Husainovich Tukhvatshin
Russian State Library for the Blind (RGBS)
St. Petersburg Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SPB)
Saint Lucia St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The National Public Library of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (NPLSG)
Sierra Leone Educational Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ECBVI)
South Africa South African Library for the Blind (SALB)
Spain Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE)
Sri Lanka Daisy Lanka Foundation (DLF) Archived 2010-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
Sweden Swedish Agency for Accessible Media (MTM)
Switzerland Biblioteca Braille e del libro parlato della Unitas (UNITAS)
Association pour le Bien des Aveugles et malvoyants (ABA)
Bibliothèque Sonore Romande (BSR)
SBS Swiss Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Print Disabled (SBS)
Tajikistan The National Library of Tajikistan
Thailand National Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, TAB Foundation (TAB) Archived 2022-04-18 at the Wayback Machine
The Christian Foundation for the Blind in Thailand (CFBT)
Tunisia Loisirs et Cultures pour les Non et Malvoyants (IBSAR)
Bibliothèque nationale de Tunisie (BNT)
Uganda Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB)
Ukraine Ostrovskyi Central Specialized Library for the Blind (CLBU)
United Kingdom Torch Trust for the Blind (TT)
United States of America California State Library, Braille and Talking Book Library (CSL)
The Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
Braille Institute of America (BIA)
Uruguay Fundación Braille de Uruguay (FBU)
Viet Nam Sao Mai Vocational and Assistive Technology Center for the Blind (SMCB)
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe National League of the Blind (ZNLB)

Training and Technical Assistance

The Accessible Books Consortium provides training and technical assistance to organizations in developing and least developed countries on the production of accessible format books. According to the ABC: "the ABC model for capacity building aims to equip organizations in developing and least developed countries with the ability to produce educational materials in national languages to be used by primary, secondary and university students who are print disabled." This allows participating organizations to convert textbooks into accessible formats, such as DAISY, ePUB3, and digital braille.[23] Such assistance has been provided to organizations including in Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Tunisia.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

In February 2021, ABC launched an online course providing similar training on the production of books in accessible formats, in part to 'ensure the continuation of its assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic'.[30]

Accessible publishing

The Accessible Books Consortium encourages the production of accessible eBooks through the use of the accessibility features of the EPUB3 standard. 

ABC International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing

List of winners:[31]

Year Winner Publisher Category Winner Initiative Category
2022[32] Kogan Page (UK) Mr. Ashoka Bandula Weerawardhana (Sri Lanka)
2021 Taylor & Francis Group (UK) National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS, Canada)
2020 Macmillan Learning (USA)[33] Fondazione LIA (Italy)[33]
2019 EDITORIAL 5 (ED5) (Brazil)[34] eKitabu (Kenya)[34]
2018 Hachette Livre (France)[35] DAISY Forum of India (India)[35]
2017 SAGE Publishing (UK)[36] Tiflonexos (Argentina)[36]
2016 Elsevier (UK)[37] Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD) (Nepal) and DK Braille Concept Development Team (part of Penguin Random House) (UK)[37]
2015 Cambridge University Press (UK)[38] and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) (Bangladesh)[38]

ABC Charter for Accessible Publishing Signatories

The Accessible Books Consortium Charter for Accessible Publishing contains eight principles designed to encourage publishers are following accessibility best practices.[39] The Accessible Books Consortium partners include[40]

