Accessible Books

This page provides information and tutorials for creating accessible books. Books in alternate formats are created or adapted to meet the needs of learners so they can build literacy, do self-selected reading, and support their learning in many other ways. For example, stories and narratives also help students understand cause and effect, encourage independence, and build communication skills.

Books that are available only in print form may not be accessible for students who cannot physically turn the pages of a book, or students who have a vision impairment. In these instances, books can be made that have high contrast, large fonts, or be programmed so that the pages are turned automatically. Books can also be programmed so that they can be read using a switch, a screen tap, mouse click, or eye gaze.

Uses of accessible books

• Create a personal book of important events to share with an audience
• Convert a print book into an accessible book (copyright guidelines apply)
• Adapt curriculum content to differentiate learning (ie: literacy, numeracy, science)

Pictello is available as an app for the iPad. It allows users to create talking books using a recorded human voice or one of the text-to-speech voice. Words are highlighted as they are read aloud.