When I was shadowing an elementary school teacher, they asked me to help them design an accessible classroom library for their students with print disabilities, after we noticed that students seemed to be avoiding the library area or looking at the books in general. While print disabilities can impact the ability to read standard print, every single book in the classroom library was actually available in an alternative format that these students could read, so I encouraged students to browse the shelves to find books they were interested in and then locate them in an alternative format with the help of their support team (parent, paraprofessional, TVI, etc.). Here are my tips for how to create an accessible classroom library for students with print disabilities, with a focus on visual impairment.
What is an accessible classroom library?
The definition of an accessible classroom library is multifaceted, since accessibility can mean different things across different contexts. Some elements of an accessible classroom library can include:
- Having books that are “accessible” to student interests and reading levels, incorporating titles and topics that they want to read
- Including books in multiple languages
- Designing shelves and organization workflows so students can browse and retrieve books independently
- Offering books in multiple formats, including physical and digital media. This is especially important for students with print disabilities and visual impairments who may not be able to access standard print
- Labeling books and themed areas
- Placing books in an area where they are easy to reach
For the purposes of this post, I will primarily focus on offering books in multiple formats and making classroom books accessible to students with visual impairments, inclusive of blind, low vision, neurological visual impairment, or students that are otherwise visually impaired.
Related links
- Language Learning Tips And Resources For Low Vision
- Low Vision Accommodations For Print Materials From My Low Vision IEP
- Five Myths About Print Disabilities
- What I’ve Learned About Print Disabilities
Tips for organizing a classroom library
When I was in elementary school as a student with low vision, I would often look at a bookshelf and see a sea of colors from the spines of books. I couldn’t read any of the titles on the spines, so I would often take out books to look at the cover and figure out if it would be something I’m interested in reading, which meant that I was pulling out a lot of books to look at and not necessarily putting them back the way I was supposed to. Through the lens of lived experience, here is a list of tips and strategies for organizing a classroom library for visually impaired students:
- For younger students, consider placing a group of similar books in a plastic bin so that students can pull out the bin and browse through a smaller selection
- Use shelf markers or shelf labels to provide visual landmarks and help students identify areas of interest
- Consider placing dividers or bookends on shelves to make it easier to locate books and put them back
- Keep books towards the front of the shelf to keep them from getting pushed back. A barrier like shallow boxes, pool noodles, or other objects can help with this
- Have students use a shelf marker or placeholder when pulling a book off the shelf. If they wish to put it back, they can use the placeholder to figure out where it goes
- Paint the back of the bookshelf a solid color (e.g. black) to provide additional visual contrast. Patterns or reflective surfaces can make it harder to see items
Related links
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- High Contrast and Low Vision
- How I Decorate A Bedroom For CVI
- Meet The Cast: Supporting Literacy For Students With CVI
Purchasing physical books in an accessible format
Students with visual impairments may find it difficult or impossible to read books with standard print. Large print books, braille books, and dual media books that combine print and braille can be added to accessible classroom libraries so that all students can have a chance to read.
To find books that are available in accessible formats, the Louis database of accessible educational materials from American Printinghouse for the Blind and WorldCat will indicate if a book is available in large print, braille, or audiobook formats, including information for how to request titles.
Other sources for purchasing braille or dual media books include:
- Amazon/Amazon Business
- National Braille Press
- Seedlings
- Braille Bookstore
Another option is to adapt existing books for students with visual impairments, which can include adding braille labels or adapting pages with large print. Paths to Literacy is a great resource for learning how to adapt books for visual impairment, as well as specific resources for cortical visual impairment (CVI).
Related links
- How To Find Accessible Picture Books For Low Vision
- APH Louis Database
- Braille Bookstore
- Seedlings Braille books
- National Braille Press
- Paths to Literacy
Examples of assistive technology for reading physical books
Some students can read physical books or books with standard print using assistive technology, which can range from no-tech/low-tech adaptations to high-tech devices that can recognize text. Examples of assistive technology for reading physical books that can be useful in a classroom library include:
- Line trackers to help with following along with text on a page, which can make it easier to focus
- Handheld magnifying glasses or magnification stands
- Using a book stand or slanted display
- Clip-on lights
- Scanning pens that can read text out loud
- Video magnifiers (if the student uses one)
One student I worked with would enlarge physical books by positioning the book under a document camera and connecting the document camera to a larger screen so they could read the book with large print or add other contrast filters.
