Accessibility
Every reader,
every format.
A book that cannot be read by everyone is not finished. The Council works so that South Africa's published works reach people with print disabilities — in braille, audio, accessible digital text, large print, and tactile form.
Our Commitment
Accessible publishing is part of the mandate.
Millions of South Africans are blind, have low vision, or have a print disability that makes reading standard print difficult or impossible. The overwhelming majority of books are never produced in a form they can read — a gap the publishing sector calls the “book famine”.
The Council treats accessible-format publishing as a core obligation of a healthy sector, not an afterthought. We recognise accredited accessible-format producers in our directory, surface accessible works in our catalogue, and advocate for the legal framework that lets accessible copies be made and shared.
Our aim is simple: a person with a print disability should be able to read the same book, at the same time, as everyone else.
The Legal Framework
The Marrakesh Treaty & Section 19D.
The Marrakesh Treaty (the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, 2013) is an international copyright treaty with a single purpose: to remove the legal barriers that stop accessible-format copies of books being made and shared across borders.
In South African law, the principles are given effect through Section 19D of the Copyright Act. It permits a beneficiary person — a person with a print disability — and an authorised / permitted entity acting on their behalf to make and supply an accessible-format copy of a work, without needing the rights-holder's permission, provided the work is already lawfully accessible and the copy is made on a non-profit basis for beneficiaries.
This is the legal foundation that makes the braille edition, the audio book, and the accessible EPUB possible. The Council's copyright & IP advocacy defends and strengthens this framework so that accessible copies remain lawful and reach the readers who need them.
Beneficiary person
A person who is blind, has a visual or perceptual impairment, or is otherwise unable to read printed works in the ordinary way.
Permitted entity
A non-profit organisation or institution authorised to make and supply accessible-format copies to beneficiaries.
Accessible-format copy
A copy of a work in an alternative manner or form that gives a beneficiary access as feasibly and comfortably as a person without a print disability.
Accessible Formats
The formats we recognise.
- Braille
- Tactile reading for blind readers, embossed on paper or rendered on a refreshable braille display.
- EPUB3
- Reflowable digital text that works with screen readers, supports large type, and adapts to any device.
- Audio
- Narrated recordings — including structured DAISY talking books — for readers who cannot read print.
- Tactile graphics
- Raised diagrams, maps and illustrations that convey visual content by touch.
- Large print
- High-contrast editions set in larger type for readers with low vision.
Find Accessible Work
Where to start.
Accessible-format producers
Verified members accredited to produce braille, audio, accessible digital text, tactile graphics and large print — filtered to accessible-format producers across all nine provinces.
Browse producers →CatalogueAccessible titles
Books in the Council catalogue that are available in an accessible format. Use the “Available in” filter to find braille, audio, EPUB3, tactile or large-print editions.
Browse the catalogue →ResourcesAccessible resources
Free guides, templates and documents the Council publishes openly — filterable to the accessible-format versions in the public library.
Open the library →PublicationsAccessible publications
Reports and featured titles, with accessible-format editions flagged so you can find the version that works for you.
See publications →