Alexandra Strick Consultancy

 Alex has spent much of the past 20 years working on projects to promote disabled children's access to - and inclusion in - books.  Specific projects include:

  • Creation and continued development of Bookmark - Booktrust's website on all aspects of books and disability issues.
  • Development of Bookshine pack for deaf children and Booktouch pack for blind and partially sighted children.
  • Delivery of 'Equal Measures' seminars and workshops on accessible and inclusive books, including London Book Fair, Birmingham Education Fair and Youth Libraries Group.
  • Steering group member for Scope's In the Picture project, which aimed to increase positive images of disabled children in picture books.
  • Ongoing disability consultant to Booktrust, the national charity promoting books and reading.  
  • Managing the Roald Dahl Foundation's Quentin Blake Award project to consult children about disability and books.  (Results available in a report  here). 
  • Ongoing selection of books for national bookgifting programmes to cater children with additional needs.
  • Providing regular advice to many leading writers, illustrators and publishers.
  • Design and delivery of training on inclusive and accessible books, across the UK and internationally.

Books on a shelf

"After coming across her blogs on the issues of disability and inclusive books on the website of the Booktrust, I contacted Alexandra to be our trainer in a three-day workshop about accessible and inclusive books targeting representatives of Arab publishing houses. The workshop was a great success, and on a human level, it was a very fulfilling experience for us and the publishers that attended it.  Needless to say, Alexandra is very knowledgeable about the issue of inclusive books and was very generous in sharing the information.  In the preparation and implementation of the workshop, she proved to be open, flexible, and able to establish rapport with the participants.  For any future activities related to this topic, she would be the first person I would think of." 

Susanne Abou Ghaida 
Anna Lindh Foundation for Dialogue Between Cultures
Children Literature Regional Programme
Egypt


"When I was asked by the Anna Lindh Foundation to co-train with Alex on a training workshop for children's book publishers in the Arab world, I immediately looked her up and read about all her endeavours. I was very impressed with her work, and couldn't wait to meet her. Thanks to Skype, we met up on line and started working together. She was always so generous in sharing her knowledge and information. My much admiration to Alex, her professionalism and generosity, watching her throughout the 3 day workshop was a learning and growing experience for me, in which she made me feel more than a co trainer,  where my ideas and input mattered and made a difference. I learned so much from all the extensive and specific information, which I hope is my knew found "fuel" to move forward, in this speciality and in which i can contribute in, in the coming future, hopefully with Alex again.  A truly lovely lady."  


Mayda Freije Makdessi 

Trainer, Lecturer and Graphic Designer - Lebanon.