Below you can find a sample of some of the stories of people we work with. If you would like to speak to someone about their personal experiences please contact pressoffice@rnib.org.uk or call 0207 391 2223
Lorna and Naomi Murray
Lorna's 14 year old daughter Naomi was born with cerebral palsy, severe learning difficulties and blindness.
She can't speak or see and as a result Naomi has faced terrible problems communicating with the people around her. Six months ago Lorna received funding for RNIB's Talking Book Service from her local authority and it's had an astounding impact on all of their lives.
"Talking books are a lifeline for our family. Naomi needs this because she can't communicate or listen." Lorna believes that Talking Books are a vital therapeutic and educational tool for children and adults with disabilities: "She (Naomi) does listen intently, you know by the reaction on her face. For her to be able to lie and listen can teach her how to concentrate."
Not only is it a learning tool but for Naomi, who attends a specialist school, RNIB's Talking Books offer her a well earned break from every day life. "It's nice for her to lie and listen in bed, that's her space and her time out," says Lorna.
RNIB's trained librarians have been on-hand to help guide Lorna through the choices of books that she can make for Naomi, which prevents her from adding another paperwork burden to her day. "At first I wasn't sure what sorts of books would be suitable for her," but following advice from RNIB's trained staff who recommended all kinds of appropriate books, from Beatrix Potter to Harry Potter, Naomi now goes through two or three books per week.
Ken Reid
Ken was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was 25 years old, the condition involved a slow deterioration of his sight, and he's been registered blind for the last 20 years.
"It wasn't a complete shock when I was told that I had something," he explains of his diagnosis, "because by this stage I recognised that I couldn't see properly."
As his eyesight deteriorated, however, Ken began to struggle to read the books that had accompanied him throughout his childhood and into his adulthood. "I remember distinctly reading my last book in print," he explains, "it was in 1994. I started reading the book in June and finished it by Christmas, it took me so long to read it, I just thought it was silly to have to struggle like this."
Ken first heard about RNIB's Talking Book Service in 2004, by which time he'd already been introduced to audio books, but was struck by the user friendly nature of Daisy technology. He liked the ability to bookmark pages and speed up the readings without it affecting the pitch, alongside RNIB's use of professional readers.
Nowadays he has three different types of Daisy player and uses the portable player for a variety of other purposes including listening to music, voice recording, and, most recently, for accessing navigational instructions through the text to speech software to help him get around town.
A member of a local book group, Ken usually has three or four different books on the go at any point and states firmly that he thinks that Talking Books have helped "keep him sane".
He explains: "Studies have shown that blind and partially sighted people are three times more likely to suffer from mental illness than the rest of the population. The main cause is boredom. I have spoken to other people who don't use Talking Books. They have nothing to do with their days. They sit staring at walls they can't even see. Getting access to Talking Books helps people to have meaningful lives despite their sight loss. Reading is that important."