Beyond Words

What Beyond Words does

Beyond Words (legally Books Beyond Words CIO, UK Registered Charity No. 1183942) is an independent charity founded in 1989 by Sheila Hollins (Baroness Hollins) and Martin Hollins, originating from the personal experiences of their son and co-founder Nigel Hollins, who has learning disabilities. The charity co-creates word-free picture stories — illustrated narratives that enable communication and storytelling without reliance on written words — serving people with learning disabilities as its primary audience, and the healthcare, education, and social-care professionals who support them.

The product portfolio comprises 60+ co-created picture books covering health, relationships, grief, trauma, work, and daily living; the BBW Story App (iOS and Android) providing access to over 400 short stories and 1,800 pictures; eLearning modules for Foundation, Health, Education, and Inclusive Maternity Care; thematic Book Sets for schools and organisations; and a 12-month Digital Toolkit subscription that grants institutional access to the full library. Every book is co-produced with people with lived experience of learning disabilities and trialled by learning-disabled readers before publication, with academic foundations at St George's University of London. Distribution spans direct e-commerce, trade book sales, organisational licensing, mobile apps, and a Book Club network (187 clubs and 275 trained facilitators established since January 2024).

Revenue is generated primarily through paperback sales (£10–£12.50), ebook sales (£4.95), book sets (£22.50–£650), annual Digital Toolkit subscriptions tiered by user count from £100 (individual) to £5,000 (80 users), and £15 eLearning modules. The Inclusive Maternity Care module is provided free to NHS maternity staff. The charity supplements commercial income through donations and operates with a small team (1–10 employees) from its registered office in Leatherhead, United Kingdom.

Name

Beyond Words

Legal name

Books Beyond Words CIO

Website

https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Books Beyond Words CIO is a UK-registered charity that co-creates word-free picture stories for people with learning disabilities, alongside mobile apps, eLearning modules, and organisational subscriptions. It serves healthcare, education, and social-care markets through 60+ titles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessible Educational Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

E-book Subscription & Bundling Services (MPAJAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Literature & Book Clubs / Guided Reading Groups (EDAMAJAG), Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO)

Keywords

• Accessible publishing
• Picture story books
• Learning disability resources
• Inclusive education materials
• Visual storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of paperback and ebook versions of word-free picture stories. Individual books priced at £10.00-£12.50 for paperbacks and £4.95 for ebooks. Also includes curated book sets at various price points.
2. Digital Toolkit Subscriptions: Annual organizational subscriptions for access to the BBW Story App and full eBookshelf, with pricing tiers based on user count: Individual £100, Small (up to 8 users) £750, Medium (up to 25 users) £2,000, Large (up to 80 users) £5,000.
3. eLearning Modules: Sale of digital training modules for professionals: Foundation module £15, Health module £15, Education module £15. Inclusive Maternity Care module is free for maternity care staff.
4. Book Sets and Bundles: Discounted themed collections of books sold as sets, ranging from mini sets at £22.50 to complete sets at £650, targeting schools, healthcare organizations, and Book Clubs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Beyond Words is a UK registered charity that creates word-free picture story books co-produced with people with learning disabilities. The charity publishes a library of more than 80 titles available as paperbacks, ebooks, and within its BBW Story App, and complements these with eLearning courses, Book Club in a Box group resources, and an organizational Digital Toolkit subscription aimed at supporting communication, wellbeing, and care across health, education, and social care settings.

Product overview

Beyond Words is a UK charity offering word-free picture books and related resources for people with learning disabilities. The core offering consists of illustrated picture books across topics including health, relationships, grief, abuse, trauma, work, and community life. The product portfolio includes physical paperback books, eBooks, the BBW Story App (mobile application), eLearning courses for professionals, and themed Book Sets for schools and organizations. The company also provides Book Club programs and a Digital Toolkit subscription for organizational access to over 60 titles and training materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Picture This: An imprint of the Books Beyond Words series featuring accessible picture books created in collaboration with book clubs.

