This is the fifth year anniversary of the ABC International Excellence Award, which is now a much anticipated annual event in the field of accessibility, with an ever increasing number of diverse nominations from around the world. The winners were selected by an expert jury composed of eleven representatives of authors, publishers, standards bodies, and organizations representing people who are visually impaired, as well as accessibility experts.
Context
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, the Accessible Book Consortium (ABC) seeks to recognize leadership and achievements in advancing the accessibility of e-books and other digital materials.
Winner in the publisher category
ED5 is a Brazilian publishing house in the educational field and is considered to be at the forefront of accessibility developments in Brazil. ED5 converts print textbooks and other educational content to accessible formats, including EPUB3, audio and Braille (both digital and embossed) for students in Brazil who are print-disabled. ED5 offers both their own and other publishers' content in accessible formats.
ED5 represent all that is good about accessible publishing. Their extensive and exemplary work in EPUB3 and Braille production is commended, as is their creation of the innovative ALBATROZ production software designed to ensure full content accessibility. As the largest accessible book producer in Latin America they have been influential throughout the region and have pioneered access to content for students in Brazil. They are a midwife of the “born accessible” publishing movement and thoroughly deserve this recognition.
Huw Alexander, ABC Selection Jury Member and Co-Founder of textBOX
Students benefit by the production of all titles in accessible versions delivered to schools at the same time as print books for sighted students. Initiatives by ED5 in the field of accessible educational content have had great positive impact; today the number of students with print disabilities enrolled in public schools in Brazil has risen from 10,000 in 2005 to 70,000 in 2018. ED5 correlates this increase in enrollment to the greater number of accessible textbooks that are now available to such students.
Winner in the initiative category
Founded in Kenya in 2012, eKitabu is headquartered in Nairobi (“Kitabu” is Kiswahili for “book,” Kitab or کتاب in Arabic, Kitab or कताब in Hindi) and works with over 60 local publishers in Kenya to bring accessible digital learning materials—in many cases for the first time ever—to learners who are print disabled, as well as training their teachers to use accessible digital content. eKitabu’s accessible books and programs have reached over 375,000 learners and 1,500 schools across 13 countries of Africa.
We are sincerely honored to be recognized by the Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award for our work with African publishers to deliver accessible digital content for inclusive and quality education. We look forward to more collaboration with ABC—furthering born accessible publishing practices sustainably to leave no one behind.
Will Clurman, CEO and Co-Founder of eKitabu
eKitabu has developed an open source Accessible EPUB Toolkit to help publishers adopt born accessible practices, not only making their materials more accessible for learners with disabilities, but also growing the sustainability of locally developed educational materials in languages across Africa. eKitabu works in collaboration with African education ministries, publishers and schools to build sustainability and achieve learning outcomes.
About the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC)
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations specialized agency, and its partners created the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) in 2014 to help implement the Marrakesh Treaty at a practical level. ABC is a public – private partnership; it includes organizations that represent people with print disabilities, such as the World Blind Union; libraries for people with print disabilities; and organizations representing authors, publishers and collective management organizations, including the International Authors Forum, the International Publishers Association, and the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations. ABC’s goal is to increase the number of books worldwide in accessible formats - such as Braille, audio, e-text, large print – and to make them available to people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.
ABC works in three areas, namely:
- Capacity Building – training and funding is provided by ABC in developing countries for the production of books in accessible formats.
- ABC Global Book Service - a global library catalogue of over 424,000 titles in accessible formats in 76 languages that enables participating authorized entities from around the world to share items in their collections.
- Accessible Publishing – the promotion of accessible book production techniques within the publishing industry so that e-books are usable by both sighted people and those with print disabilities.
For further information, please contact: accessible.books@wipo.int
Women and IP Symposium 2026: Jihan Williams-Knight
Transcript
Jihan Williams-Knight, Registrar, Saint Kitts and Nevis
I'm Jihan Williams-Knight, registrar of the IP Office in St. Kitts and Nevis. I'd say that the most important change needed to strengthen women's participation in IP protection is investing more in showcasing relatable success stories. Women are already creators and problem-solvers, but often we don't pause long enough to recognize the value in what we create. And if we can't see our own value, we can't promote nor protect it.
So yes, while there are women actively protecting their IP, there are still too many who don't even understand that they've created something of value that is protectable. And that's often because the most visible IP success stories have been large corporations or rich entrepreneurs.
So for the Caribbean women selling homemade juices on the side of the road, or the one who has developed catchy product names in her small business, IP protection will feel distant and unattainable. And yes, of course, we also need strategies to confront participation barriers like affordability and accessibility of IP protection.
But getting women to the door of IP protection is just as important as getting them through that door. So let's get more women to the door by showcasing more stories of women who've used IP strategy to extract real value and commercial potential from their everyday creativity.
So let's bring the women who have done it closer to the women who can do it through mentorship, networking, and consistent, authentic storytelling. Because what some women need to participate is not just information, it's inspiration that reflects and validates who and where they are.
Jihan Williams-Knight, Registrar, Saint Kitts and Nevis
I'm Jihan Williams-Knight, registrar of the IP Office in St. Kitts and Nevis. I'd say that the most important change needed to strengthen women's participation in IP protection is investing more in showcasing relatable success stories. Women are already creators and problem-solvers, but often we don't pause long enough to recognize the value in what we create. And if we can't see our own value, we can't promote nor protect it.
So yes, while there are women actively protecting their IP, there are still too many who don't even understand that they've created something of value that is protectable. And that's often because the most visible IP success stories have been large corporations or rich entrepreneurs.
So for the Caribbean women selling homemade juices on the side of the road, or the one who has developed catchy product names in her small business, IP protection will feel distant and unattainable. And yes, of course, we also need strategies to confront participation barriers like affordability and accessibility of IP protection.
But getting women to the door of IP protection is just as important as getting them through that door. So let's get more women to the door by showcasing more stories of women who've used IP strategy to extract real value and commercial potential from their everyday creativity.
So let's bring the women who have done it closer to the women who can do it through mentorship, networking, and consistent, authentic storytelling. Because what some women need to participate is not just information, it's inspiration that reflects and validates who and where they are.
17. Juni 2026