With the awards split into two streams, one for publishers, the other for initiatives, The shortlisted nominees are:
Publishers
• Constantine Editores, Mexico
• Hachette Livre, France
• Taylor & Francis, UK
Initiatives
• DAISY Forum of India
• Dolphin Computer Access, UK
• Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos, Brazil
• Typefi, Australia
The winners from both shortlists will be announced at the London Book Fair on 10 April.
According to a 2017 estimate by the World Health Organization, 253 million people worldwide are visually impaired. More than 90% of these are resident 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.
You can read more about the Awards and the Accessible Books Consortium here.