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Annick Press became one of the first  Global Certified Accessible™ (GCA) children’s book publishers this week, creating ebooks with a full range of accessibility features.

Benetech, a nonprofit that empowers communities with software for social good, issues this accreditation to those publishers who produce EPUBs that meet accessibility features required to support the needs of all readers, including those with disabilities and learning differences.

“Since the company’s founding, Annick has been at the forefront of publishing books that reflect the world of the contemporary child. We are committed to inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in our publishing, and that applies to our digital program,” said Brendan Ouellette, digital project manager at Annick Press. “We’re proud to be among the first children’s publishers in the industry to make our ebooks accessible.” Annick’s first “born accessible” ebook—fully accessible from publication day—is Harvey and the Extraordinary, a middle-grade novel written by Eliza Martin and illustrated by Anna Bron, that releases this week.

“All digital content can and should be born accessible,” said Brad Turner, Vice President and General Manager of Global Education and Literacy at Benetech. Benetech’s GCA publisher certification program is the first ever, third-party EPUB certification program to verify ebook accessibility. eBOUND Canada, a GCA international partner, completed the evaluation. Annick Press completed the GCA certification through eBOUND Canada, a not-for-profit that enables independent Canadian publishers to engage in the digital marketplace. “eBOUND believes that all content born digital, should be born accessible, so that all people can have access to all content. As such, eBOUND is delighted to have formed a partnership with Benetech to support our Canadian independent publisher clients as they go through the important process of having all content born accessible. eBOUND’s goal is to have 80%+ of our publishing clients producing accessible content by 2024, supporting the goal of the Department of Canadian Heritage, whose generous support has made this work possible,”
said Deborah Nelson, CEO of eBOUND Canada.

About Annick Press
Annick Press is recognized as one of the most innovative and cutting-edge publishers of children’s books in North America. Founded in 1975, Annick is home to many award-winning and bestselling titles including The Paper Bag Princess, Red is Best, Fatty Legs, and The Power of Style. Visit Annick Press at annickpress.com.

About Benetech

Benetech is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing social and economic inequity through software for social good. Benetech’s initiatives are transforming how students, jobseekers, and older adults across the globe read, learn, and work. We believe that access to information is a human right, and no person should encounter barriers to education, literacy, or employment due to differences or disability. To learn more about Benetech’s Global Certified Accessible Program visit: bornaccessible.benetech.org.

About eBOUND
eBOUND Canada is a not-for-profit organization that works with Canadian independent publishers to help them navigate and compete in the digital landscape. Accessible content creation is foundational to the work eBOUND does. To learn more about eBOUND Canada visit: eboundcanada.org.