Related links
- Adapting Page Layouts: Math Problems and Low Vision
- Magnifying Glasses For Low Vision
- Lighting And Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
- iOS Magnifier and Low Vision Accessibility
- How To Make Things On The Board Easier To See
Finding physical books as digital copies/accessible eBooks
As I started reading more chapter books and advanced books, I noticed that the font size seemed to shrink and it was difficult or impossible for me to read books on my own— in one memorable instance, I wrote a book report about what I thought a book was supposed to be about because I couldn’t see the smaller print size. I switched to reading eBooks and accessible digital books in middle school, and many of the younger students I work with also primarily read eBooks in large print or other accessible formats.
Instead of being limited to a small category of large print or braille books in a library, students now have more options than ever for finding digital copies of books available on library shelves. Examples of places to find free or low-cost copies of digital books include:
- Bookshare— this is free for US students and has a huge selection of books available in multiple formats (EPUB, braille, audio, DAISY, etc.)
- Learning Ally
- eBook distributors/stores such as Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.
- Accessible Educational Materials organizations
- National Library Service for Blind and Print Disabled is a program through the Library of Congress that has several options for accessible books
- Libby and Sora applications through the public library
Sharing a list of books available in the library or giving students a place to document the books they are interested in reading can help them (or their support team members) to locate the book in an accessible format from another source.
Related links
- How To Create Accessible Reading Lists For Print Disabilities
- Ten Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Bookshare
- Receiving Accessible Educational Materials With NIMAC and AIM-VA
- Reading Magazines With The Libby App And Low Vision
- Sora Free Audiobook Summer Reading Programs
- Behind The Scenes: How Bookshare Books Come To Life
Assistive technology for reading digital books
I have several resources on assistive technology for reading eBooks on my website, since this is the main way I read books! Some examples of assistive technology for reading eBooks that students may use to read from a classroom library include:
- eReaders
- Tablets with reading applications installed
- MP3 player for audiobooks
- Screen-free audio player
- Settings for customizing the display of text— line spacing, font size, margins, font style, etc.
- Color filters or color schemes that can make text easier to read
- Text-to-speech or narration
I prefer to use an eReader with an eInk display for novels or reading books that don’t have many graphics in them because there isn’t a harsh backlight. If a book has pictures in it or I want to use something like text-to-speech to read content out loud, I use my iPad.
Related links
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- How I Use My eReader For School and Online Classes
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Headphones
Sharing links to recorded eBooks
Recorded eBooks or book videos are awesome for students with visual impairments because they often incorporate additional sound effects and narration to follow along with text. Examples of sources I have used for finding narrated eBooks include:
- TumbleBooks
- Storyline
- Kanopy Kids
- Sora
- HarperKids
- PBS Kids
- Vooks
For students that are sensitive to strobe and/or flashing lights, I recommend having someone check videos before a student watches them to confirm there are no flashing lights.
Related links
- TumbleBooks: Audio Narrated Picture Books For Low Vision
- How I Use Kanopy With Low Vision
- How To Find Accessible Picture Books For Low Vision
Listening to books read out loud
Some students prefer to listen to books read out loud by another person, instead of listening to a recording or synthesized voice. Some strategies to consider when reading books out loud from classroom libraries include:
- Provide two copies of books so students can read them in pairs, or the student can look at their own copy of a book and follow along with the text
- Use an app like Novel Effect to add sound effects to a book, which is a cool way to make reading more exciting!
- Incorporating soundtracks or ambient audio tracks
- Pairing books with props or activities that can help students engage deeper with the text or develop visual models of what something looks like
- Use a document camera to mirror the book on a larger screen
Alternatively, some students may prefer to listen to a recording of someone else reading the book or a synthesized voice because they can control things like the volume, reading speed, and playback (pause/rewind). Alternatively, they may find sitting with others to be distracting or uncomfortable, or become frustrated from too-bright lights or not being able to see the book. If a student has trouble focusing when a book is read out loud in class, this could be a potential solution.
Related links
- Reading With Novel Effect And Low Vision
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help You Read
- Meet The Cast: Supporting Literacy For Students With CVI
- Free Braille Art and Tactile Image Libraries: World Braille Day 2024
More tips for how to curate an accessible classroom library for print disabilities
- Laminated books may create glare, which can make it harder for students to see what is on the cover. This doesn’t mean that books shouldn’t be laminated at all, but this is helpful to be aware of if students appear to miss a lot of visual details. Learn more in Reduce Glare In The Classroom For Low Vision Students
- Some teachers will offer prizes for meeting specific reading goals that might not appeal to students with print disabilities. I share ideas for free and low-cost prize ideas in Unique Summer Reading Prizes For Print Disabilities
- Looking for more places to find accessible picture books? I share more sources in How To Find Accessible Picture Books For Low Vision
- Want more ideas for making classrooms accessible for students with visual impairments? Read Elementary School Classrooms And Low Vision Accessibility and Middle School Classrooms And Low Vision Accessibility
Published September 30, 2021. Updated January 2025