Creator: Centre for Equitable Library Access
Date Updated: January 10, 2025
Overview
The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) has created a great resource to help library staff select and recommend content for young readers. They cover multiple formats available in your library and in the CELA catalogue that readers with print disabilities may prefer when embarking on their literary adventures!
Visit the Accessible libraries: Talking about accessible literacy by CELA.
Quick Facts
Providing many options is the best way to support multiple reading needs, including different genres, formats, content, and styles.
- Ebooks can be more accessible because readers can customize the books to their preferences (font style and size, contrast, and more) and use the read-aloud feature to read visually and listen to the book simultaneously.
- Braille is an important literacy tool for young readers who are blind or have low vision and fosters independent reading. Braille is available in both print and electronic formats.
- Audiobooks are great for readers with print disabilities and help children develop listening skills. They let readers control the speed at which they read with the controls and option to speed up, go back, and bookmark the audiobooks.
- Decodable Books are especially great for readers with dyslexia as they contain principles of phonics (the sounds associated with letters and groups of letters). These books are best read in order as they progress in difficulty and build upon what was learned in the previous editions.
- Hi-Lo Books combine high-interest stories with a lower reading level – they are shorter novels and use simpler vocabulary, shorter sentences, and images to support readers.
- Graphic Novels can help readers improve visual literacy, and the images can provide context to the text. They are not universally accessible but can also be available in audiobook formats.
When selecting and recommending content for young readers, consider the format and design of the books. This includes:
- Generally, sans-serif fonts are more accessible (though not universally preferred).
- Avoid cluttered and overly illustrated picture books.
- Choose novels with wider margins and text aligned to the left, and avoid books with large paragraphs and long sentences.
Visit the Accessible libraries: Talking about accessible literacy by CELA.
Reference
Centre for Equitable Library Access. (2025, January 8). Accessible libraries: Talking about accessible literacy. celalibrary.ca. https://celalibrary.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/Talking%20about%20accessible%20literacy%20FINAL_FINAL-s.pdf