Our projects:

In addition to our work supporting libraries and people with print disabilities and providing accessible reading material, CELA also collaborates with various partners and organizations in projects which support the equitable reading landscape. Our goal with these projects is to contribute in areas where our experience and expertise can help make reading more accessible.

Current Projects:

World Braille Days

Each January a collaboration of organizations that are braille focused or support braille users celebrate the birth of Louis Braille. Programming for the celebration can include presentations, panel discussions, online gatherings along with Braille Boost which is a series of activities and resources school students can enjoy. 
CELA along with The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), Alternate Education Resources Ontario (AERO), Braille Literacy Canada (BLC), the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), the CNIB Beyond Print, CNIB Foundation, the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), and the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) are pleased to collaborate on a celebration of braille for the month of January.

In 2026 we are also recognizing and supporting the work of the World Braille Union and the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) in their global campaign to advance braille literacy and inclusive education.

DAISY Consortium 

CELA is a proud member of the DAISY Consortium Canada (DCC). The DCC guides Canada’s involvement in the international DAISY Consortium and provides Canadian input into the development and implementation of international accessibility standards as they apply to reading and information. It also provides a collaborative forum for Canadian not-for-profit organizations serving people with disabilities, libraries and educational institutions to discuss and share issues pertaining to the national accessible reading landscape. Members of the DCC include CELA, NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Access), BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), CAER (Canadian Association of Educational Resource Centres for Alternate Format Materials) and CFLA (Canadian Federation of Library Associations). 

CELA and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) have led the creation of a DAISY Consortium Canada group. The goal is to establish a collaborative and representative voice for Canada within the international DAISY Consortium and to provide Canadian input into the development and implementation of international accessibility standards related to digital reading and information access.

The Public Library Accessibility Resource Centre (PLARC) 

Libraries play a fundamental role in removing barriers to accessing information, supporting literacy, and offering opportunities for learning and connection. As a joint project of CELA and NNELS  the Public Library Accessibility Resource Centre project (PLARC) created the Accessible Libraries website as a support for libraries while they do the important work of nurturing accessible spaces in their communities. In addition PLARC and its founding committees completed 3 key studies which focused on assessing and supporting accessibility in libraries.

  1. Is Your Public Library Accessible? Study
    This study took place between June 2022 and January 2023.   By engaging with people with disabilities, the study aimed to help libraries understand the accessibility of public libraries across Canada from the perspective and experiences of persons with lived experiences of a disability, and to identify ways libraries could improve accessibility and access.  
  2. Accessibility in Public Libraries Survey. 
    This study aimed to inform the creation of the Public Library Accessibility Resource Centre (PLARC), a nationwide online Accessibility Resource Centre focused on awareness and training for library staff on the importance of accessibility. It was began in February, 2021 and completed in September, 2021.
  3. Accessible Publishing Research Project and the How Do You Read Study
    The Accessible Publishing Research Project began in October 2019 and was completed in March 2020. This project was the basis for the creation of the Accessible Libraries website to support libraries in providing accessible content and resources. The study included an analysis of the current landscape for the production and distribution of accessible digital books in Canada, recommendations for the implementation of a national standards and certification program, and the development of a national strategy for awareness and training around accessible books for the publishing industry and related sectors.
    • 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. 
    • a checklist of the major requirements of these laws,
    • best practices and practical advice for everyday situations,
    • guidance on eliminating past practices that inadvertently add barriers to access
    • a glossary of relevant terms that with may be unfamiliar to some readers

More information about these projects, including final reports, can be found on the Accessible Libraries website. 

Within the Accessible Libraries website website, you will find carefully curated resources created by and for Canadian public and academic libraries with the goal of sharing ideas, information, and best practices about accessibility initiatives. The resources reflect insight gained from those with lived experiences of a disability.

In addition, PLARC also created learning paths to provide structured approaches to enhance knowledge and skills in creating accessible content, designing inclusive programs, ensuring accessible environments, managing procurement, and addressing social media accessibility in library settings.

PLARC began in September 2021 and is an ongoing project. 

Canadian Accessibility Network

The Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN), under the leadership of the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University, is a national collaboration dedicated to advancing accessibility for persons with disabilities through the following areas: Research, Design and Innovation; Policy; Education and Training; and Employment. CELA is one of the many collaborators within this network. 

Accessible Reading Symposium

The annual 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.  

Symposium recordings: Visit CELA's Youtube channel for captioned recordings of the Symposium sessions. BANQ and NNELS' Youtube channels have also shared the recorded sessions.

The Accessible Reading Symposium is a collaboration between CELA, NNELS ( National Network for Equitable Library Service) and BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec). 

Completed Projects:

Accessible Content: A Guide to the Canadian Copyright Act on Searching for Accessible Formats and Producing and Distributing Alternate Formats

Thanks to an exception in the Canadian copyright act, people with perceptual disabilities are able to read accessible versions of printed 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. The report includes

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.

This project was completed in August 2025. Learn more on our blog and website. 

Accessible Commercial Audiobook Project

The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) created the Commercial Audiobook Research Project, along with our partners the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), eBOUND, Book Publishers Association of Alberta, CNIB Beyond Print and ECW Press, to investigate and address accessibility gaps in commercial audiobook production for individuals with print disabilities. While digital publishing has advanced accessibility—particularly with ebooks—commercial audiobooks lack standardized accessibility practices, despite being a primary reading format for many.

This project sought to bridge this information gap between industry practices, needs and readers’ experiences by assessing accessibility barriers, exploring user preferences, and evaluating industry feasibility. Our goal was to determine how commercial audiobooks could be made fully accessible while balancing industry constraints and general reader satisfaction. The final report is available to the public. 

This project began in April 2023 and completed to March 2024. 
Learn more on our blog and website