Anna Foo, 12, from Flackwell Heath, stars in an online film which highlights the importance of reading for blind and partially sighted children, marking Read for RNIB Day on 19 October.
The film, made by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is designed to be shown in schools across the country. It features interviews with Anna, a braille and audio book reader, in which she talks about how essential reading is to her. The video also informs about how to get involved to raise money for braille, large print, giant print and talking books for blind children through Read for RNIB Day.
Read for RNIB Day
Read for RNIB Day takes place on 19 October 2012 and is about having fun and making a difference to the almost 2 million people living with sight loss in the UK. We are asking people to hold reading events, from book clubs to extreme reading to raise funds for RNIB. Even £1 can help blind and partially sighted people receive vital services including reading tools such as braille, giant print and Talking Books.
Anna is registered blind having been born with the sight condition Leber's Amaurosis [1]. Anna is an active member of RNIB's National Library Service, which allows her access to a wide range of literature in braille but the reality is only seven per cent of books are accessible to almost 2 million blind and partially sighted people in the UK.
"I really love reading"
Anna says: "I really love reading. When I come to the end of a really amazing story it's quite overwhelming and I want to be back half-way through the book wondering what happens next. Thanks to RNIB I can read nearly everything my friends are reading in braille or Talking Books but when I can't get the same books as everyone else it leaves me frustrated, it's horrible when everyone is talking about a book and you don't know what to say."
Anna's mum, Laura Foo says: "Anna finds it increasingly difficult to get hold of braille books. She gets very frustrated when she cannot read the latest children's blockbusters along with her sighted friends. She feels she misses out on the magical feeling the other children experience when reading fictional characters."
Watch the film
The film is available to watch on YouTube or, if you would like to share the video with your school you can download a Read for RNIB Schools pack.
There's still time to organise an event yourself. You could host a literary lunch, organise a book sale or lose yourself in a sponsored read. Download a Read for RNIB fundraising pack crammed with ideas and tips, visit www.readforrnib.org.uk or call 0845 345 0054 and help make 2012 Read for RNIB Day a success.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact Jess Sweetman at RNIB's Public Relations team on 0207 391 2081 or via email jessica.sweetman@rnib.org.uk .
About RNIB
Every day around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are around 2 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
[1] Leber's Amaurosis
Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) is a rare genetic disorder in which retinal dysfunction causes vision loss, often from birth. The extent of vision loss varies from patient to patient, but can be quite severe (with little to no light perception).