CELA is pleased to unveil our 2026 -2031 Strategic Plan. This plan will  guide our work for the next five years.

We began our strategic planning process, by gathering input from our staff, our Board, users, libraries, educators and our colleagues in the accessible reading sector.  

We welcomed a wide range of perspectives including from:

• People who use CELA’s accessible reading materials, including designates (friends or family members who help CELA users)
• Library staff, educators, and other professionals who support people in using CELA
• Organizations that work with or support CELA

As part of this process, CELA worked with Nordicity, an independent consulting firm that supports public libraries, accessibility organizations, cultural organizations and others with planning and research.

Surveys were completed by more than 500 people. We engaged users, educators, library staff and others in focus groups to expand on what we learned in the survey. And we conducted interviews with colleagues who support and work with CELA in the broader accessible reading ecosystem. We want to thank all who contributed towards the development of our Strategic Plan.

This rich input informed the development of our strategic plan. Our new strategic plan combines our previous mission and vision statements, into a new purpose statement and guiding principle, and it defines the four main pillars which will guide our work.   

The four pillars of our strategic plan encompass:  

• Effective service delivery & reading experience 

• A diverse and responsive collection 

• Reach & impact through partnerships 

• A sustainable, future-ready foundation 

You can read the full plan here.