<PAGE>
 
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 1999.
                             Subject to amendment.

                                                        Registration No. 333 --
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

                     ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

         DELAWARE                                             52-1309227
     (State or other jurisdiction of                     (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                      Identification No.)

                                   ----------

                        2200 Clarendon Blvd., 12th Floor
                           Arlington, Virginia  22201
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                   ----------

                     ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
                             1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------

                                JOHN FITZGERALD
                     President and Chief Executive Officer
                     Access Worldwide Communications, Inc.
                        2200 Clarendon Blvd., 12th Floor
                           Arlington, Virginia  22201
                                 (800) 522-3447
                      (Name, address and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------

                                    Copy to:
                            ROBERT A. OUIMETTE, Esq.
                                Haythe & Curley
                                237 Park Avenue
                           New York, New York  10017

                                   ----------

        Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
                        As soon as practicable after the
                   Registration Statement becomes effective.

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
================================================================================================================================= 
 Title of securities to   Amount to                 Proposed maximum                Proposed maximum             Amount of 
   be registered         be registered         offering price per share*        aggregate offering price**    registration fee ***
   -------------         --------------        -------------------------        -------------------------     -------------------
<S>                     <C>                  <C>                              <C>                          <C> 
Common Stock               1,300,000                 $6.6875                            $10,052,484              $2,794.59
($.01 par value)
================================================================================================================================= 
</TABLE>

*   Calculated based on the average of the high and low prices of the Common
    Stock on April 26, 1999.
**  Calculated on the basis of the aggregate exercise price of the options to
    purchase 786,300 shares outstanding as of April 26, 1999 (an aggregate of
    $6,617,115) and the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock
    on April 26, 1999 as reported on the NASDAQ National Market System for the
    remaining 513,700 shares (an aggregate of $3,435,369).
*** Computed in accordance with Rule 457(h)(1).
<PAGE>
 
                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
         --------------------------------------- 

             The Company hereby states that (i) the documents listed in (a) and
(b) below are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and (ii)
all documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

             (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1998.

             (b) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's registration statement on Form 8-A12G, filed on December 11, 1997.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         ------------------------- 

             Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         -------------------------------------- 

             The legality of the securities registered hereunder has been passed
upon by Haythe & Curley,  New York,  New York. As of March 15, 1999,  members of
Haythe & Curley owned 500 shares of the Company's Common Stock.  Haythe & Curley
is a limited partner in Abbingdon Venture Partners Limited Partnership - III, an
investment  partnership  which owns  1,925,000  shares of the  Company's  Common
Stock.  Members of Haythe & Curley are  limited  partners in  Abbingdon  Venture
Partners  Limited  Partnership  -  II,  an  investment  partnership  which  owns
1,575,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         ----------------------------------------- 

             Under the provisions of Article SIXTH of the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company, the Company is required to indemnify a director or
officer of the Company from and against any and all expenses and liabilities
that may be imposed upon or incurred by him in connection with, or as a result
of, any proceeding in which he may become involved, as a party or otherwise, by
reason of the fact that he is or was such a director, officer, employee or agent
of the Company, whether or not he continues to be such at the time such expenses
and liabilities shall have been imposed or incurred, to the extent permitted by
the laws of the State of Delaware, as they may be amended from time to time.
<PAGE>
 
          Under the provisions of Article ELEVENTH of the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company, a director of the Company shall not have personal
liability to the Company or to any of its stockholders for monetary damages for
a breach of his fiduciary duty as a director, except as otherwise provided by
the laws of the State of Delaware.

          The Company maintains indemnity insurance for its officers and
directors insuring them against (i) expenses incurred by them in any proceeding
and (ii) any liabilities asserted against them in their capacities as officers
and/or directors of the Company.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.
         ----------------------------------- 

             Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
         -------- 

             The Exhibits required to be filed as part of this Registration
Statement are listed in the attached Index to Exhibits.

Item 9.  Undertakings.
         ------------ 

             The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes, except as otherwise
specifically provided in the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission
promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933:

             (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                 (i)  To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of
the Securities Act of 1933;

                 (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
post- effective amendment hereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration
Statement;

                 (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or
any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if this
Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
this Registration Statement;

          (2)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new 
<PAGE>
 
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof; and

          (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

          The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
<PAGE>
 
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     The Registrant and each person whose signature appears below hereby
appoints John Fitzgerald and Michael Dinkins as attorneys-in-fact with full
power of substitution, severally, to execute in the name and on behalf of the
Registrant and each such person, individually and in each capacity stated below,
one or more amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this
Registration Statement as the attorney-in-fact acting in the premises deems
appropriate and to file any such amendment to this Registration Statement with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Arlington and Commonwealth of Virginia on the 26th
day of April, 1999.

                               ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

                               By /s/ John Fitzgerald
                                  ---------------------------------------
                                  John Fitzgerald
                                  President and Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.


         Signature                 Title                         Date
         ---------                 -----                         ----

/s/ Stephen F. Nagy        Chairman of the Board              April 26, 1999
-------------------------  and Director
Stephen F. Nagy

/s/ John Fitzgerald        President, Chief Executive         April 26, 1999
-------------------------  Officer and Director
John Fitzgerald

/s/ Michael Dinkins        Senior Vice President of           April 26, 1999
-------------------------  Finance and Administration and
Michael Dinkins            Chief Financial Officer
 
/s/ Peter D. Bewley        Director                           April 26, 1999
-------------------------
Peter D. Bewley
<PAGE>
 
     Signature              Title                Date
     ---------              -----                ----

/s/ Liam Donohue           Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
Liam Donohue                                       

/s/ Lee H. Edelstein       Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
Lee H. Edelstein                                   

/s/ John H. Foster         Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
John H. Foster                                     

/s/ Shawkat Raslan         Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
Shawkat Raslan                                     
<PAGE>
 
                       Consent of Independent Accountants


We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of Access Worldwide Communications, Inc.'s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 26, 1999
<PAGE>
 
                               CONSENT OF COUNSEL

     The consent of Haythe & Curley is contained in their opinion filed as
Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement.
<PAGE>
 
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS



      Number                 Description of Exhibit                        Page
      ------                 ----------------------                        ----

4                    -  Copy of the Plan.                                   10

5                    -  Opinion of Haythe & Curley                          16

23(i)                -  Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP               --
                        (See "Consent of Independent Accountants"
                        in the Registration Statement)

23(ii)               -  Consent of Haythe & Curley (contained in            --
                        Exhibit 5)

24                   -  Power of Attorney (See "Power of                    --
                        Attorney" in the Registration Statement)


                                                                
307034.2
02591-09999
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15940}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS INC", "cik": "0001048422", "assigned-sic": "7389", "irs-number": "521309227", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-77429", "film-number": "99606239"}, "business-address": {"street1": "2200 CLARENDON BLVD 11TH FLOOR", "city": "ARLINGTON", "state": "VA", "zip": "22201", "phone": "7035166437"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "2200 CLAREDON BLVD 11TH FLOOR", "city": "ARLINGTON", "state": "VA", "zip": "22201"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "CULTURAL ACCESS WORLDWIDE INC", "date-changed": "19971023"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 1999.
                             Subject to amendment.

                                                        Registration No. 333 --
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

                     ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
               (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

         DELAWARE                                             52-1309227
     (State or other jurisdiction of                     (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)                      Identification No.)

                                   ----------

                        2200 Clarendon Blvd., 12th Floor
                           Arlington, Virginia  22201
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                   ----------

                     ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
                             1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------

                                JOHN FITZGERALD
                     President and Chief Executive Officer
                     Access Worldwide Communications, Inc.
                        2200 Clarendon Blvd., 12th Floor
                           Arlington, Virginia  22201
                                 (800) 522-3447
                      (Name, address and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------

                                    Copy to:
                            ROBERT A. OUIMETTE, Esq.
                                Haythe & Curley
                                237 Park Avenue
                           New York, New York  10017

                                   ----------

        Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
                        As soon as practicable after the
                   Registration Statement becomes effective.

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================================================================= 
 Title of securities to   Amount to                 Proposed maximum                Proposed maximum             Amount of 
   be registered         be registered         offering price per share*        aggregate offering price**    registration fee ***
   -------------         --------------        -------------------------        -------------------------     -------------------
Common Stock               1,300,000                 $6.6875                            $10,052,484              $2,794.59
($.01 par value)
=================================================================================================================================
*   Calculated based on the average of the high and low prices of the Common
    Stock on April 26, 1999.
**  Calculated on the basis of the aggregate exercise price of the options to
    purchase 786,300 shares outstanding as of April 26, 1999 (an aggregate of
    $6,617,115) and the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock
    on April 26, 1999 as reported on the NASDAQ National Market System for the
    remaining 513,700 shares (an aggregate of $3,435,369).
*** Computed in accordance with Rule 457(h)(1).
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
         --------------------------------------- 

             The Company hereby states that (i) the documents listed in (a) and
(b) below are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and (ii)
all documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to
the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities
offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

             (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1998.

