PRH to work with Inklusion organisers on literature event accessibility guide

A guide to making literature events more accessible has reached its second funding goal following support from the industry and organisers will now work on the project with Penguin Random House UK.

The Inklusion Guide was conceived by disabled writers Julie Farrell and Ever Dundas after they became frustrated by “the litany of excuses” about why literature events couldn’t be made accessible. 

They hope the easy-to-use, best-practice guide for event organisers and individuals will help ensure consistent and reliable access in the industry for book launches, festival events, conferences, panels, workshops, fellowships and residencies.

Its phase two target funding goal of £13,750 has now been reached thanks to support from the ALCS, Faber & Faber, HarperCollins, Leamington Books, New Writing North, the National Union of Journalists, Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House (PRH), Saraband, Scottish Book Festivals Network, Watkins Media and Wigtown Book Festival, as well as CRIPtic Arts.

The next phase will see Farrell and Dundas working with PRH to design and produce the guide in multiple formats including a limited-run A4 print edition, A4 large print, easy read, a PDF, web pages on the Inklusion website and audio. They will also be working with a translator on a British Sign Language video version. 

Meredith Adams, social impact manager at Penguin Random House UK, said: “Ensuring access to books and literary events is key to our goal of becoming an inclusive and representative publisher, which is why we are delighted to be supporting Julie and Ever’s research. 

“By working with them to design and convert the guide into a range of formats, we hope this important research will reach and impact as many people as possible. We will look to incorporate the findings of the Inklusion Guide into our own event provision and encourage others to do the same.”

The guide is launching at The Edinburgh International Book Festival on 25th August in an event featuring Farrell and Dundas in discussion with PRH UK’s head of social impact Zaahida Nabagereka, Literature Alliance Scotland’s Jenny Kumar and disability activist Sinéad Burke. Jeda Pearl will perform her poetry at the event.

Last year the Inklusion Guide hit its target budget of £18,574 to carry out the research and development phase after receiving support from the industry following an initial contribution of £4,000 from The Edinburgh International Book Festival. 

The project also has the backing of authors Val McDermid, Kit de Waal, Frances Ryan and Helen Sedgwick among other prominent supporters.

Farrell said: “We were thrilled to hit our phase one target funding so quickly and it’s been amazing to see support rallying once again for phase two. We’ve completed the research and development of the guide — consulting with disabled authors and literature organisations has given us a wealth of insight. The team at Penguin Random House UK are incredibly receptive to our ideas for the guide and they have a brilliant creative team who are passionate about diversity and inclusion and I’m so excited to be working with them on bringing the guide to life.”

Dundas added: “I’m thrilled we’ve reached our funding goal for the production stage of the guide. We’ve had so much support from the industry, which has been very encouraging. We’re sure our guide will foster change, helping organisations make events accessible and welcoming to disabled authors and audience members, and enriching the industry.

"We’re planning an exciting launch event in August at The Edinburgh International Book Festival and the team there has been amazing at making sure this is the best event it can possibly be.”