The SEND-Inclusive Publishing Pledge

Working in the world of children’s books is a joyful and important job, and one which we feel very privileged to do.

We believe that accessibility should be treated as standard in publishing, not as an optional addition. With 1.7 million SEND children in England alone, it only seems right that those of us within the storytelling world do their best to ensure every child can enjoy reading in a way that suits them.

As parents of children with SEND needs, the three of us have experienced first-hand the many ways in which our children often aren’t able to easily access, enjoy or see themselves reflected in books. Because of this, we realised that writing and illustrating books wasn’t quite enough – we wanted to start a real change within the publishing world so that ALL children are able to enjoy the magic of reading and stories.

And so, earlier this year, the SEND-Inclusive Publishing Pledge was born.

Of course, there is no one-fix solution, but there are brilliant starting points. After gathering advice and information from our own experience, our children’s wonderful teachers, and various charities and SEND specialists, we created a checklist of ways to help publishers produce their books in a more inclusive and accessible way.

Here are our top 12 suggestions from the SEND Pledge:

1. Ensure every page has a page number as missing page numbers can trigger some readers with SEND who rely on continuity and predictability.
2. Add symbols/widgets to more books particularly for picture books, hi-lo texts and early readers. Symbols add visual support above the printed word, opening up the world of information and stories to those otherwise excluded from it.
3. Create SEND-specific or SEND-inclusive resources.
4. Publish more books in audio format, especially young fiction and picture books.
5. Ensure audiobook narrators read the book’s synopsis or blurb at the start of audiobooks.
6. Show all team members how to adopt more inclusive practices by arranging training on readers with SEND. Accessibility should be considered standard practice – not isolated to specialist titles or imprints.
7. Feature more authentic characters with SEND and SEND representation in books. 1 in 5 children are identified as having SEND. Therefore 1 in 5 characters should also identify as having SEND for true inclusion and fair representation.
8. Adopt SEND-friendly fonts and design that will hold readers’ attention and minimise distraction, confusion or overwhelm.
9. Create SEND-friendly versions of popular texts that may be too visually stimulating or inaccessible for readers with SEND.
10. Seek out or commission high-quality research into the types of book design, narrative and illustration that are required by children with additional needs.
11. Produce signing sheets to coincide with picture books and/or author videos.
12. Consider page thickness and colour.

To find out more about how these suggestions can be achieved, or find support to help implement these changes, read the full SEND-Inclusive Publishing Pledge.

We are challenging publishers to choose and implement 3 suggestions from the pledge by the end of the National Year of Reading 2026. Our hope is that together we can make a significant industry-wide change, helping to bring stories to life for every child, whatever their needs.

We’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions or if you’d like to commit to the SEND-Inclusive Publishing Pledge, please get in touch with us using the emails below:

Mel: info@meltaylorbessent.com

Emily: helloemilyhamilton@outlook.com

Ian: ian@thereadingrealm.com