ReadHowYouWant is a one-stop shop that sells books in accessible formats, e.g. audio, braille, e-text, and large-print. ReadHowYouWant and its parent company, Objective Systems, are based in Sydney, Australia and were co-founded by electronic publishing pioneers Christopher Stephen and Greg Duncan.
The inspiration for ReadHowYouWant came to Stephen when his sister, who has MS, began finding it difficult to read. Stephen and Duncan began to research whether people with reading difficulties could benefit from changing the text format.
ReadHowYouWant is part publisher, part online bookstore, offering bestsellers, self-help, fiction, poetry, and classics. It has developed proprietary conversion technologies that convert books into alternative formats quickly, easily, and at prices comparable to standard print books, offering publishers the means to reach readers with special needs.
ReadHowYouWant Accessible Book Formats
ReadHowYouWant offers titles in four major accessible formats:
- EasyRead Print & Super Large
- DAISY & Audio
- Braille
- E-Books
EasyRead and EasyRead Super Large Formats
EasyRead books are optimized to improve word recognition and ease of tracking by adjusting word and line spacing. Increased line spacing stops the eye from moving to adjacent lines; end-line hyphenation is minimized.
- EasyRead for people with normal vision
- EasyRead Comfort for those who find normal type tiring
- EasyRead Large for low-vision readers
- EasyRead Large Bold for readers with retinal problems who need high-contrast text
- EasyRead Super Large Formats (available in 18-, 20-, and 24-point type) are for readers with a broad range of vision issues.
DAISY & Audio
DAISY audio books provide narration and digital marking and synchronization that enable readers to navigate the text. ReadHowYouWant converts print titles to DAISY with proprietary technology. Content is checked for homophones and non-phonetic words. Users can select narrator’s gender, accent (US or UK), voice speed, and pitch.
Braille
ReadHowYouWant’s online braille store features many titles, including, Practicing the Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle, and Creative Visualization, by Shakti Gawain. The company creates braille files using a three-step process: text and XML file are checked for accuracy; text is converted to braille; the braille is formatted. A house style supporting automated transcription is in development.
E-books
ReadHowYouWant converts print titles into e-books that can be read on popular reading devices such as the MobiPocket Reader, Microsoft Reader, Adobe PDF e-book, and Amazon.com’s Kindle.
Readers can purchase books through the company’s website or from online vendors such as Amazon.com.
ReadHowYouWant is an excellent resource for those with print disabilities, including vision loss, dyslexia, and mobility impairments, both for the books they sell, and for the on-demand titles they can provide.
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