Reading opens doors to education, to career success, to entertainment and community connections. We value reading so much as a society that we build and fund libraries to remove financial barriers to reading. Unfortunately, according to a 2023 Canadian government survey more than 5 million people experience other barriers to reading, including difficulty seeing words in print, reading or understanding them vision issues or holding or turning pages of print materials.
CELA’s mission has always been to support people with print disabilities. This year, thanks to funding through the EARP fund, we’re on a mission to find more of the people who could benefit from our services and let them know that accessible reading materials are available to them, for free, through CELA.
Cora Payne and Andrea Blake are two new staff members hired specifically to reach out to educators, support professionals, and community organizations to spread the word about CELA. They will also be partnering with libraries to support them as these libraries expand their local efforts to support more community members with print disabilities.
We caught up with Cora and Andrea to learn more about them, and their outreach plans for CELA .
CELA: Tell us a bit about yourself:
Cora, Outreach Manager: I have a Bachelor of Education and a background in inclusive education, advocacy, and community engagement. Before joining CELA, I worked in early intervention for children with disabilities. I also bring lived experience as someone with ADHD and Dyslexia, which fuels my commitment as a strong advocate for social and disability justice.
Andrea, Outreach assistant: I would describe myself as a “certified book worm and library bug,” I’m a native French speaker who grew up in a small rural francophone community with an even smaller local library that quickly became my sanctuary. I hold a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Communication Studies and I am excited to bring my experience in teaching, communications, project management and French translation.
What is the one thing you wish folks knew about CELA (or that you are excited to introduce to folks who are new to CELA?
Cora: Our collection is huge — there truly is a book for everyone! Whether you’re revisiting an old favourite from your teen years or picking up a new release, CELA has something for you. I’d also encourage podcast listeners to give audiobooks a try — they can be just as engaging, if not more so!
Andrea: There are three other things I would add to Cora’s comment.
- Our collection is free to access
- There are NO WAITLISTS for digital downloads, meaning audiobooks and epub books are readily available for users to read immediately once added to their Direct to Player bookshelf.
- If there’s a book you would like to read that’s not already in our collection of 1.5 million titles then we will see if we can add it.
What has drawn you to this outreach work?
Cora: To me, outreach is a collaborative approach to advocacy. It allows me to connect with a diverse network of people, each bringing their own unique perspective. These connections help us build inclusive communities and work alongside those dedicated to creating a more inclusive world.
I believe deeply in the principles of “nothing about us, without us,” universal design, and intersectionality. Outreach provides me the chance to share this perspective in meetings, while also learning from others.
The disability community is vast, diverse, and resilient, and it is an honour to dedicate my career to learning from and supporting it.
Andrea: I love to read and I’ve always been a big advocate for literacy and the love of reading with my friends and family. I know there are many people who have deemed themselves as “not a reader” perhaps because they “never got into it when they were younger.” I also know that it’s possible some of those people have a print disability and are not aware of it, simply concluding that reading is not something they enjoy. But the truth is, there are so many benefits to reading, and everyone should have access to those benefits regardless of ability. Being able to continue talking about my love of reading and to advocate for literacy on a national scale is a dream come true.
As you started working with CELA only recently, what was something you were surprised to learn about?
Cora: I was amazed by the breadth of accessible reading technologies. I hadn’t realized how many innovative tools exist for people with print disabilities — such as the electronic braille display.
It’s also fascinating to remember that many accessibility tools have long been at the forefront of innovation. For example, audiobooks were originally created for people who are Blind or have vision impairments, and now they benefit so many more readers.
Andrea: I came coming into this role with very introductory knowledge on accessible accommodations and different types of disabilities. I was surprised to learn that most people, at some point in their life, will become disabled. At some point any of us could benefit from accessible books which means broadly promoting a FREE national service for reading materials in different formats is extremely important and necessary
What’s one misconception folks have that you would like to clear up about CELA/access to accessible reading materials?
Cora: CELA isn’t just for people who read in alternate formats or for librarians. It’s also for educators and those supporting individuals with print disabilities, through programs like Client Access and Educator Access.
E-texts and audiobooks also align with evidence-based multisensory reading practices for students with learning disabilities. A CELA account can be part of a holistic, evidence-based intervention plan, while also giving students the freedom to choose what they want to read. That autonomy of choice is the most powerful motivator and will hopefully inspire that student to develop a lifelong love of reading.
Andrea: I think one of the misconceptions folks have is that CELA is just for seniors who are blind or who have low vision. There are many folks in situations where a disability means they qualify for CELA access. I am thinking of children in schools with dyslexia who could use audiobooks or ebooks with customizable fonts to help support their reading goals, or a blind or low vision parent of sighted children (or vice versa) wanting to read a bedtime story with our print-braille picture books. Reading is beneficial for everyone, and making sure Canadians know about this service is a mission I am proud to advocate for.
What will success look like for you in a year or two with respect to CELA’s outreach work.
Cora: We’re planning to expand training for library staff, educators, and other professionals. A train-the-trainer kit is in development for library staff, which will give folks the tools and confidence to support patrons with print disabilities who are seeking alternate formats.
Beyond libraries, we aim to connect with at least 50 community organizations that support people with print disabilities. I especially hope to partner with disability justice organizations, as well as groups supporting people who are also racialized, queer and trans, and/or experiencing poverty.
As a trained teacher, I also hope to see educators incorporating CELA into student support plans. Growing up, I thought I hated reading, but the truth was I struggled to decode traditional print. I would love for students to discover, earlier than I did, that they don’t dislike reading — they just need a format that works for them.
Finally, we want to ensure our outreach extends to rural, remote, northern, and Indigenous communities, where access to resources is often most limited.
Andrea: For me, success from the Outreach team could be a few things:
- Being in communication with many new disability organizations and educational institutions that we have never partnered with before.
- Having offered several workshops to those organizations on how to introduce CELA to those they work with who could benefit from reading materials in alternate formats,
- Meeting with Indigenous organizations across Canada to discuss collaboration opportunities and how we can support each other’s missions.
- Attending conferences related to accessible literacy and connecting with even more organizations and professionals who could benefit from knowing about CELA.
How can folks find you if they want to reach out to you?
We’d love to connect with you! Whether you’re part of the disability community, support people who might benefit from CELA, or are just interested in learning more, we would be happy to chat. You can reach us at cora.payne@celalibrary.ca and andrea.blake@celalibrary.ca. We’re also looking to share testimonies from users who’ve benefitted from CELA, so please reach out if you would like to share your story with us.
