Issue 23: Spotlight on Every Cherry | Emma Steel

Background

Can you share your journey from your early years to being appointed head of Every Cherry?

I was born in Leicester, England, and moved to Manchester for university. Then I lived in Maryland for a year of university, after which I travelled around the US (San Francisco, then California and essentially the entirety of Route 66). I then moved back to Leicester, I was going to move to London but met my husband and decided to lay my foundations in my hometown; two children and one husband later, I'm firmly rooted in Leicester with the support I need and a small family.

After my A-Levels, I went to Uni of Manc and did an American History degree, then a year abroad at Uni of Maryland, after which I did a PGCE for Post-16 SEND. Then, I worked with people who had varying disabilities at Homefield College in Loughborough. I then decided to retrain via an English and Media PGCE for 12-16 - lots of courses in epilepsy, Autism and other conditions, as well as administering medication, teaching those with special requirements and so on.

Things soon became full circle as the student became the lecturer; I started running my own classes and sessions on teaching SEND pupils, which is one of my proudest feats to date. Fast forward to now, after 17 years as a SEND teacher, I've moved into the wonderful world of publishing by creating the accessible imprint you've all come to know as Every Cherry.

Teaching Journey

What inspired you to pursue a career in Special Education, particularly in teaching English and Media within a specialist setting?

Before I went to university, I volunteered at a play scheme for those with varying disabilities, and it sparked something inside me. I realised I needed to work with SEN people forever, and I loved it so much. I always wanted to be a teacher; my grandad was a printer, and I'd steal the spare poster sheets to stick onto my bedroom wall and teach my teddy bears! That, paired with my newfound dedication to SEN and my lifelong love of English, led me to mix the three together and embark on my career journey.

How did your experiences as a teacher influence your approach to creating accessible reading materials for your students?

My teaching experience ensured that I was realistic in my approach; I knew there would never be a one-size-fits-all solution and that we'd need different accessible options to cater to different people and their individual needs. I also knew that the books needed to be cost-effective and affordable, whether that be for a teacher, a librarian or a parent/guardian.

Could you share some of the challenges you faced when adapting curriculum books to suit the varying needs of your students?

It doesn't exist, so it always became (and is) second nature for special education teachers to adapt the books and make the books suitable for the class, but the main issue with this is that it's not real. A kid doesn't want a book that a teacher has printed on photocopier paper. It doesn't feel as empowering or motivating to read a makeshift or DIY version of a book that everyone else is reading as normal. Also, it just screams 'I need help'.

How did these challenges shape your vision for Every Cherry?

I looked at Every Cherry as a mixed ability classroom; how could a collection of books reach and inspire every single pupil in the classroom and enable them to read?

The Birth of Every Cherry

Can you tell us more about the moment you realised there was a need for an imprint like Every Cherry?

There wasn't any one moment of realisation (say more about build-up), then Sanjee/Sweet Cherry took a chance and gave me the opportunity to build something greater. After that, it was just a case of making the decision to leave a career I'd spent years building.

What was the process of transforming your classroom adaptations into the three key ranges (Easier, Symbolised, and Stories for Your Senses)?

The concept was already there; when you look at a classroom, you have varying levels of learners and abilities, so it's just providing something that each of them can access. I adapted what I'd do in the classroom to be suitable for publishing, and it inevitably became the three formats of books that we now publish.

How did your collaboration with Sanjee de Silva and Sweet Cherry Publishing come about?

I submitted a picture book that had absolutely nothing to do with accessibility, and Sanjee asked to meet and talk about it. Then, as a teacher, I thought I'd better prepare some material for the meetings, and we just got talking about Sweet Cherry's ethos and dedication to accessible books and diversity, and I actually told Sanjee that the company wasn't meeting the needs of the SEN community. Sanjee being Sanjee, he said: "Let's do it then." The rest is history.

What were the key elements that convinced them to support the creation of Every Cherry?

Honestly, I made them realise that, although their USP is wholly accessible books, there was a whole community that they weren't yet serving. They resonated with my ambitions.

Innovative Features

Every Cherry books include unique features like free audiobooks, embossed covers, and signing videos. Can you explain how these features enhance the reading experience for SEND students?

Essentially, it's providing a holistic to reading. It's about an experience that doesn't rely on one form of reading, we have offered audio, visual and kinaesthetic options for readers, meaning they can choose which works best for them. Other features, like the sensory elements of glossary terms, mean readers can focus more while genuinely understanding what they're reading on a cognitive level.

How did you ensure that the development of each feature was grounded in evidence-based practices?

Focus groups, user testing, 17 years' worth of experience and speaking to other teachers/professionals within the field. Also, utilising the network of people that we have at-hand as not everything will be readily available in one's brain.

Did you run any tests or pilot programs during the development of Every Cherry publication's features? If so, what was the feedback from the SEND community during these phases?

Yes, indeed. Key things we learnt were that the covers should remain the same, no stickers or accessible terminology plastered over things. Slapping the word disability won't make people buy anything. Size and shapes are highly important. You can't just think about cognition, you need to think about how, physically, people will turn the page (we considered GSM and so on). We have so much more to do and learn, and the SEN community is constantly informing the decisions we make. Every Cherry is built on the foundation that everything we do is for the SEN community, and the decisions we make are based on their needs, so there is no way to make our books unless we're working directly with our readers.

Global Impact

With Every Cherry gaining momentum globally, how do you ensure that your books remain culturally relevant and accessible to diverse audiences?

It goes back to the collaboration and the attitude to constantly learn and evolve. For example, when speaking to people at Shanghai Book Fair, we were really happy to learn exactly why Chinese audiences love our books, and the same goes for when American audiences engage with us at fairs in the US. The key is being reactive and open to each audience's suggestions.

What excites you most about the potential for Every Cherry books to be used as EFL tools in countries like China?

The unexpectedness of that aspect of things. The books being used as EFL tools really highlighted the books' capability of being far-reaching; it showed how dedicated people are to accessible reading across the globe.

Future Aspirations

What are your future plans for Every Cherry? Are there any upcoming projects or titles that you're particularly excited about?

We're really excited to just develop the list into a full, accessible reading library that has something for everyone, not just adapted classics but also reading for pleasure titles (such as Football Rising Stars) and even a series of life skill books.

How do you see Every Cherry evolving in the next few years, especially in terms of expanding its reach and impact within the SEND community?

I would like to set up a Symbolised reading pathway (as a specific target project), but generally, I'm just excited to see how we can change the publishing landscape and people's attitudes towards accessible reading.

What advice would you give to educators and parents who are seeking to make literature more accessible for children with special educational needs?

Buy our books!

Reflecting on your journey, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your work with Every Cherry?

Seeing the super positive effects we're already having on readers across the globe. Going into schools, seeing the books in action and watching a concept come to fruition, even in terms of readers scanning the QR codes and watching the visual storybooks. Of course, it's also lovely when we see people sharing their reading experiences online, too, such as when @cheethamswithdreams (Instagram) tagged us in a video of Hannah, who has Cerebral Palsy, so excited to be able to read Moby Dick!

Emma Steel

Extracts from Dystinct Magazine