Annette Brooke says "Happy 70th Birthday" to RNIB's Talking Books service, and tables a motion for Parliament's support
November 8, 2005 6:00 PM
At RNIB's Talking Books studio in Camden as part of her MPs Voluntary Secondment Scheme
The RNIB Talking Book Service celebrates its 70th anniversary this week. Since 7 November 1935 when the first Talking Books were issued, RNIB has sent out over 75 million audio books to over two million people with sight problems, making it one of the most popular and well-known services ever provided by a charity in the UK.
Annette Brooke, visited the Talking Books recording studio in Camden London as part of her MP Voluntary Secondment Scheme with RNIB and has tabled a Parliamentary Motion (EDM) to applaud the charity's longstanding work. She said:
"I want to congratulate Talking Books and the RNIB for offering such an invaluable service to so many blind and partially sighted people who find the gift of 'reading' such a lifeline.
"As a charity which relies on the generosity of the public to provide such vital services, the RNIB deserves a huge well done for keeping the service up and running over the years.
"Although the existing service is exceptional, there is still so much more that can be done to promote 'the right to read' campaign to increase the number of books available in an appropriate format for blind and partially sighted people. I will continue to support the RNIB's campaign to ensure that in the future the 'Talking Books' service can record many more new titles at their time of publication."
A shocking 96 percent of books published in the UK are never made available in formats such as audio, large print or braille that a blind or partially sighted person can 'read'. In fact, less than three percent make their way to audio.
The RNIB is calling on the Government to take responsibility for making more books available, just as in other countries. We want funds from central government to expand our work and to support partnerships between charities and the publishing industry.
ENDS:
Notes to Editors
A copy of the Early Day Motion is below:
EARLY DAY MOTION
HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY TO RNIB'S TALKING BOOKS
Annette Brooke
That this House congratulates the RNIB's Talking Books service on its 70th anniversary; commends the fact that since 1935 when the first Talking Books were issued, the RNIB has sent out over 75 million audio books to over two million people with sight problems; understands that the service contains over 10,000 titles, making it one of the largest collection of unabridged books in the world; recognises that Talking Books were developed in the years after WW1 in response to the thousands of soldiers blinded in action; acknowledges that the service has grown and changed in response to the need of users, and that Talking Books are now issued on CD and read on players specially designed for ease of use by people with sight and dexterity problems; welcomes the RNIB's new "Give the Joy of Reading" Appeal to raise funds to expand the Talking Books service and supports its existing Right to Read campaign which highlights the fact that a shocking 96 per cent of books published in the UK are not made available in audio, large print or Braille formats; and calls on the government to take responsibility for making more books available, as in other countries.
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