The first Braille cover on a nationally distributed newspaper hit the streets today, a collaboration between the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Metro newspaper.
15,000 special editions of the Metro newspaper featuring a Braille wrap are being distributed in nine locations across London, including King’s Cross Station. Fittingly, today is also International Day of Disabled People.
The wrap is part of the RNIB’s Letter from Santa campaign, which aims to highlight how the festive season can be a difficult time for the over 14,500 visually impaired children who live in the UK. There are 20,000 Braille readers in the UK, who will be able to read the letter that aims to include more children in Christmas traditions – like letters to Santa. On the inside cover, readers will be able to use a QR code to find out what the letter says if they’re unable to read Braille.
David Clarke, director of services at RNIB said: “As a Braille reader, I am delighted that Metro has created the first-ever Braille national front cover which highlights RNIB’s Christmas campaign to provide blind and partially sighted children with a personalised letter from Santa himself in the format they want, including in Braille.
“For many blind and partially sighted people Braille is a vital tool opening the door to independence, learning literacy and most of all, the enjoyment of reading. Our aim is to create an experience that means no child misses out on the magic of Christmas, and RNIB’s Letters from Santa is just one part of this work.”
Grant Woodthorpe, executive director of investment at Mail Metro Media: “Innovation and creativity have always been at the heart of Metro and now more than ever, inclusion is also a top priority. We are beyond proud to be working with RNIB to deliver the first ever Braille cover wrap of a national newspaper and look forward to continuing to push boundaries and raise awareness of worthy causes which ultimately lead to a more accessible society.”
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