One of my favorite summer memories is participating in my library’s summer reading programs and completing the reading logs each summer to earn prizes; I still have the custom summer reading library card that I earned for participating in summer reading multiple years in a row. Starting in middle school, I switched to using accessible eBooks and the occasional audiobook for completing my summer reading goals, which gave me even more options for filling up my reading log, but I also wondered if there were accessible summer reading programs for low vision students like myself that offered recommendations for books that I could access.
I still participate in my local library’s summer reading program as an adult, and have since discovered several awesome accessible summer reading programs for low vision and blind students. These accessible summer reading programs can help motivate students to keep reading throughout the summer in their preferred formats. Here is a list of free accessible summer reading programs for low vision and print disabilities that center eBooks, audiobooks, and alternative formats for meeting individual reading goals.
Bookshare summer reading and accessible books
Bookshare is an online library service that offers millions of books in accessible digital formats for people with print disabilities, including visual impairments. With a massive collection of new releases, bestsellers, and titles from a wide array of publishers, Bookshare truly has something for readers of all ages and interests and offers curated reading lists to help users discover titles of interest. When it comes to summer reading titles, I typically download Bookshare titles as EPUB files and sync them to my eReader or to a reading app on my iPad, which enables me to read books with large print or enable text-to-speech/read aloud on the iPad.
Bookshare is available at no cost for students in the United States, including K-12 students and college/university students. I recommend setting up an Individual Membership so that students can download their own books without having to request them through their school, which is ideal for participating in summer reading programs. Bookshare also offers several curated lists and recommendations for summer reading, which can be paired with the other accessible summer reading programs on this list.
Related links
- Bookshare | Bookshare.org
- Reading Bookshare Titles With Microsoft Word
- Ten Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Bookshare
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: eReaders
NLS and Braille Institute accessible summer reading program
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) offers a summer reading program for visually impaired kids (and adults!) in conjunction with the Braille Institute. The NLS summer reading program includes a variety of online events and activities, along with curated book lists for summer reading.
The 2026 summer reading theme is “Unearth a Story,” an invitation to explore the histories, landscapes, and voices hidden just beneath the surface of the world. There are two ways to participate in program events; live webinars featuring conversations with authors, artists, and national park rangers held over Zoom every other Tuesday, and Narrated Soundscapes, which are immersive audio experiences exploring four national parks, released every other Monday starting June 22 and available on-demand from the Braille Institute website. Webinar registration is required, but registering once grants access to the entire series.
Many NLS libraries are also hosting additional summer reading events and in-person activities for patrons with print disabilities and/or visual impairments. Some of them are also offering prizes for participating in the NLS summer reading program or meeting specific reading goals; check with the NLS regional library or NLS subregional network library for more details.
Related links
- Summer Reading Program | Braille Institute
- NLS Summer Reading Program – National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress
Sora Sweet Reads
Sora Sweet Reads is OverDrive’s annual summer reading program, which offers a collection of more than 100 free, simultaneous-use traditional eBooks and audiobooks, as well as Read-Alongs, comics, and graphic novels to participating school libraries in the United States, Canada, and in other locations. Readers who already have a school account with Sora can access Sweet Reads titles automatically by opening their school’s Sora page. Of course, readers can also use Sora titles to participate in other summer reading programs; eBooks and audiobooks count as reading, after all! The Sora app is primarily designed for K-12 students; OverDrive also offers the Libby app for accessing eBooks and audiobooks from participating public libraries.
Both Sora and Libby offer numerous accessibility features for users with visual impairments, including a high contrast display theme, adjustable font sizes, and options to listen to text read out loud. I document several Sora eBook accessibility features in my Sora post below.
Related links
- Sora Sweet Reads – OverDrive Resource Center
- Sora Accessibility Features For Low Vision
- Reading Magazines With The Libby App And Low Vision
Learning Ally Summer Reading Together
Learning Ally is a nonprofit organization that provides human-read audiobooks for students with print disabilities, including visual impairment. Each summer, Learning Ally hosts the Summer Reading Together reading competition to encourage students to maintain their reading progress and prevent “summer slide” during the break from school. Each month, prizes are awarded to the user with the most minutes read from each of the four reader groups; Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and Home Membership. At the end of the summer, four Grand Prize winners are recognized for the most days read overall, with a “day” defined as at least 20 minutes of reading.
