Our Book Selection   

The age range of books we looked at was 5-11 years and these were mainly picture books, although we have considered some chapter books too.

OIW was encouraged by the number of books we discovered. We received recommendations from a variety of sources including: 

International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) catalogue, European Picture Book Collection (EPBC), International Youth Library, individual translators, publishers and disability experts from around the world.

This resulted in a wide-ranging collection of accessible books (including titles that featured braille, sign language, PCS/Widgit symbols and tactile elements), and inclusive titles (that included Autism, Alzheimer’s, learning disabilities, sensory impairments and mobility impairments). 

A total of 60 books were assessed originating from 15 countries: Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Syria.      

Of these 60, eight titles were rejected in the initial assessment process; 38 titles were assessed in-depth and a further 16 titles were subject to less specific feedback so were not dealt with in detail. 

• 32 titles were translated into English by OIW for the project.
  
  
• Languages included: French (7); German (4); Greece (1); Hungary (2); Italian (2); Spanish (8); Arabic (4); Korean (3); and Swedish (1).
  
  
• One mock-up was produced in braille while another was adapted with Widgit symbols.
  
  
• 27 titles were prepared with an English text by OIW.