CTEB

What CTEB does

CTEB (Centre de Transcription et d'Édition en Braille) is a French non-profit association governed by the loi 1901 and recognised as being of general interest (reconnu d'intérêt général). Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Toulouse, the organisation transcribes and publishes books, documents, signage, menus, business cards, and object labels into braille for visually impaired readers. Its core technology combines braille transcription (integral and abbreviated), tactile illustration produced through multi-layer transparent or coloured varnish, and made-to-order print production with a 15-day delivery cycle and postal franchise free shipping. The catalogue spans over 1,000 titles across genres and age segments (children, teens, adults), supplemented by named collections including Sensitinéraires and the educational series 'À la découverte du braille', plus tactile game-books and the Prix Monique Truquet literary competition for visually impaired writers.

CTEB operates a direct-to-consumer model through its e-commerce site cteb.fr, supplemented by event sales and direct institutional sales to libraries (médiathèques), schools, and the Toulouse municipality. Revenue streams include one-time book sales, professional services (transcription, signage), and subscription services. Since 4 January 2023, CTEB has applied France's Loi Lang single book price to braille editions for individual buyers, selling at €11–€30 — well below the €600+ per-title production cost — financed through donations, public subsidies (notably from Région Occitanie), and volunteer labour. The organisation holds publisher-rights relationships with major French houses including Gallimard, Albin Michel, Flammarion, Seuil, and Marabout, and notably published 'Les Crayons de Couleur' in braille before its regular Flammarion edition in 2017 — a French first. Awards include the 2025 Trophée de l'Engagement en faveur de la lecture. Headcount is ~8 employees supported by volunteers; financial accounts are not publicly disclosed.

Name

CTEB

Legal name

Centre de Transcription et d'Édition en Braille

Website

https://cteb.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CTEB is a French non-profit association (founded 1989, Toulouse) that transcribes and publishes books, documents, signage, and menus into braille for visually impaired readers in France, operating a 1,000+ title catalogue via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and institutional sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessible Braille Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Books Printing (323117), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Reading & Literacy Intervention Materials for Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Decoding, Comprehension) (EDAGAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Book Print-on-Demand (Picture Books, Early Readers, YA) (MPAJANAC), Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD), Children’s Reference & Informational Series Publishing (MPAJAFAN)

Keywords

• Braille book publishing
• Tactile illustration production
• Braille transcription services
• Accessible publishing services
• Visual impairment accessibility

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Braille Book Sales: CTEB generates revenue through the sale of adapted braille books to individuals and professionals. Since January 4, 2023, they apply the 'prix unique librairie' (fixed book price law) making braille books priced the same as regular bookstore prices. Standard books range from €11 to €30 for individuals, with special illustrated books at higher price points.
2. Document Transcription Services: CTEB transcribes various documents into braille including menus, business cards, object labeling, and newspapers.
3. Subscription Services: CTEB offers subscription-based services for ongoing access to adapted materials and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CTEB transcribes, produces and sells a catalogue of over 1,000 Braille-adapted books covering literature, children's books, beginner Braille series and tactile game-books for visually impaired individuals, alongside made-to-order Braille documents, signage, menus, business cards and object labels. The association operates a made-to-order production model (no stock held) with 15-day delivery, and since January 2023 applies France's single book price (loi Lang) to Braille books for individual buyers.

Product overview

CTEB (Centre de Transcription et d'Édition en Braille) is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) recognised as being in the public interest, based in Toulouse, that produces and sells Braille-adapted books and tactile accessibility products. Its core product is a catalogue of books transcribed into Braille, including literature, beginner Braille series, documentaries, children's stories, practical life guides, and illustrated/tactile books. CTEB also produces complementary Braille products: documents, signage, menus, business cards, and object labels. Key product lines include the Sensitinéraires collection, the Prix Monique Truquet literary competition (with published winners), and tactile game-books such as the Marvel Super Heroes Braille game-book and the Memory game-book 'Bienvenue chez nous'. CTEB operates a made-to-order production model — no stock is held — and delivers within 15 days, with free postage under the postal franchise for the blind. Since January 2023, Braille books for individual customers are priced at the standard French bookstore price under the Loi Lang unique pricing law. The organisation also offers subscription-based services and runs a Braille production tools facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Collection Sensitinéraires: A collection of tactile books published by CTEB
• Prix Monique Truquet

