On The Fringe Press is dedicated to social, local and national community initiatives, causes, and putting thought into action. Engagement and dialogue are important, but things must be accessible to everyone. Did you know that only 1% of books published are available in Braille? That only 7% of existing books are in formats that aid visually impaired readers? Globally. D. Michael discovered this while researching for a book project and choked, literally. They verified this from different organizations and book printing statistics. Then they did it again because it seemed so unbelievable, and if it were true, why hadn’t anyone noticed? Done something about it?
We’re already looking for a nonprofit that publishes books in Braille, and On the Fringe Press will donate their catalog and license it so it can be printed and distributed in Braille at no cost. Printing in Braille is expensive and out of our price range, so we’ll give it away because, damn, our books will be among that 1%. These are the things that matter. Learning things like this can give you chills because you realize just how much you don’t know. It’s terrifying to wonder what you’re missing and who you’re leaving behind. We don’t want to leave anyone. We want to give access. Accessibility is not about accommodating because that implies that we’re going out of our way for someone. Accessibility is equality. Why should that be difficult? It’s not. We refuse to leave anyone behind.