CELA Accessibility Award

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The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) is Canada’s most comprehensive accessible reading service, providing books and other materials to Canadians with disabilities in the formats of their choice. CELA gives access to over 1 million professionally produced titles to provide people with disabilities with a quality library experience.

Each year, CELA works with the TD Summer Reading Club to develop the accessible elements of the program. These materials are distributed to libraries to assist them in developing inclusive programming for kids of all abilities.

To recognize the efforts of libraries, CELA offers an annual award for excellence in accessible English or French programming. The award was established in 2017 to celebrate the creativity of library staff who engage children with disabilities in their TD Summer Reading Club by

  • making their reading activities and programs inclusive for children of all abilities
  • connecting readers with TD Summer Reading Club titles in accessible formats
  • promoting community partnerships that strengthen access to materials and programming for children with disabilities
  • increasing library staff awareness of accessibility best practices

Past Winners

2022 – Bibliothèques de Laval (Quebec)

2021 – Centre Hastings Public Library (Madoc, Ontario)

2019 – Moose Jaw Public Library (Saskatchewan)

2018 – Cochrane Public Library (Ontario) and Bibliothèque de Saint-Léonard (Quebec)

2017 – Bibliothèque Jean-Lapierre (Havre-aux-Maisons, Quebec)

Prize

CELA offers a $2,000 cash prize to the winning library. The winner is announced on the CELA and TD Summer Reading Club websites.

Who is eligible to apply for the Awards?

To apply, you must be a public library (or a public library branch) that

  • participated in the TD Summer Reading Club during the year of application
  • offered the TD Summer Reading Club program for at least six weeks that summer
  • clearly identified the TD Summer Reading Club in all promotional and programming materials, as outlined in the detailed brand guidelines
  • is prepared to promote your TD Summer Reading Club program and share your strategies

Winners will not be eligible for prizes the following year. Participating libraries may submit one application per year.

How to apply

  1. Complete the TD Summer Reading Club Accessibility Award Application form.
  2. Include essential supporting documentation to substantiate your application. The documentation should effectively describe your program and can include videos, photographs, letters, statistics, news articles, website pages, newsletters, promotional materials or other appropriate materials.
  3. Submit this package to members@celalibrary.ca by December 10, 2023.

Evaluation criteria for the CELA Accessibility Award

Applicants will be evaluated according to all of the following evaluation criteria. Your program description and supporting documentation must provide evidence of how your library

  1. Created inclusion in your Club by making your spaces, programming, communications and other activities accessible. Libraries are encouraged to review the Plan for Accessibility page for support.
  2. Made staff, volunteers and summer students aware of accessible resources to offer equitable library services.
  3. Improved the literacy and library engagement of children with disabilities as a result of delivering an accessible TD Summer Reading Club program. Libraries are encouraged to promote the Accessibility page with families.
  4. Promoted and gave children access to accessible materials (e.g., audiobooks, ebooks, braille) of various genres, formats and reading levels that were geared to their interests, abilities and experiences.
  5. Developed innovative outreach strategies to include the disabled community and engaged with various groups of children or community groups (Learning Disability Associations, CNIB, etc.) in your targeted age groups.

Selection committee

CELA invites library staff, parents or professionals working with children with disabilities to join the selection committee. Contact members@celalibrary.ca for more information.