Accessible eBooks and Audiobooks
We're committed to creating books that everyone can enjoy. Modern advances in digital publishing have helped us make our books accessible to those with many different types of impairments. Our publishing approach has evolved to deliver suitable content for desktop and mobile assistive technology. This will directly help those who are partially sighted, have non-specific or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia or are physically disabled and read with a switch device. To improve accessibility, we’ve implemented certain design considerations. For example, making key adjustments to our presentation of text, numbers, boxes, tables, borders, layout, images, and symbols.
The key accessibility features we’re adding to our eBook files are:
- Adjustable text size, font, and background colour
- Compatibility with screen reader software, VoiceOver and Text-to-Speech
- Text descriptions for images
- Captions for videos
Making the digital files accessible is one thing, but we are also ensuring that we distribute them through channels that support the many accessibility features, so that they are readable on multiple platforms and devices such as computers, tablets and phones.
We’ve tried to account for as much as is reasonable but if you have any specific requirements then please get in touch by emailing and we’ll see how we can help.
Audiobooks provide an accessible and inclusive way of reading. The aim of our audiobooks is to be a useful and easily accessible reminder, refresher, companion, or supporting tool to our eBooks and print books. They are available through a number of channels, including Spotify, Apple Books, and Google Play Books.
You can find a full list of our available audiobooks.
If you’re an instructor looking for accessible digital copies of course materials for a student, please contact RYA Publications. This is due to the level of demand and rate at which it changes. However, we can provide accessible versions directly to a student on request, as course material is restricted and not on sale to the public. Where appropriate, we will provide the student with a uniquely coded EPUB file which can be imported into either Apple Books or Google Play Books. This can be used in the same way as our retail eBooks.
If you’re an instructor looking for accessible digital copies of course materials for a student, please contact publications. In your request, you'll need to provide the name of your Training Centre and the course your student is doing. We can then advise as to what accessible material is available (e.g., it is currently not possible to provide accessible charts or almanacs). In order to provide accessible content to the student, we'll need their name, email address and whether they require a book available on Apple Books or a Google Play Book. Turnaround times will depend on the content requested, so please give us as much notice as possible.
We actively look at ways to improve our packaging but it is a very difficult balance of guaranteeing items are delivered together and in good condition, reducing plastic, reducing waste, reducing our impact on the environment and reducing fraudulent activity while retaining a sensible and commercially viable solution for us, our training centres and the end customers.
While, as an absolute minimum, we are compliant with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) and the EU Directives that have replaced it, our aim is to go much further and holistically rather than as just a tick box exercise. We strive to find the best and most practical environmentally friendly solution available within certain key constraints such as cost, durability, security etc. and we are regularly monitoring it as part of our policy of continuous improvement.
Over recent years we have increased the amount of recycled packaging we use to 90%; this is down to reusing cardboard packaging from goods we receive for packages we send out to customers.
We’ve been changing, tweaking and removing packaging on items since 2010 as a way to reduce our use of plastic and we’ve had significant success for high volume items such as the Powerboat Level 2 course pack. We have also reconstructed the make-up of our shorebased course packs (i.e. RYA Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore) which has hugely reduced the wastage and thereby the amount of plastic we use.
We either use a Biofilm or a Polycomp material which is essentially made of potato starch so is fully compostable and appears durable enough to be suitable for our needs. It can be disposed of on any compost heap, in a household garden waste bin, a household food waste bin, or you can use it to line your food waste bin. Both materials will degrade in normal household waste bin as well.
We have been using the Polycomp wrapping since the 2019 mid-year reprint of Shorebased course packs (namely DSAP core and assessment parts as well as YMAP core and assessment parts) and look to roll out to other items if successful.
We have also been using a corn starch based material (SH-133) which is very similar to the Polycomp material in the way that it is compostable since 2019.
We try to balance many elements in our approach to printing, but as a basic principle we aim to apply the most advanced environmental technologies to the three major elements of printing (namely printing technologies, ink and paper) to help reduce our impact on the environment.
While, as an absolute minimum, we are compliant with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) and the EU Directives that have replaced it, our aim is to go much further and holistically rather than as just a tick-box exercise. We strive to find the best and most practical environmentally friendly solution available within certain key constraints such as cost, durability, security and we are regularly monitoring it as part of our policy of continuous improvement.
Paper
All our paper is sourced from sustainable forests.
Film lamination
We use film lamination to enhance and protect book covers; this process is now all water based instead of gasoline or spirit based. We use gloss lamination to make the writing and pictures appear crisper and sharper, while having more contrast.
Chlorine
Paper is bleached to make brighter and whiter paper. Due to the adverse environmental effect of using Elemental Chlorine, we use either Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) paper that has been bleached using chlorine dioxide and Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) paper using hydrogen peroxide as preferable alternatives.
Ink
We use soya based inks which do not compromise the quality of the printing.
Examples of these include RYA Powerboat Level 2 and RYA Day Skipper practical certificates.
Core
These are made from Teslin which is a suitable and more sustainable alternative to the widely used plastic card. Teslin substrate (commonly known as ‘Teslin paper’) is a microporous, synthetic material that is soft, strong, can absorb inks readily, has a high bond-ability, is water resistant, highly printable, flexible and durable. These characteristics make Teslin an ideal alternative for plastic cards – reducing environmental risks while offering the same quality and convenience as PVC cards.
- Teslin breaks down to environmentally acceptable components like carbon dioxide and water. It can be safely disposed of in landfill and not leech into ground water. It can also be incinerated; when burned, it yields water, CO2, energy and a clean ash due to its silica filler.
- Key-fobs from well-known supermarkets are made from the same Teslin substrates as RYA Photo ID cards.
Gloss Film
PET film (polyethylene terephthalate) is used to coat the certificates rather than PVC due to its resilient properties and the fact that it is a kinder plastic to the environment in all aspects of manufacture and breakdown.
- PET film is more commonly known as the brand Dacron in the UK for its use in sailcloth.
Ink
We use oxidising ink which air dries and results in the ink hardening into a solid film which is exceptionally fade and rub resistant.
This page will be updated when we have any more information to add but please feel free to email publications@rya.org.uk if you have any questions.