Products and services

• Word-Free Picture Books (paperback) Physical paperback picture story books designed for people with learning disabilities and those who support them, including family members, carers, teachers, and health and social care professionals. Stories are co-created with people who have lived experience of the topics covered.
• eBooks Digital versions of the word-free picture story titles available for individual purchase, intended for use on personal devices by readers, families, and supporters.
• BBW Story App Mobile app that hosts Beyond Words picture stories for on-the-go reading by individuals, families, and support workers.
• Book Sets Bundled collections of multiple Beyond Words picture story books, offered at reduced pricing for bulk buyers such as schools, libraries, and care providers.
• Digital Toolkit Annual subscription product giving organizations (NHS trusts, social care providers, schools, libraries) digital access to the Beyond Words library and supporting resources, priced in tiers ranging from approximately £750 to £5,000 per year based on organization size.
• eLearning Courses Online training courses (including modules such as the free Inclusive Maternity Care course provided to NHS staff) that teach supporters, family members, and professionals how to use Beyond Words picture stories in practice.
• Book Club in a Box Packaged group facilitation resource that enables community groups and care settings to run shared-reading Book Clubs using Beyond Words picture stories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of children in Open Book study reported improved emotional wellbeing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Surrey Book ClubscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of Book Clubs in Surrey that participated in co-creating 'A Walk with Friends'. Members joined creative meetings, walks, and discussions to shape the story. 20 adults with learning disabilities contributed to the book's development through series of walks and creative sessions at locations including Newlands Corner, Devil's Punchbowl, and Box Hill.
• Active ProspectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for people with learning disabilities that co-authored 'A Walk with Friends'. Contributed self-advocates who participated in walks and creative sessions for the book's development. Representatives attended the book launch at West Horsley Place.
• Surrey ChoicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning disability support organization that co-authored 'A Walk with Friends'. Self-advocates from Surrey Choices participated in the book's creation process and launch event, contributing to the most popular trial in Beyond Words history with over 25 groups involved.
• Surrey County CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner represented at the 'A Walk with Friends' book launch. Councillors Tim Hall and Paula Keay attended and participated in the launch event at West Horsley Place.
• Surrey Hills SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChairman Gordon Jackson presented wooden acorn keepsakes to self-advocates from partner organizations at the 'A Walk with Friends' launch. Partnership supports countryside access and wellbeing themes in the book.
• Learning Disability EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that runs the annual Learning Disability England Conference where Beyond Words had a stall and participated in 2026. Beyond Words materials were featured on conference posters, programs, and promotional materials. Team members Lucy, Andreea, Emily, and Emma attended the 'Being Seen, Being Heard' themed event in Birmingham.
• Together ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative whose resources are included in Beyond Words' Inclusive Maternity Care eLearning module. Together Project materials help support people with communication around pregnancy and parenting alongside Beyond Words stories.
• Community Foundation SurreyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity funding organization that supports Surrey-based charities. Representatives attended the 'A Walk with Friends' launch event at West Horsley Place.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): RNIB operates RNIB Bookshare and other accessible book/library services for print-disabled readers; comparable as a broader UK accessibility organization with subscription accessible-book products, though primarily focused on visual impairment rather than learning disabilities.
• Tobii Dynavox: Tobii Dynavox (including PCS symbols and Boardmaker) is the dominant provider of picture-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools for people with learning and communication disabilities; comparable in its use of picture symbols to support communication, but focused on AAC devices and software rather than published stories.

Others

• Mencap: Mencap is the UK's largest learning disability charity, providing advocacy, services, and resources for people with learning disabilities; comparable as a sector stakeholder shaping the learning disability agenda in the UK, though not a direct publishing competitor.

Regional players

• Jolly Learning: Jolly Learning (Jolly Phonics/Literacy) publishes structured literacy materials widely used in UK primary schools including SEND settings; comparable in selling curriculum-aligned literacy products into UK schools, but focused on phonics-based decoding rather than word-free accessible publishing.

Direct peers

• Widgit Software: Widgit creates symbol-based accessible communication and literacy resources used widely in UK special education; comparable to Beyond Words as both sell visual/symbol-based content targeting learners with communication and learning disabilities, with overlapping school and local-authority customers.
• Inclusive Technology (HelpKidzLearn): Inclusive Technology provides accessible software and learning resources for students with special educational needs; comparable to Beyond Words as both serve the SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) market in UK schools via subscriptions and per-seat licensing with visual/accessible content.
• Special Stories Publishing: Special Stories Publishing creates personalized and accessible picture books for children with additional needs and learning disabilities; comparable audience and accessible picture-book format with a similar mission-driven, co-creation ethos.
• Change Picture Bank: Change is a learning disability advocacy charity that produces picture-based resources and easy-read materials co-created with people with learning disabilities; closely comparable to Beyond Words in audience, co-creation methodology, and picture-based publishing format.

Emerging players

• Bookshare: Bookshare provides an accessible e-book library for people with print disabilities including learning disabilities; comparable subscription model and digital distribution of accessible content, but US-rooted and broader in scope than Beyond Words' specialized picture-story catalog.
• Storyshares: Storyshares produces decodable and accessible chapter books designed for struggling and reluctant readers, including those with learning differences; comparable in producing accessible reading material for non-standard readers, but with a chapter-book rather than word-free picture format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uk_beyondwords

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beyond Words