The list of finalists for the 2025 ABC International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing has been released by WIPO’s Accessible Books Consortium.
Finalists in the publisher category are:
- Canada: Éditions Les 400 Coups
- Colombia: DADO Editorial Sensorial
- United Kingdom: Royal Yachting Association/RYA Publications
Shortlisted candidates in the initiative category are:
- European Union: Accelerating Publishing Accessibility through Collaboration in Europe (APACE)
- India: Mitra Jyothi
- Trinidad and Tobago: National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS)
- United Kingdom: RNIB Bookshare
The nominations this year were geographically very diverse and indicated many new initiatives in different spheres. The selection jury had difficulty in selecting the short list. It was interesting to see a nomination of the Royal Yachting Association in particular. Sailing is a hugely popular sport among blind and partially sighted people, yet the highly visual nature of sailing instruction—such as diagrams of knots, sail trim, and navigation—can make learning inaccessible without careful adaptation. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) showed us that recreational associations can also tackle this challenge, ensuring that every aspiring sailor, regardless of print disability, can read the world-class training materials the RYA is known for. This commitment to accessibility reflects the spirit of inclusion at the heart of sailing and hopefully can inspire other sports associations.
Ms. Stacy Scott, Head of Accessibility, Taylor & Francis and Chair, Publishing Accessibility Action Group, United Kingdom.
The winners will be revealed during the gala dinner at the World Blindness Summit, hosted by the World Blind Union, on September 3, 2025, in São Paulo, Brazil.
Background
According to a 2017 study published in The Lancet, approximately 253 million people are blind or visually impaired world-wide. Nearly 90% of these are resident in developing countries, where the World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that people who are blind have only a one in ten chance of going to school or getting a job. A lack of accessible books remains a very real barrier to getting an education and leading an independent, productive life.
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.
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About the World Blindness Summit
The World Blindness Summit and World Blind Union (WBU) General Assembly, scheduled for September 1–5, 2025, in São Paulo, Brazil, stands as the premier global gathering for the blind and partially sighted community. Under the theme “A fragile world, an unbreakable movement: together towards inclusion,” this significant event will convene advocates, experts, and leaders to discuss advancements in accessibility, inclusion, and human rights. Co-organized by the National Organization of the Blind of Brazil and the Paralympic Committee of Brazil, the summit will take place at the Distrito Anhembi Convention Center, conveniently connected to the Holiday Inn São Paulo Parque Anhembi. Attendees can look forward to an extensive assistive technology exhibition, showcasing the latest innovations designed to enhance independence and quality of life for blind and partially sighted individuals. Beyond serving as a platform for making connections and exchanging knowledge, the event will play a crucial role in shaping the future strategic direction of the WBU, making it a key event for the international blindness movement.
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.