Books for All provides books in accessible formats for students who have difficulty reading ordinary printed books, including those with dyslexia, who have a physical disability or who are blind or partially sighted.
- Accounts are FREE for educators in Scotland supporting learners with a print disability.
- There are currently over 2,000 titles available.
- Formats include PDF, Word, DAISY, MP3, PowerPoint and Braille.
Some history
In the summer of 2006, CALL Scotland were asked by the Scottish Government to investigate the need for learning resources in accessible formats. This followed a symposium on the topic that CALL Scotland had organised. Their research found that:
- provision of books in Braille, Large Print and audio for pupils with visual impairment, while not satisfactory, was actually far better than provision of accessible books for other groups of pupils such as the physically disabled or pupils with dyslexia.
- Local authorities and national charities such as RNIB have in place transcription services to create and distribute Braille, Large Print and audio books for pupils with visual impairment, but services for other print-disabled groups did not exist.
- Furthermore, the copyright exemption which enabled accessible copies to be made for the visually impaired or physically disabled did not extend to other disabilities such as dyslexia, hearing impairment or learning difficulties.
The full Books for All Report is available from the Scottish Government website.
The rationale
Most people think of Braille and Large Print when they think of alternative formats but in fact there are many more types of accessible textbooks, workbooks, worksheets, assessment and examination papers and other learning resources.
Similarly, it is commonly assumed that the pupils who need alternative formats are blind and partially sighted. In fact, there are many other groups of disabled pupils who can benefit from learning resources in alternative formats.
Pupils with a print disability would benefit because they:
- cannot see the text, because of a visual impairment;
- cannot read the text, due to for example dyslexia;
- cannot comprehend the text, because of for example learning difficulties;
- cannot hold a book or turn pages, due to physical disability.
