Thanks to an exception in the Canadian Copyright Act, people with perceptual disabilities are able to read accessible versions of published materials.

The "Accessible Content: A Guide to the Canadian Copyright Act on Searching for Accessible Formats and Producing and Distributing Alternate Formats" was created to provide a summary of the laws that govern this access.

Written by Victoria Owen (University of Toronto), Alexandra Kohn (McGill University) and Laurie Davidson (Executive Director of CELA), this guide is intended for use by alternate format producers, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, schools, colleges, universities and similar institutions and/or non-profit organizations acting for the benefit of people with perceptual disabilities, and for the users themselves. 

The authors will present their report at the upcoming OLA Copyright Symposium on November 27, 2025 at 1pm EST. 

To find the full report please visit our webpage Accessible Content Guide to Canadian Copyright Laws