Denied The Right To Read!
Imagine the plight of the visually impaired
by LouiseLouiseJanuary 18, 2005
I'm at a table in the coffee shop, waiting for my friend to bring me a cappuccino. I face the window, which is pointless really, as I can no longer watch the people passing by, creating stories in my head from what I see. But I like to face the window.
It allows me to distinguish shadow and contrast, I can see shady and fuzzy objects. I can't tell what they are, but I can guess; an educated guess from the days when I sat here without a care in the world, never guessing that suddenly my gift of sight would
be ruthlessly snatched away due to unexpected illness and complications.
On the window sill I can make out a grey oblong shape. I stand up, scraping the chair legs on the floor and stretch across to the grey object. I reach out and touch it. It's a book. I start to pick it up and then stop. What's the point? My lifelong love of books rises within me and I pick up the book. I trace my fingers across the cover, hoping the title is embossed. It's not. I flick through the pages, inhaling the odour of musty paper and the indescribable smell associated with well-read, well-loved books. Tears prick my eyes as I remember sitting in this same coffee shop reading novels, drinking coffee and eating New York cheesecake.
I have lost whole afternoons browsing around second-hand book shops, I’ve made beelines for book stalls at a local fair. In those days, I could walk into any book shop and move freely from one category to the next. Not like now, where the response to my query "will you point me in the direction of the large print books" is met with a cold and haughty "we don't sell those type of books here," as if they're dangerous or distasteful. My choice of books is severely restricted now. It doesn't seem fair that 95% of all books are no longer available to me. Over 95% of standard print publications are never available in large print, audio or Braille formats. My imagination is deprived of food! I can't lose myself in a world of make believe, or travel the world in an armchair. My choice of reading material is restricted. I'm being penalised for my disability. It all seems so unjust and unfair. I'm denied the right to read.
This isn't actually my reality, but that of a visually impaired lady I was listening to recently. This is the living experience of 3 million people in the United Kingdom and 16 million in the USA.
Can you empathise? Imagine how it feels? How would you manage?
As a reader and lover of literature I was deeply touched. I felt anger, disappointment and sadness. I wanted to take action, to try to make the situation easier in my own small way. I've supported the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in the United Kingdom for several years. But I wanted to target this injustice of people being excluded from reading. The RNIB and the Right to Read Alliance are lobbying the Government to improve the situation, so visually impaired people are not denied the opportunity to read and learn, all because they can't read standard print. I became involved in the campaign and have collected signatures from family and friends to support the Right to Read Charter.
As a BookCrosser, I've asked my fellow BCers to support the cause and register their vote. I'm also facing a new challenge. I'm searching for large print books to release. My actions don't amount to much. But even if one person’s life is affected in a positive manner or it raises awareness of the situation, I feel it's a job well done, and a seed is sown.
So how about you, fellow BCer? What's the experience of visually impaired people where you live? Do you feel moved enough to release a large print book?
I thank God for my gift of sight and hope you will join me in extending a hand to those who require our help.
On the window sill I can make out a grey oblong shape. I stand up, scraping the chair legs on the floor and stretch across to the grey object. I reach out and touch it. It's a book. I start to pick it up and then stop. What's the point? My lifelong love of books rises within me and I pick up the book. I trace my fingers across the cover, hoping the title is embossed. It's not. I flick through the pages, inhaling the odour of musty paper and the indescribable smell associated with well-read, well-loved books. Tears prick my eyes as I remember sitting in this same coffee shop reading novels, drinking coffee and eating New York cheesecake.
I have lost whole afternoons browsing around second-hand book shops, I’ve made beelines for book stalls at a local fair. In those days, I could walk into any book shop and move freely from one category to the next. Not like now, where the response to my query "will you point me in the direction of the large print books" is met with a cold and haughty "we don't sell those type of books here," as if they're dangerous or distasteful. My choice of books is severely restricted now. It doesn't seem fair that 95% of all books are no longer available to me. Over 95% of standard print publications are never available in large print, audio or Braille formats. My imagination is deprived of food! I can't lose myself in a world of make believe, or travel the world in an armchair. My choice of reading material is restricted. I'm being penalised for my disability. It all seems so unjust and unfair. I'm denied the right to read.
This isn't actually my reality, but that of a visually impaired lady I was listening to recently. This is the living experience of 3 million people in the United Kingdom and 16 million in the USA.
Can you empathise? Imagine how it feels? How would you manage?
As a reader and lover of literature I was deeply touched. I felt anger, disappointment and sadness. I wanted to take action, to try to make the situation easier in my own small way. I've supported the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) in the United Kingdom for several years. But I wanted to target this injustice of people being excluded from reading. The RNIB and the Right to Read Alliance are lobbying the Government to improve the situation, so visually impaired people are not denied the opportunity to read and learn, all because they can't read standard print. I became involved in the campaign and have collected signatures from family and friends to support the Right to Read Charter.
As a BookCrosser, I've asked my fellow BCers to support the cause and register their vote. I'm also facing a new challenge. I'm searching for large print books to release. My actions don't amount to much. But even if one person’s life is affected in a positive manner or it raises awareness of the situation, I feel it's a job well done, and a seed is sown.
So how about you, fellow BCer? What's the experience of visually impaired people where you live? Do you feel moved enough to release a large print book?
I thank God for my gift of sight and hope you will join me in extending a hand to those who require our help.
