By Victoria Woelders
The Accessible Resource Centre of British Columbia (ARC-BC) plays a vital role in advancing inclusive education across British Columbia and the Yukon. ARC-BC is hosted by the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired, one of ten Provincial Outreach Programs mandated and funded by the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care. ARC-BC is a provincially funded service, fully supported by the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and provides free accessible learning materials to kindergarten to Grade 12 students with qualifying print/perceptual disabilities. These services are available at no cost to schools; or districts, removing barriers students may face gaining equitable access to learning.
ARC-BC offers educational materials in sixteen different accessible file formats, including ePub, DOCX, PDF, MP3, and audiobooks. Registration is simple and can be completed directly on the ARC-BC website by educators in British Columbia or the Yukon working for a public school district or Group I or II independent school and serving students with print/perceptual disabilities. A print/perceptual disability refers to difficulty seeing, holding, or understanding print materials in their original format. This may include students with learning disabilities related to reading, visual impairments, or physical disabilities that make the use of traditional printed textbooks challenging. ARC-BC does this important work owing to a provision in the Canadian Copyright Act that allows for the creation of an accessible version of a material if one is not available for purchase from the publisher.
An important aspect of ARC-BC’s work is often overlooked: these digital books begin as physical, paper textbooks and novels. Each book is carefully converted into accessible digital formats, allowing students to engage with the same curriculum content as their peers. Once converted by our ARC-BC team, these accessible materials can be used inside and outside the classroom by students, supporting learning at school, at home, and during independent study.
As an Outreach Coordinator, I build strong partnerships with schools and districts across British Columbia and Yukon to support inclusive education and digital accessibility. I deliver three core presentations. The ARC-BC Fundamentals session teaches staff how to register for an account, search the collection, download, share, and open accessible digital books for students with perceptual disabilities. Designing Inclusion focuses on creating digital documents that everyone can interact with, especially learners who use technology to access books and other learning materials. Our third session, ARC-BC, Accessibility and AI, explores how artificial intelligence is embedded in many accessibility tools and platforms, and how we can use these tools to empower students with diverse learning needs. Through these sessions, I help educators build confidence, remove barriers, and ensure equitable access to learning for all students
Accessible File Formats That Meet Students with Perceptual Disabilities Where They Are
The strength of ARC-BC lies in how its materials integrate seamlessly with tools already used in B.C and Yukon schools. For example, accessible PDFs can be opened in the Microsoft Edge browser, which includes built-in read-aloud and accessibility features. PDFs can also be used in Google Chrome with OrbitNote, allowing students to highlight text, add notes, and listen to content to read aloud.
DOCX files created by ARC-BC can be opened in Microsoft Word and used with Immersive Reader, offering text-to-speech, adjustable spacing, and simplified reading views. The same files can be uploaded into Google Docs and accessed using Google Read&Write, providing flexibility for schools using different platforms.
ARC-BC also provides natural voice audiobooks specifically through our Canadian partner organizations, and MP3 files, which students can play on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and media players. PowerPoint files are available as slide decks and can be opened in both Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides, making them useful for students who use switches or other alternate assistive devices for interacting with our accessible digital books.
Supporting Everyday Learning and Academic Success
These accessible materials support students across subject areas and grade levels. Students may use ARC-BC books for novel studies, such as popular fiction, or for core academic subjects, including Science and Pre-Calculus 12. A staff member can show our digital files in front of entire classes, as long as there is at least one student with a print/perceptual disability taking part in the whole class activity. This can also apply to small literacy groups.
Once a staff member creates an account through www.arc-bc.org with their B.C. or Yukon school or school district’s email address, then staff can download books to share with the student(s) with print/perceptual disabilities that they serve.
The impact of this access can be life changing. As a parent and educator, I have seen this firsthand. My daughter has a reading learning disorder, and by Grade 12, ARC-BC resources became a turning point. Using a DOCX version of her Psychology 12 AP textbook from September to June, she was able to engage with complex content that would otherwise have been inaccessible. Although her independent reading level was much lower, the accessible format allowed her to interact meaningfully through text-to-speech with advanced material. This experience not only supported her academic success but also restored her confidence and sense of independence as a learner.
Looking Ahead: Partnership, Choice, and Empowerment
ARC-BC continues to expand its impact through partnerships across Canada. In many cases, requests can be fulfilled within a short period of time because our ARC-BC librarian can check with our partners in the Canadian Association of Educational Resource Centres for Alternate Format Materials. When a title is not immediately available, our team produces a new accessible version directly in-house.
We present at Professional Development events, conferences and schools. We have a variety of presentations that can serve as an opportunity to learn about accessibility in your school, district, or province/territory. Feel free to check out our offerings on arc-bc.org.
At its core, the Accessible Resource Centre – BC exists to empower students with perceptual disabilities. When learners can access information in a way that works for them, barriers fall away.
Confidence grows.
Engagement increases.
Lives change.
By connecting with ARC-BC and using its services, educators play a direct role in creating learning environments where every student can succeed, learn deeply, and feel seen. Accessible learning is not an add-on. It is a foundation. And when we design education around how students learn best, we include ALL students.
Editor’s Note: If any other province or territory has accessibility structures school library learning commons can access to support students and wishes to write an article, we would love to hear from you!
Victoria Woelders is the ARC-BC Provincial Outreach Coordinator for the Accessible Resource Centre – BC, where she has spent the past three and a half years helping educational staff access ARC-BC accessible digital books. With a background in classroom teaching and a passion for inclusive digital design, she delivers engaging sessions across the province that bring the Accessible BC Act to life and show how simple accessibility practices can open learning to everyone. To learn more please visit arc-bc.org.