Products and services

• Livres en braille (Catalogue général)

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of waiting for price equality resolved
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FlammarioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2017Historic partnership where Flammarion published a novel in braille at CTEB in Toulouse before its regular release - a first in France. CTEB transcribed 'Les Crayons de Couleur' by Jean-Gabriel Causse, making it available to blind readers before sighted readers.
• EditformatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the cross-media accessible book project 'Zébulon, prince d'Atlantis' by Julien Laigre. Book adapted in braille, LSF (French Sign Language), audio format, and dyslexia-friendly format.
• BLYNDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation with BLYND to create audio comics (BD audio) for visually impaired people, making comics accessible through audio descriptions.
• Various Publishers (Gallimard, Albin Michel, etc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCTEB works with major French publishers to obtain rights and transcribe their books into braille. Partners include Gallimard, Albin Michel, Flammarion, Éditions Marabout, Seuil, and others.
• Mairie de ToulouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for 'Rencontres Ville & Handicap' annual event created by the municipality, where CTEB organizes braille menu initiatives with local restaurants.
• Académie de ToulouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for braille awareness workshops ('journées handicitoyennes') for 5th grade students across the academy.
• Various Publishers for Literary EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipation in literary festivals and events: Festival du livre jeunesse Saint-Orens, Printemps du livre Montaigu, Salon du livre de Narbonne.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF): France's national library operates braille collection and transcription services (e.g., dépôt légal adapté) as part of a much broader mandate. It overlaps with CTEB in producing and distributing adapted materials but as one capability among many, not a specialized competitor.
• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): UK national organization that publishes a large braille book catalog and runs accessible library services. Comparable in mission and product (braille books, transcription, tactile materials) but serves the UK market and operates at much larger scale as a broad incumbent.
• Braille Institute of America: US nonprofit offering braille library services, transcription and adapted materials alongside education programs. Comparable to CTEB in its specialized focus on braille production and serving visually impaired readers, but with broader programmatic scope.

Direct peers

• Association Valentin Haüy (AVH): France's largest association serving blind and visually impaired people, with its own braille library, adapted publishing activities and direct-to-consumer distribution. AVH is the most directly comparable French peer operating a publishing-plus-services model for the same customer base.
• National Braille Press: US-based nonprofit braille publisher producing children's and adult braille books, magazines and tactile materials. Directly comparable as a non-profit braille-focused publisher with catalog and direct-to-consumer distribution, albeit for English-speaking readers.

Emerging players

• BLYND: French association producing accessible audio comics (BD audio) for visually impaired readers, partnered with CTEB. Comparable as a complementary accessibility-format provider targeting the same reader segment with adjacent product (audio vs braille).
• Editformat: French accessible publishing partner that co-produced the cross-media Zébulon project with CTEB spanning braille, LSF, audio and dyslexia-friendly formats. Comparable as a niche accessibility publisher intersecting with CTEB on multi-format adapted books.

Others

• Fédération des Aveugles de France: French federation of blind associations advocating for accessibility and coordinating member services across regions. Comparable through its proximity to the visually impaired community and its role in shaping accessibility policy and partnerships, though not a direct publishing peer.
• Accessible Books Consortium (WIPO): International consortium led by WIPO that supports production and distribution of accessible books in formats including braille. Comparable as an ecosystem actor that CTEB engages with for rights, funding and global accessibility standards shaping the same market.

Regional players

• INJA (Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles): French national institute for young blind people providing education, adapted materials and braille resources. Comparable through its production of accessible learning materials and braille expertise, though education-led rather than publishing-led.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CtebToulouse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Centre_Edition_en_Braille_CTEB
• Facebookfacebook.com/cteb.braille
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cteb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 CTEB