Whether you want to read your books or magazines on a DAISY player, computer, smartphone, braille display, or another device, CELA offers a format that will work for you.
Once you choose your device below and identify a compatible format, you can read our related tutorials on how to download books or magazines.
The following DAISY players work with our Direct to Player service. This service is the easiest and fastest option for getting DAISY audio or text books and magazines. A computer isn't required - just the player and access to an Internet connection. Table top models also play DAISY CDs and regular CDs. Please note: As of July 31st, 2025, CELA will no longer offer DAISY audio CDs as a delivery option. Please visit our CD Transition Resources page to learn about the options available to you for getting our audio books and magazines.
Older models of DAISY players do not work with Direct to Player service and take CDs instead.
The Envoy Connect is an easy to use, portable, and affordable option for reading accessible audiobooks. It can be mailed to CELA to be reloaded with new titles, or it can be reloaded by downloading books or magazines directly from your CELA Direct to Player bookshelf with our software, CELA Connect. Users can choose to use mail reloading, reloading at home with CELA Connect, or both, depending on their needs.
Download EasyReader for Windows
Download AMIS
Note: AMIS is no longer being developed or supported.
Download the Read&Write extension for Chrome browsers
Braille displays currently on the market come in many shapes and sizes. The number of braille cells is a determining factor in price and portability. Typical sizes range between 14 and 40 cells.
The other important defining characteristic is the type of functionality. They can be grouped broadly into three main categories:
These devices only work when connected to computers, smartphones and tablets. They allow you to read and navigate any text displayed on the screen of the connected device.
These type of braille displays connect to other devices but also allow stand-alone functionality, such as taking notes. Further, they offer a range of other useful features such as reading mail, streaming music, or loading Android applications of various kinds.
An emerging category of displays mainly geared towards connecting to other devices while offering limited stand-alone functionality, such as taking notes and loading books from some online services or through a computer.
Specific file formats supported depend on the device model, but, generally, the following CELA formats are compatible:
Further, any text presented on the screen of the connected device can be read with a braille display. For example, text from a webpage, book, or application.
You can play DAISY books on many MP3-compatible devices. You will lose the navigation, bookmarking and other special playback features of DAISY.
Accessible Reading Canada Accessible Reading Canada is a voice-activated application that lets CELA users listen to CELA audiobooks through Alexa-enabled smart speakers.
Users must have an Amazon account as well as an Alexa-enabled smart speaker to use this app. Through this Alexa app, known as a "skill", patrons can use voice commands to search, browse, and listen to audiobooks from CELA.
To learn more, visit the Accessible Reading Canada help page.