The ABC International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing recognizes publishers and initiatives that demonstrate exceptional leadership and innovation in advancing accessibility for people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.
According to a 2017 estimate by the World Health Organization, 253 million people worldwide are visually impaired. More than 90% of these are residents in developing countries, where the World Blind Union estimates that people who are blind have only a one- in-ten chance of going to school or getting a job. The lack of accessible books is a very real barrier to getting an education and leading an independent, productive life. For this reason, ABC seeks to recognize leadership and achievements in advancing the accessibility of e-books and other digital materials.
ABC award nominees were judged on the criteria of outstanding leadership and achievements in improving the accessibility of e-books or other digital publications for persons who are blind, have low vision, are dyslexic, or have mobility impairments that impact their ability to read the printed word. The finalists were selected by an expert jury composed of representatives of publishers, standards bodies, and organizations representing persons with visual impairments, as well as accessibility experts.
According to the jury, “this year’s shortlist reflects a remarkable breadth of geographic representation and approaches to accessible publishing. From publishers integrating accessibility across their full production chain to mission-driven organizations expanding access to education and literature in their regions, the 2026 finalists demonstrate a clear strategic commitment to inclusion”.
The finalists in the publisher category are:
- France: FeniXX
- Italy: Zanichelli Editore S.p.A
- Poland: Have a Book
The shortlisted candidates in the initiative category are:
- Brazil: Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos
- China: China Braille Press
- Guatemala: Benemérito Comité Pro-Ciegos y Sordos de Guatemala
In 2025, the winners were DADO Editorial Sensorial (Colombia) and the APACE Project (co-funded by the European Union).
About ABC
The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is a public-private partnership led by WIPO that, together with its many partners around the world, has had real impact over the past decade. Since its inception, the ABC Global Book Service catalogue has quadrupled in size to over one million titles thanks to the inclusion of the collections of participating authorized entities. ABC delivered a total of 225,000 accessible digital files from the ABC catalogue to persons with print disabilities through its authorized entities in 2024. In addition, through ABC’s training and technical assistance partners, more than 20,000 textbooks have been made accessible in over 40 low-income countries, improving access to education for thousands of young people. ABC was established in June 2014 to implement the goals of the Marrakesh Treaty.
About WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 193 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society’s evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it provides free access to unique knowledge banks of IP information.