Inclusive Services > Resources

All libraries probably have some level of provision for blind or partially sighted customers: usually large print, audiobooks or Braille editions. However, there are a number of other options libraries could consider. The following list of resources may give some ideas about developing services for visually impaired readers.

Bag Books

Bag Books is a national charity, working to enrich the lives and support the learning of children, young people and adults with severe to profound intellectual impairments. They provide specialist multi-sensory resources which could be used with young children who are blind or partially sighted.

Calibre

A national charity providing a free postal lending service to around 20,000 members across the UK, the Republic of Ireland and other EU countries. Young Calibre provides the same audiobook lending service for partially sighted and dyslexic young people. No special equipment is required to use Calibre books.

ClearVision

ClearVision is a UK postal lending library of mainstream children's books with added braille. All books have braille, print and pictures, making them suitable for visually-impaired and sighted children and adults to share. A subscription service is available for libraries.

Cue and Review

Scottish talking newspaper group, transcribing fifteen print magazines and newspapers into audio formats for visually impaired people. The titles include the Herald, the Evening Times, More, Kerrang! and Empire.

CustomEyes Books

The National Blind Children's Society customise books to suit the needs of individual readers by altering font size, spacing or paper colour. The original book cover is also used where possible.

DAISY

Digital Accessible Information SYstem (DAISY) allows most books to fit on just one CD. This system requires specialist players.

RNIB National Library Service

Hosts Europe's largest collection of Braille books and 2,000 Moon titles (an alternative way of reading by touch). Also holds the UK's largest collection of unabridged audio fiction and popular non-fiction.

Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom (TNAUK)

Provide national newspapers and magazines on audio tape, computer disk, email, internet download and CD-ROM for visually impaired and disabled people.