RNIB media release dated 18 November 2010
Threat to funding
Stoke on Trent City Council's threat to cut £13,600 annual funding, (around 22p per day per person) to run the RNIB Talking Books service to blind and partially sighted people, has been described by the RNIB as "miserly, unfair and unnecessary".
The RNIB Talking Book service provides 173 blind and partially sighted people from across Stoke with a vital and for some, the only service that allows them to read independently in their own home or when out and about.
Talking Book member
RNIB Talking Book member, Karen Lammond from Stoke on Trent is 56 and registered blind. She is annoyed about the cut and has contacted her MP Tristam Hunt. Karen said: "I would be devastated if the Talking Book service was taken away. I'm very annoyed about this proposed cut because I feel blind and partially sighted people are being unfairly targeted.
Karen who has only been a member of the service for about a year added: "Before joining I never realised how much enjoyment I would get from the service both at home and when I'm out of the house. I know some blind people rely on talking books to further their education and personal development - for those people a cut would be a disaster."
National Service
A national service to around 40,000 blind and partially sighted members, RNIB Talking Books service has often been described as "a lifeline" by its members.
The proposed cut comes as a shock as RNIB celebrates the 75th anniversary of its Talking Book service this month. (Note to Editors: story of Talking Books and anniversary at the end of this release).
"Miserly"
As the cost to the council to operate the service is so low, Rebecca Swift, RNIB Campaign Officer covering Stoke said:
"We believe this proposed cut is miserly due to such a small amount of money being needed to fund the service; unfair, because it adversely affects some of Stoke on Trent's most vulnerable and less well off people and unnecessary, as it will harm more people than it will benefit. We have written to the council and urge them to continue to fund Talking Books. We would also like to know if the council has consulted with blind and partially sighted people before making the cut.
"Reading is important"
Reading is as important to blind people as it is to sighted people - but only 1 in 20 of all books published in the UK are produced in a format that blind and partially sighted people can read.
Rebecca Swift added: "We believe the council should consider its duty under equalities law to provide a service to blind and partially sighted people who rely on this service and who clearly have very limited opportunities to read independently."
"Something for everyone"
On the libraries page of Stoke-on-Trent city council's website it says: "something for everyone, save money at your library". RNIB says this is not true for blind and partially sighted people living in Stoke.
Blind people pay council tax but when it comes to reading at public libraries they get nothing like the same choice of books sighted readers get. The RNIB Talking Books service holds around 18,000 titles, there are comparatively few audio books in Stoke's libraries.
As sighted people continue to read any book at Stoke's libraries for free - a cut would mean blind and partially sighted people will either have to pay to carry on reading, by subscribing to Talking Books membership or have far fewer audio books to read at Stoke-on-Trent libraries and will still only have access to, at most, one in 20 of all books published.
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For more information contact Bill Alker at the RNIB Press Office 020 7391 2223 out of hours 079 6848 2812.
Notes to editors
Suggesting a possible feature on RNIB Talking Books service and 75th anniversary.
November 2010 is the 75th anniversary of RNIB Talking Books service.
Since 1935, RNIB Talking Books has issued millions of books to blind and partially sighted people across the country, making it one of the most popular services ever provided by a charity in the UK. RNIB now sends out over 1.76 million Talking Books each year to people with sight problems.
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The RNIB Talking Books Service contains almost 18,000 titles, making it the largest collection of unabridged audio books in the UK and one of the largest in the world.
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There are almost two million people living with sight loss in the UK.
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Over 7,000 RNIB Talking Books are issued every day.
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As early as 1920, RNIB began testing various formats to produce talking books. By 1926 the organisation was experimenting with long-playing records which could be played on gramophones. It was thanks to RNIB's trail blazing that LPs were eventually adopted by the music industry.
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The most popular authors include JK Rowling, James Patterson, Agatha Christie, Danielle Steel, John Grisham and Jodie Picoult
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Some of the most popular books for the last year are Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Dear Fatty by Dawn French and How to cheat at cooking by Delia Smith.
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It costs up to £2,500 to generate a new RNIB Talking Book and it can take up to 3 months to produce.
A £10 donation can fund the delivery of Talking Books for one person for up to 3 months. To find out more about RNIB's Talking Books service visit www.rnib.org.uk/library
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