Reading Accessibility

New technology has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of those with reading disabilities—including the blind, dyslexic, and those with spinal injuries. Information in electronic formats can be made accessible using technologies like text-to-speech and refreshable Braille, opening up whole new worlds to people who have previously been unable to access information. EFF believes that individuals in the disabled community, as those best placed to determine their own needs, should be free to transform copyrighted works into a form most suitable for their use, as well as to innovate new presentation forms, which they can share with other members of the community. Unfortunately, companies are now using copyright law and DRM to prohibit the use of helpful assistive technologies and stamp out innovative new technologies that could make copyrighted works universally accessible. This page catalogs the ongoing efforts of EFF and many others to ensure that those with reading disabilities can take full advantage of these emerging technologies.

Protect digital privacy and free expression. EFF's public interest legal work, activism, and software development preserve fundamental rights. Protect digital privacy and free expression. EFF's public interest legal work, activism, and software development preserve fundamental rights. DONATE TO EFF

EFF Related Content: Reading Accessibility

How to Fix the Internet - Chancey Fleet - Building a Tactile Internet

Deeplinks Blog byJosh Richman | May 7, 2024

Podcast Episode: Building a Tactile Internet

Blind and low-vision people have experienced remarkable gains in information literacy because of digital technologies, like being able to access an online library offering more than 1.2 million books that can be translated into text-to-speech or digital Braille. But it can be a lot harder to come by an accessible... ●Read more about Podcast Episode: Building a Tactile Internet

Deeplinks Blog byKaren Gullo | November 21, 2022

Monetization, Not Human Rights or Vulnerable Communities, Matter Most at Twitter Under Musk

Billionaire Elon Musk says Twitter can be an “incredibly valuable service to the world,” a global forum where ideas and debates flourish. Yet, much of what he has done since taking over the company suggests that he doesn’t understand how to accomplish this, doesn’t appreciate the impact of his decisions... ●Read more about Monetization, Not Human Rights or Vulnerable Communities, Matter Most at Twitter Under Musk

Deeplinks Blog byCooper Quintin | October 31, 2014

What We Can Learn From The Adobe E-Reader Mess

Earlier this month we wrote about potential malicious behavior in Adobe's e-reader software, “Digital Editions.” There were several independent reports claiming that Adobe's software was sending back to Adobe—in the clear—a list of books read in the software. There were also independent reports that the program was sending back... ●Read more about What We Can Learn From The Adobe E-Reader Mess

Deeplinks Blog by Parker Higgins | June 10, 2014

Another Fair Use Victory for Book Scanning in HathiTrust

Fair use enjoyed a major victory in court today. In Authors Guild v. HathiTrust, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a decision that strongly underscores a fair use justification for a major book scanning program. For those counting along at home, today's decision marks another in a... ●Read more about Another Fair Use Victory for Book Scanning in HathiTrust