The Accessible Reading Symposium is a virtual, two-day, bilingual event designed to help library staff and readers with print disabilities learn about accessible reading in Canada.  

The symposium brings together readers, authors, libraries, content providers, publishers, and technology developers/providers to share practical demonstrations, introductory knowledge, and different viewpoints on accessible reading.  

The Symposium’s goal is to:  

• Help everyone better understand accessible reading and formats.  
• Share the experiences of readers with print disabilities.  
• Strengthen knowledge among libraries, content providers, publishers, technology providers, and readers.  
• Provide library staff and readers with print disabilities the opportunity to explore available tools, formats, and services. 

The Accessible Reading Symposium is excited to announce the English and French authors featured in the author talks on March 11, 2026 – Amanda Leduc and Boum! Read more about these authors below.

Conference details

Dates: March 11 and 12, 2026 

Languages: English and French 

Audience: Library staff and readers with print disabilities 

Organizers: National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS); Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA); Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) 

Presenters: Get the full list of our authors and presenters

Cost: Free! 

Symposium recordings: Visit CELA's YouTube channel for captioned recordings of the Symposium sessions. NNELS's YouTube channel will also share the recorded sessions. Recordings will be added as they are ready.

Day 1: March 11, 2026 

User Demonstrations and Author Session

French sessions: March 11, 2026, from 9:00 am –11:20 am Eastern (all times are in Eastern) 

• 9:00 am – 9:05 am: Welcome and event introduction 
• 9:05 am – 10:05 am: User-led demonstrations and Q&A 
• 10:05 am – 10:15 am: Break 
• 10:15 am – 11:15 am: Author talk 
• 11:15 am – 11:20 am: Closing remarks 

English sessions: March 11, 2026, from 1:00 pm – 3:20 pm Eastern (all times are in Eastern) 

• 1:00 pm – 1:05 pm: Welcome and event introduction 
• 1:05 pm – 2:05 pm: User-led demonstrations and Q&A 
• 2:05 pm – 2:15 pm: Break 
• 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm: Author talk 
• 3:15 pm – 3:20 pm: Closing remarks 

Day 2: March 12, 2026 

Introductions to Accessible Reading Sectors 

Bilingual French/English session: March 12, 2026, from 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern (all times are in Eastern) 

Note: This is a bilingual session. It will have live interpretation into French and English. Attendees can choose their preferred audio language when logging into Zoom on Day 2.  

• 1:00 pm – 1:05 pm: Welcome and event introduction 
• 1:05 pm – 1:25 pm: Libraries 
• 1:25 pm – 1:45 pm: Content Providers 
• 1:45 pm – 2:00 pm: Publisher Organizations 
• 2:00 pm – 2:15 pm: Q&A for Library, Content Providers, and Publisher Organizations 
• 2:15 pm – 2:25 pm: Break 
• 2:25 pm – 3:13 pm: Technology Providers 
• 3:13 pm – 3:25 pm: Q&A for Technology Providers 
• 3:25 pm – 3:30 pm: Closing Remarks 

An overview of the Accessible Reading Symposium sessions.  

User Demonstrations 

User-led demonstrations showcasing how readers with print disabilities use various accessible reading tools, formats, and technologies in their daily lives. Possible topics and demonstrations include:  

• Assistive technologies 
• Reading different formats 
• New and upcoming technologies 

You will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end! 

There are two separate User Demonstration sessions, one in French and one in English. 

Author Talk

The Author Talk session will highlight how accessibility intersects with reading, writing, and their audiences. This session offers attendees the opportunity to hear directly from an author who is engaged with accessibility.  There are two separate Author Talk sessions, one in French and one in English.

Amanda Leduc (English author)

Amanda Leduc is a Canadian author and disability rights advocate. She is the author of DISFIGURED: ON FAIRY TALES, DISABILITY, AND MAKING SPACE, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Governor General’s Award in Nonfiction. Her latest novel, WILD LIFE, was longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize. She is also the author of the novels THE CENTAUR’S WIFE (2021) and THE MIRACLES OF ORDINARY MEN (2013). Amanda’s essays and stories have appeared across Canada, the US, and the UK, and she speaks regularly across North America on accessibility, inclusion, and disability in storytelling. She has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. 

Boum (French author)

Originally from the professional world of traditional animation, Boum began seriously dedicating herself to comics in 2011 with her series BOUMERIES (Glénat Québec). She then went on to tackle a variety of diverse and eclectic projects, such as A SMALL REVOLUTION (Front Froid, then published in English by Soaring Penguin Press) and NAUSÉES MATINALES ET AUTRES PETITS BONHEURS (La Pastèque). Her most recent book, LA MÉDUSE (Pow Pow), available in English as THE JELLYFISH, inspired by her health issues, has won numerous awards and nominations, including the Bédéis Causa - Grand Prix Québec BD 2023, the Prix des libraires du Québec 2024 in the BD category, and an Eisner Award. She is currently working on another long-term project with Pow Pow. She has a husband, two daughters, two cats, and a long to-do list. 

Introductions to Accessible Reading Sectors 

Introduction to Accessible Reading Sectors sessions provides foundational overviews from multiple sectors involved in creating and supporting accessible reading. Short presentations will be delivered by multiple Libraries, Content Providers, Publisher Organizations, and Technology providers. Topics of discussion can include: 

• How to support readers with print disabilities, available library services, and evolving practices in libraries. 
• How accessible content is sourced/created, delivered, and integrated into library environments. 
• The role of accessible formats, workflows, and metadata in supporting equitable reading. 
• Accessibility features and demonstrations of technologies (assistive technologies and reading system platforms) and how they support accessible reading.  

This is a bilingual session. It will have live interpretation into French and English. Attendees can choose their preferred audio language when logging into Zoom on Day 2.