The Summer 2026 Summer Reading Together Theme is the Great American Reading Road Trip, where students “travel” across all 50 states through the pages of books, discovering new places, people, and adventures along the way. The Learning Ally titles would also pair well with the national park immersive soundscapes and other virtual events offered by the Braille Institute!
Related links
- Summer Reading Together – Learning Ally
- TumbleBooks: Audio Narrated Picture Books For Low Vision
- How To Find Accessible Picture Books For Low Vision
Summer reading challenges with Beanstack
Beanstack is a reading challenge platform used by many public libraries, school libraries, and state libraries for the blind to run summer reading programs. Participants log reading online or through the Beanstack Tracker app to earn badges, rewards, and recognition, while leaderboards and themed activities help keep readers motivated throughout the summer. Some libraries will offer prizes like gift cards or other items for completing reading challenges.
In my experience, the Beanstack app is extremely difficult to access with large print, so I use the Beanstack web application in my web browser to fill out reading logs. My library has their own Beanstack login page, so I can indicate my reading progress and search for books directly on the website with no app downloads needed. I personally use a mix of display scaling/browser zoom and high contrast mode to access the Beanstack website.
Related links
- Beanstack | Reading Challenges | Keep Reading
- How To Request Multiple Library Cards For Digital Content
- Create A Personal Accessibility Checklist for Low Vision
Summer reading challenges with ReadSquared
ReadSquared is another reading challenge platform used by many public libraries, school libraries, and state libraries for the blind to run summer reading programs and track reading logs. Users can add reviews, track their reading progress, and complete reading logs to earn badges, prizes, or other incentives for reading. ReadSquared also includes other activities for learning and exploring environments through the use of missions and curated activity lists.
Like Beanstack, I find it easier to access ReadSquared through the web browser compared to the mobile application, as the web application makes it easier to access information in large print and zoom in on content; with that in mind, some of the missions I encountered did not include alt text for their images. Every library maintains their own ReadSquared page for creating custom challenges, so the accessibility of individual activities and missions may vary from library to library.
Related links
Adapting public library summer reading programs for print disabilities
Students with visual impairments and/or print disabilities can absolutely participate in “mainstream” summer reading programs at their local library, but may benefit from having simple accommodations or modifications to ensure equitable access. Here are strategies that have been used in other accessible summer reading programs that can be used for inclusive summer reading programs:
- Instead of tracking pages read or chapters read, consider tracking minutes read instead. When reading audiobooks or accessible books, page numbers may not be available or may not reflect the time spent reading.
- When sharing curated book lists, include a link to the eBook and/or audiobook version of a title when available.
- Acknowledge that audiobooks count as reading, and include information about enabling audiobooks or read aloud features in digital reading applications.
- Offer prizes that aren’t just physical copies of books, which may be inaccessible for participants who can’t read traditional books. I have an entire post on summer reading prizes linked below.
Another strategy for including participants with print disabilities and/or visual impairments in summer reading programs is to ensure the physical environment of the reading program areas is accessible. This can include having wide walkways free of obstacles, having a “quiet area” available for managing sensory overload, providing lists of books that are visible/available on a table, and multiple seating options at library events.
Related links
- Unique Summer Reading Prizes For Print Disabilities
- How To Create Accessible Summer Reading Lists For Print Disabilities
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
More resources on accessible summer reading programs for low vision
- Another summer reading program is the Pizza Hut BookIt program, which offers a free personal pan pizza for participants in Pre-K through 6th grade. BookIt requires users to download a mobile application; the sign-up process did not support large font sizes but the app itself works well with large print when I tested it on my phone. Learn more at Pizza Hut BOOK IT!® Program
- Looking for recommendations for what to read next? I love browsing the curated book lists on Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers, which also has disability-specific categories.
- Want to learn more about accessible books for visual impairment? Browse Paths to Literacy | For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
Published June 5, 2026. Updated June 2026