Country Organization Wikidata
 Argentina Ediciones Godot
Ediciones Santillana
Gerbera Ediciones
 Australia Sydney University Press
 Brazil Associação Religiosa Editora Mundo Cristão
Brinque-Book Editora de Livros Ltda
Distribuidora Record de Serviços de Imprensa S.A.
É Realizações, Editora, Livraria e Distribuidora Ltda
Ediouro Publicações Ltda
Editora Albanisia Lúcia Dummar Pontes ME
Editora Arqueiro Ltda
Editora Atlas S/A
Editora Bertrand Brasil Ltda
Editora Best Seller Ltda
Editora Biruta Ltda
Editora Bonifácio Ltda
Editora Carambaia EIRELI
Editora Casa da Palavra Produção Editorial Ltda
Editora Claro Enigma Ltda
Editora de Livros Cobogó Ltda (Brazil)
Editora e Produtora Spot 1 Ltda (Brazil)
Editora Filocalia Ltda
Editora Fontanar Ltda
Editora Forense Ltda
Editora Gaivota Ltda
Editora Globo S.A.
Editora Guanabara Koogan Ltda
Editora Intrínseca Ltda
Editora Jaguatirica Digital Ltda
Editora José Olympio Ltda
Editora JPA Ltda
Editora Jurídica da Bahia Ltda
Editora Lendo e Aprendendo Ltda ME
Editora Manole Ltda
Editora Nova Fronteira Participações S/A
Editora Original Ltda
Editora Paz e Terra Ltda
Editora Pequena Zahar Ltda
Editora Prumo Ltda
Editora Record Ltda
Editora Reviravolta Ltda
Editora Rocco Ltda
Editora Schwarcz S/A
Editorial 5 / ED5
Elsevier Editora Ltda
GEN – Grupo Editorial Nacional Participação S/A
GMT Editores Ltda
Imago Editora Importação e Exportação Ltda
J.E. Solomon Editores Ltda
Jorge Zahar Editor Ltda
Livraria do Advogado Ltda
LTC – Livros Técnicos e Científicos Editora Ltda
National Union of Book Publishers
NC Editora Ltda
Pallas Editora e Distribuidora Ltda
Petra Editorial Ltda
Pinto e Zincone Editora Ltda
Publibook Livros e Papéis Ltda
Saber e Ler Editorial Ltda
Sociedade Literária Edições e Empreendimentos Ltda
Starlin Alta Editora e Consultoria EIRELI
Summus Editorial Ltda
Verus Editora Ltda
 Canada House of Anansi Press
Invisible Publishing
J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing
Signature Editions
Book*hug Press
Cormorant Books
Guernica Editions
ECW Press
Studio C1C4
 Colombia Editorial El Manual Moderno Colombia S.A.S.
Santillana Colombia
 Egypt Al-Balsam Publishing House
 France Hachette Livre[41]
Groupe Editis
 Georgia Artanuji Publishing
Bakur Sulakauri Publishing
Intelekti Publishing
 Germany Verlag Barbara Budrich
 India PHI Learning Private Limited
Chennai Publishing Services
 Italy Edizioni Piemme
Giulio Einaudi Editore
Sperling & Kupfer
 Japan Discover 21, Inc.
 Jordan Al Salwa Publishers
 Mexico Editorial el Manual Moderno, S.A. de C.V.
Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial México
Santillana México
SM México
Constantine Editores
Editorial Mango Manila
Editorial Sélector
  Netherlands AMN
Gottmer Uitgevers Groep
Singel Uitgeverijen
ThiemeMeulenhoff  
Veen Bosch & Keuning Uitgeversgroep B.V.
 New Zealand Oratia Media
 Nigeria Nigerian Publishers Association
Books and Gavel Archived 2022-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
Rasmed Publications
Evans Brothers Nigeria Publishers Limited
West African Book Publishers LTD
Babcock University Press
 Saudi Arabia Kadi and Ramadi
 South Africa New Africa Books
Wits University Press
 Spain Planeta de Libros
Santillana Educación S.L.
 Thailand Silkworm Books Ltd
 United Arab Emirates Al Fulk Translation and Publishing
Al Fulk Translation and Publishing (United Arab Emirates)
Dar Al Aalam Al Arabi Publishing and Distribution
Hudhud Publishing and Distribution
Kalimat Group
Sama Publishing, Production and Distribution
Wahat Alhekayat Publishing and Distribution
Waw Publishing
 United Kingdom Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Bristol University Press
British Dyslexia Association
Elsevier
Kogan Page
SAGE Publications Ltd
HarperCollins Publishers
Taylor & Francis Group
Cambridge University Press & Assessment
 United States of America Macmillan Learning
WIPO

