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Clare - Young Reading Lives

Mon, 12 Sep 2011

Clare is the mother of Grace who is registered blind.

"When I found out that Grace couldn't see I didn't know what to do."

Ipswich hospital arranged for a Visual Impairment Officer called Jenny to help. Jenny introduced Grace to braille and ClearVision books:

"Grace loved ClearVision books because she was reading the same things as other children her age which is important"

Most ClearVision books have the brailled text interleaved with the print pages on clear plastic sheets. The text and pictures are visible through the brailled sheets and where possible we try to make sure that the braille reader's hands will not cover the print text so that the books can be read by print and braille readers simultaneously.

Grace now reads books from the RNIB National Library Service.

"Grace uses reading as a kind of escape into her own little world!"

When Grace was very young Clare adapted fridge magnets which had common words in text by sticking clear braille labels on top. This worked really well because Grace enjoyed making sentences on the fridge that everyone else could read!

Grace also uses a DAISY player from the RNIB Talking Book Service. DAISY is a format that makes a CD work more like a book. For instance, you can make bookmarks in the audio. DAISY also makes it possible to put huge amounts of audio onto just one CD.

"You need to encourage children who can't see to read. They need to understand that they can learn a lot more from a book. They can be part of a story where they're just the same as everyone else."