The Accessible Books Consortium has announced the shortlist for the 2026 ABC International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing. The Award recognizes publishers and initiatives that demonstrate exceptional leadership and innovation in advancing accessibility for people who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.

Finalists in the publisher category are:

· France: FeniXX

· Italy: Zanichelli Editore S.p.A

· Poland: Have a Book

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

The jury noted that 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.

Collectively, these organizations highlight the growing recognition that accessibility must be incorporated from the earliest stages of publishing, ensuring that persons with print disabilities are fully considered in publishing processes.

The winners will be announced during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Awards ceremony held during the gala dinner at the Palazzo Re Enzo in Bologna, Italy on April 13, 2026.

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 240,500 accessible digital files from the ABC catalogue to persons with print disabilities through its authorized entities in 2025. In addition, through ABC’s training and technical assistance partners, more than 24,000 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.

Source：Accessible Books Consortium