Accessible Books Consortium advisory board members

The ABC has an advisory board which provides technical expertise, transparency and communication with stakeholders. Its members are:[42]

References
  1. "Accessible Books Consortium". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  2. "Accessibility". International Publishers Association. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  3. "Bright days ahead for blind learners". Daily Monitor. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  4. "Accessible Books Consortium". The DAISY Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  5. "IFLA -- Projects". IFLA. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  6. "Handicap et accès à la lecture : lancement d'une bibliothèque numérique adaptée mondiale | Association Valentin Haüy". www.carenews.com (in French). Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  7. "QNL, WIPO sign pact on cross-border exchange of books". Gulf Times (in Arabic). 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  8. "Copyright key to empowerment, asserts International Publishers Association". PrintWeek. India. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  9. "Capacity Building". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  10. "Kalimat Foundation, '1001 Titles' sign MoU". Gulf Today. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  11. "House of Anansi nominated for London Book Fair's accessible books publishing award". Quill and Quire. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  12. "Dialogue and Jacaranda vie for LBF International Excellence Awards". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  13. Saez, Catherine (2016-11-21). "Turning Promises Of Marrakesh Treaty For Visually Impaired Into Reality". Intellectual Property Watch. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  14. "Record number of countries shortlisted for LBF International Excellence Awards 2020". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  15. Mazumdar, Anandashankar (2021-02-22). "The Marrakesh Treaty in Action: Exciting Progress in Access to Published Works for the Blind and Print-Disabled Communities". blogs.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  16. Pandit, Ambika (2016-08-24). "Centre launches 'Sugamya Pustakalaya' an online library for Persons with disabilities". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  17. "Qatar National Library and Mada pact promotes accessible dig..." menafn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  18. "Bright days ahead for blind learners". Daily Monitor. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  19. "New ABC Application Gets Accessible Books Directly to People who are Print-Disabled". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  20. "New ABC Application Gets Accessible Books Directly to Print-Disabled People". miragenews.com. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  21. "Handicap et accès à la lecture : Lancement d'une bibliothèque numérique adaptée mondiale". Association Valentin Haüy. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13.
  22. "Report on the Accessible Books Consortium". WIPO. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  23. "¡1000 libros! - Adaptamos este año con el Proyecto de Libros Escolares!". Tiflonexos (in Spanish). 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  24. "Fed Govt pledges inclusive quality education, employment for the blind". The Nation Nigeria. 22 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-24.
  25. Subramaniam, Garimella (2017-05-26). "For inclusive publishing". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  26. "Making books accessible to all". The Hindu. 2016-09-30. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  27. "Vers l'accès facile des déficients visuels à la lecture". Webmanagercenter (in French). 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  28. "¡1000 libros! - Adaptamos este año con el Proyecto de Libros Escolares!". Tiflonexos (in Spanish). 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  29. "Providing accessible books and learning materials to blind students". Zero Project. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  30. "WIPO'S ABC Launches Its First Online Course in Accessible Book Production". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  31. "WIPO Will Present the 2021 Accessible Publishing Award at Frankfurter Buchmesse". Publishing Perspectives. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  32. Critchley, Adam (2022-12-01). "At Guadalajara, A CANIEM Seminar on Accessible Publishing". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  33. "Accessible Books Consortium's 2020 Excellence Awards Given to Macmillan Learning and Fondazione LIA". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  34. "Accessible Books Consortium Announces Winners of 2019 ABC International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  35. "Accessible Books Consortium Announces Winners of 2018 ABC International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  36. "Winners Announced for 2017 Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  37. "Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award 2016: Winners Announced". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  38. "Two Winners Announced for Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  39. "Hachette Livre has signed the ABC's Charter for Accessible Publishing" (Press release). Lagardère Group. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  40. "ABC Charter for Accessible Publishing Signatories". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  41. "Accessible print for all: Sarah Runcie on the Australian Inclusive Publishing Initiative". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  42. "About Us". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.