What is Born Accessible?
Born Accessible is an initiative of the nonprofit tech company Benetech, who also operates Bookshare, the largest library of accessible ebooks in the world. Benetech believes the time is right for the publishing world to seize this era of opportunity. We believe that all content born digital can—and should—be born accessible. We understand how to navigate this aspect of content creation and distribution—both by identifying the possibilities and working to resolve the challenges.
Digital content and technology have made it possible to get more materials to more people in more ways, making the dream of every book for every reader, every day a reality. Making that content accessible must be a priority. There are millions of readers that can’t use physical books due to print disabilities such as blindness or low vision, mobility impairments, or learning disorders like dyslexia. For print disabled readers, ebook technology makes purchasing and fully utilizing accessible books and other content possible.
Tremendous progress has been made on making books which are primarily text accessible from the start, but as digital content becomes richer and more complex, the challenge of making it born accessible will require broader partnerships and technological innovation. Will you join us in our mission to create a born accessible world? Choose one of the pathways below to learn how.
“Benetech’s Global Certified Accessible program makes it possible for publishers to meet the huge need for accessible ebooks. I don’t see how we could have done it without them.” -David Mitchell, Director of Business Management, Guilford Publications
