A new independent study - Assessing the Impact of Reading for Blind and Partially Sighted Adults - was published on Read for RNIB Day on 19 October.
Commissioned by RNIB, the report was carried out by LISU and The Reading Agency. Researchers completed a series of interviews with blind and partially sighted readers by phone and in person. Most of the questions were also available as an online questionnaire. In addition, six case studies were carried out with volunteers from the interviews and survey, enabling issues to be explored in greater depth.
Results
The results show that 95 per cent of participants read for pleasure more than once a week, with over half reading more than 10 hours per week. The research clearly indicates the value which blind and partially sighted readers attribute to reading for pleasure with the majority of participants (82 per cent) stating that reading for pleasure was 'very important' in their lives.
The main reasons given for this importance were:
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that it was enjoyable and made them feel good (69 per cent)
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it enabled them to relax and/or relieve stress (64 per cent)
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escape from real life into a fantasy world (47 per cent)
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and gave them a chance to use their imagination (38 per cent).
Health benefits
RNIB has long known the health and social benefits of reading for blind and partially sighted people, particularly those who are elderly and live alone. A mass of anecdotal evidence, gathered over many years, clearly shows the value and impact of reading for people with sight loss. Now this qualitative evidence is reinforced by the findings of this new report, which will help us make an even stronger case for better access to books and reading for people cannot see to read standard print.
Download the report
Download the full report here: