Accessible Services for Children + Youth

Hello, my name is Rachel and I am responsible for the Library’s Accessible Service. In this work, I support many adults and seniors in our community who may need alternate formats to enjoy their favourite books. However, not many people know that we also have many alternate options for children and teens who find print books challenging, for example due to:

- Visual disability, including blindness, low vision or difficulty moving or focusing the eyes.
- Physical disability that makes it difficult to hold a book or turn pages.
- A disability relating to comprehension, including dyslexia or other differences in the way the brain works that makes it difficult to read print.

The Library is happy to be able to offer reading material through our partnership with the Centre of Equitable Library Access (CELA). CELA provides access to material including audiobooks and Printbraille.

Through CELA, families can access many of the bestselling and popular titles for entertainment or for school! For example, CELA just shared their top-five picks for kids in October:

1. The marrow thieves by Cherie Dimaline
2. Theodore Boone (Theodore Boone Ser. #Bk. 1) by John Grisham
3. Narwhal's otter friend (A Narwhal and Jelly book ; #4) by Ben Clanton
4. Pulse point by Colleen Nelson
5. The girl with the glass bird (Knights Haddon. #1.) by Esme Kerr

To access these and many other amazing titles, you need to be registered as a Library customer and through CELA.

Please note that this service is limited to individuals with print disabilities. If you would like to learn more, please contact me at outreach@coqlibrary.ca – I would love to chat!