The RNIB Talking Book Service has celebrated its 70th anniversary. 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.
RNIB Talking Books were developed in the years after the First World War in response to the thousands of de-mobbed soldiers who had been blinded in action. Many returned from the front and wanted to carry on reading but found braille too difficult to learn. In 1935 RNIB launched the Talking Book Service with Typhoon by Joseph Conrad and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie amongst the first books issued on long-playing records.
Since then the service has grown and changed in response to the needs of customers. Talking books are now sent through the post on CD and read on players which have been specially designed for ease-of-use by people with sight and some dexterity problems. The ‘Give the Joy of Reading’ Appeal is now being launched to raise funds to expand the RNIB Talking Book Service.
31-year-old Leonie Watson from Bristol lost her sight five years ago as a result of diabetic retinopathy. Leonie, who is now registered blind, has been using the RNIB Talking Book Service for three years. She said: "Before I lost my sight, I used to read an enormous amount - murder and mystery novels and non-fiction were some of my favourites. When I lost my sight, not being able to read books was one of the hardest things to cope with. I was amazed when I found out about RNIB Talking Books - I couldn't believe I had so many books back at my fingertips. Now I read like the proverbial bookworm!"
Leonie goes on to say: "RNIB Talking Books are like a lifeline, I would have been lost many times over without the Talking Book Service."
The RNIB Talking Book Service contains over 10,000 titles, making it the largest collection of unabridged audio books in the UK and one of the largest in the world. However, this still represents a tiny fraction of the number of books published every year in the UK - currently over 100,000.
RNIB Campaigns Officer David Mann, explained: “We are incredibly proud of the RNIB Talking Book Service and hope to produce books for many years to come. However, as a charity that relies on the generosity of the public to provide services, we can only do so much. 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. This means that blind and partially sighted people are getting a raw deal when it comes to reading, with only a tiny selection of books to choose from.”
David Mann goes on to say: "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. Only together, will we be able to substantially increase the number of books available and make real progress in ending the book famine faced currently by blind and partially sighted people. We're not asking for something extraordinary, just the right to read the same book, at the same time, at the same price as sighted people."
Melvyn Bragg will be hosting a birthday party to celebrate 70 years of the RNIB Talking Book Service on 8 November. A host of high-profile authors including Colin Dexter, Julian Fellowes, Tibor Fischer, Clare Francis, Lady Antonia Fraser, Ruth Rendell, Joanna Trollope, Penny Vincenzi and Jacqueline Wilson will attend.
Anyone who has difficulty reading 12 point print or less, with glasses, could be eligible to join the RNIB Talking Book Service. It costs 70 pounds per annum to subscribe. This is often paid for by a local authority and includes the loan of a special Talking Book player and use of a library of over 10,000 books. If someone has their own Talking Book player, they could subscribe to the service for 50 pounds. To find out more about the Talking Book Service call RNIB’s Customer Services on 0845 762 6843 or log onto: www.rnib.org.uk/talkingbooks