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People With Sight Problems Face 'Book Famine' Claims RNIB

Summary: People with sight problems face a book famine now and for many years to come

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20 October 2003

People with sight problems face a book famine now and for many years to come despite reading being more popular than ever amongst sighted people. This is the main finding of a new report, ‘Overdue’, launched today (20 October) by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB). The report reveals that over 95 per cent of books are never made available in formats like large print, audio and braille which people with sight problems can 'read'.

RNIB estimates that most of the 2 million people in the UK with sight problems cannot read a standard print book, which is usually published in size 10 font. [This is size 10 font]. This means that people with sight problems have no choice but to read using other formats. David Mann, who leads RNIB's involvement in the Right to Read Campaign, said: "Being denied the right to read cuts you off from the social and cultural life of the world around you. It stops you getting a good education or job as well as enjoying the simple pleasure of curling up with a good book. We believe the Right to Read for people with sight problems is overdue and the government must act now to address this issue "

The publication of the report marks the start of Right to Read Week (20-26 October). Fourteen organisations have joined together – including RNIB, the National Library for the Blind, the National Association of Local Societies for Visually Impaired People and Calibre - to form the Right to Read Alliance and to call on the Government to establish an Access to Reading Fund to enable significantly more books to be published in different formats.

A public charter will also be launched which will call on publishers, booksellers and libraries to increase the number of books, magazines and papers available. It will also call on the Government to establish the Access to Reading Fund and to remove VAT on the sale of audio books to come in line with print books. The Alliance is urging members of the public to sign the charter, which will be presented to government next year. Members of the public can sign the charter online at http://www.rnib.org.uk/righttoread.

Famous authors and celebrities who are supporting the campaign and who have already signed the charter include Julian Barnes, Jim Broadbent, Jackie Collins, Jilly Cooper, Fredrick Forsyth, Lady Antonia Fraser, Nicci French, Marian Keyes, Joanna Lumley, Sir John Mills and Alexei Sayle.

'Overdue' highlights that 8 in 10 (78 per cent) of the general public want to carry on reading after sight loss but notes that only two per cent of books are ever published in audio format and two per cent in large print – often the favoured formats of people who lose their sight in later life. However, most commercial audio books are abridged, and those that aren't can cost many times more than the print version. They are also usually published months later than the equivalent print version.

The report also reveals that most books in different format are produced by charities dependent on public donations, (although a small percentage are produced by the commercial sector). In 2002 the book trade sold 125,390 new (and revised) titles while in the same period fewer than 5,000 titles were produced in other formats by the voluntary sector.

Julianne Marriott, RNIB UK Campaigns Officer, another of the authors of the report said: “The majority of people with sight problems are older, and many live alone and can't leave their homes independently - so reading can be a real source of entertainment and company. What this report shows is that people who cannot read print are getting less and paying more - they are having to rely on charity for their right to read."

She continued: “When you put this situation in the context of a growing population of older people we can only conclude that people with sight problems now and in the future will face a major shortage of books. Our message is clear - people with sight problems want to read the same book at the same time at the same price as their sighted peers. The government must act now to support a major increase in the production of books in accessible formats."

Delays in being able to read the latest best-seller are also major sources of frustration. Media interest in books following the success of the BBC's Big Read and the phenomenon of the Harry Potter series mean that many book launches are now highly anticipated events. This means not being able to read a book at the same time as other people can create a genuine sense of exclusion.

A blind fan of the Harry Potter books who had to wait to read the latest offering from JK Rowling earlier this year said: “I enjoy audio but don't like having to wait for a book – e.g. Harry Potter 5. I was most annoyed at having to wait for it but thanks to a friend I managed to get it on audio from America, as they seem to have everything right - being able to get books in braille/audio on the same day the book was published."

There are, however, some examples of good practice in the UK such as the publication of Michael Palin's book 'Sahara', which was published as an RNIB Talking Book before the print publication and won a Spoken Word Association award in September this year.

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Content author: pressoffice@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13