             (b) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's registration statement on Form 8-A12G, filed on December 11, 1997.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         ------------------------- 

             Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         -------------------------------------- 

             The legality of the securities registered hereunder has been passed
upon by Haythe & Curley,  New York,  New York. As of March 15, 1999,  members of
Haythe & Curley owned 500 shares of the Company's Common Stock.  Haythe & Curley
is a limited partner in Abbingdon Venture Partners Limited Partnership - III, an
investment  partnership  which owns  1,925,000  shares of the  Company's  Common
Stock.  Members of Haythe & Curley are  limited  partners in  Abbingdon  Venture
Partners  Limited  Partnership  -  II,  an  investment  partnership  which  owns
1,575,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         ----------------------------------------- 

             Under the provisions of Article SIXTH of the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company, the Company is required to indemnify a director or
officer of the Company from and against any and all expenses and liabilities
that may be imposed upon or incurred by him in connection with, or as a result
of, any proceeding in which he may become involved, as a party or otherwise, by
reason of the fact that he is or was such a director, officer, employee or agent
of the Company, whether or not he continues to be such at the time such expenses
and liabilities shall have been imposed or incurred, to the extent permitted by
the laws of the State of Delaware, as they may be amended from time to time.
Under the provisions of Article ELEVENTH of the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company, a director of the Company shall not have personal
liability to the Company or to any of its stockholders for monetary damages for
a breach of his fiduciary duty as a director, except as otherwise provided by
the laws of the State of Delaware.

          The Company maintains indemnity insurance for its officers and
directors insuring them against (i) expenses incurred by them in any proceeding
and (ii) any liabilities asserted against them in their capacities as officers
and/or directors of the Company.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.
         ----------------------------------- 

             Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
         -------- 

             The Exhibits required to be filed as part of this Registration
Statement are listed in the attached Index to Exhibits.

Item 9.  Undertakings.
         ------------ 

             The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes, except as otherwise
specifically provided in the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission
promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933:

             (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

                 (i)  To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of
the Securities Act of 1933;

                 (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
post- effective amendment hereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration
Statement;

                 (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or
any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if this
Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8 and the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
this Registration Statement;

          (2)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof; and

          (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

          The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
POWER OF ATTORNEY

     The Registrant and each person whose signature appears below hereby
appoints John Fitzgerald and Michael Dinkins as attorneys-in-fact with full
power of substitution, severally, to execute in the name and on behalf of the
Registrant and each such person, individually and in each capacity stated below,
one or more amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this
Registration Statement as the attorney-in-fact acting in the premises deems
appropriate and to file any such amendment to this Registration Statement with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Arlington and Commonwealth of Virginia on the 26th
day of April, 1999.

                               ACCESS WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

                               By /s/ John Fitzgerald
                                  ---------------------------------------
                                  John Fitzgerald
                                  President and Chief Executive Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

         Signature                 Title                         Date
         ---------                 -----                         ----

/s/ Stephen F. Nagy        Chairman of the Board              April 26, 1999
-------------------------  and Director
Stephen F. Nagy

/s/ John Fitzgerald        President, Chief Executive         April 26, 1999
-------------------------  Officer and Director
John Fitzgerald

/s/ Michael Dinkins        Senior Vice President of           April 26, 1999
-------------------------  Finance and Administration and
Michael Dinkins            Chief Financial Officer
 
/s/ Peter D. Bewley        Director                           April 26, 1999
-------------------------
Peter D. Bewley
Signature              Title                Date
     ---------              -----                ----

/s/ Liam Donohue           Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
Liam Donohue                                       

/s/ Lee H. Edelstein       Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
Lee H. Edelstein                                   

/s/ John H. Foster         Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
John H. Foster                                     

/s/ Shawkat Raslan         Director          April 26, 1999
-------------------------                          
Shawkat Raslan
Consent of Independent Accountants

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration
Statement on Form S-8 of Access Worldwide Communications, Inc.'s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 26, 1999
CONSENT OF COUNSEL

     The consent of Haythe & Curley is contained in their opinion filed as
Exhibit 5 to this Registration Statement.
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

      Number                 Description of Exhibit                        Page
      ------                 ----------------------                        ----

4                    -  Copy of the Plan.                                   10

5                    -  Opinion of Haythe & Curley                          16

23(i)                -  Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP               --
                        (See "Consent of Independent Accountants"
                        in the Registration Statement)

23(ii)               -  Consent of Haythe & Curley (contained in            --
                        Exhibit 5)

24                   -  Power of Attorney (See "Power of                    --
                        Attorney" in the Registration Statement)

                                                                
307034.2
02591-09999