Announcement
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) today announced the launch of tactile educational image books to address the shortfall in suitable curriculum materials needed by blind and partially sighted children across the UK.
24,000 pupils
The number of blind and partially sighted young people aged between 6-25 years old in UK mainstream education currently exceeds 24,000. Nevertheless, there is no national co-ordinated system of providing suitable textbooks and learning materials for blind and partially sighted students. With funding from Qualcomm Incorporated, the world leader in next-generation mobile technologies, RNIB has produced 20 books of accessible images. Each book contains tactile illustrations with braille labels and large print colour images with large print labels, all of which support the national curriculum.
Geography and science
Subjects such as geography and science can be challenging for blind and partially sighted pupils because they contain graphically rich materials such as photographs, maps and illustrations. The new tactile educational image books will provide teachers and learning support staff with the necessary resources to help give pupils the same understanding of these topics as their sighted peers.
Each book is easily accessible through central and promoted channels and covers a range of different subjects such as GCSE key stage 4 biology, physics, geography, mathematics, chemistry, food technology, information technology and physical education.
"Tactile images are extremely useful"
Richard, 15, a pupil at New College Worcester who is registered blind, said: "Tactile images are extremely useful, particularly in exams where I am answering the same questions as other people. They mean that I have exactly the same diagram as everyone else. The books are easy to read and I can use them whenever I want."
Caroline Walker, Assistant Development Officer at RNIB, said: "We often hear from teachers and support assistants who don't have the time needed to create accessible images from learning/curriculum materials on demand. These books have been specifically designed with advice from education professionals and tested by blind and partially sighted pupils to ensure they compliment the national curriculum. They will enable young people with sight problems to have equal and independent learning opportunities, where they are not excluded and have access to the same information as their sighted peers. "
The books of images are available from RNIB's online shop at www.rnib.org.uk/shop at cost, priced from £16.50.
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For more information contact Stacey Kerr, Senior Media Officer at RNIB on 020 7391 2290 or email stacey.kerr@rnib.org.uk
Notes to Editors
Subject specialists reviewed the images to ensure that the graphical and educational information within the images and their accompanying descriptions would compliment the current teaching curriculum. Teachers, exam boards and exam modifiers (who adapt exam papers for blind and partially sighted people) were also consulted to make sure the images were suitable for use within exam conditions, as well as in the classroom.
Evaluations were then carried out by staff and students at New College Worcester, whose feedback confirmed that the books work well for both blind and partially sighted students and will meet their needs in specialist or mainstream schools as well as for independent study.