Nominations are now open for the 2026 edition of the International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing, promoted by the Accessible Book Consortium (ABC), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

About the Award

The International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing is the most prestigious prize for accessibility in the publishing field: it recognizes a publisher and a project initiative that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and achievements in advancing the accessibility of commercial e-books or other digital publications for persons print-disabled. In 2025, the winners were the APACE project, coordinated by Fondazione LIA, in the initiatives category, and DADO Editorial Sensorial among publishers.

For the 2026 edition, the ceremony will take place at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair on 13 April 2026, spotlighting efforts to make reading accessible to every child.

Selection Criteria

The selection panel, comprising experts in the field of accessibility, will evaluate nominations based on the following criteria:

• a commitment to making content available in accessible formats;
• accessibility standards built into production systems to make books accessible on, or close to, publication date;
• collaboration with partners in the supply chain to ensure that accessibility is maintained in delivering the product to the print disabled end-user;
• innovative practices established to advance the accessibility of e-books and digital publications;
• widespread positive impact on persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled; and
• an overall commitment to ABC’s mission of making content globally available in accessible formats.

Eligibility

As the award aims to recognize collective efforts and sustainable practices of companies, organizations and initiatives, individuals are not eligible for nomination. Previous nominees that made the short-list are strongly encouraged to reapply. Past winners will not be considered again for the same work. Previous winners must demonstrate new initiatives or results that meet the current ABC International Excellence Award criteria to be considered.

Nominations for the award in the two categories are now being collected by the Accessible Book Consortium. Any nomination should be filled and sent by February 2, 2026. Info and application form can be found at this page.