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| Bid to save the future of Braille | Bid to save the future of Braille |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A £2m appeal has been launched to re-house the UK's leading Braille printing press and protect its long-term future. | A £2m appeal has been launched to re-house the UK's leading Braille printing press and protect its long-term future. |
| The Royal Blind's Scottish Braille Press was built in the 1960s and needs to be rebuilt and fitted with state-of-the-art printing equipment. | |
| The press is a leading provider of the UK's Braille books, magazines and other printed materials. | |
| Bestselling author Ian Rankin, whose son goes to the Royal Blind School, is giving his backing to the campaign. | Bestselling author Ian Rankin, whose son goes to the Royal Blind School, is giving his backing to the campaign. |
| To mark the appeal, and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille whose invention in 1821 of a writing system based on embossed dots has had a profound effect on the lives of millions of people worldwide ever since, the Press is printing a Braille version of Rankin's "Death is Not the End". Even today, 96% of books never become available in formats that people with sight problems can read John Godber, RNIB | To mark the appeal, and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille whose invention in 1821 of a writing system based on embossed dots has had a profound effect on the lives of millions of people worldwide ever since, the Press is printing a Braille version of Rankin's "Death is Not the End". Even today, 96% of books never become available in formats that people with sight problems can read John Godber, RNIB |
| Braille is the largest geographically-used language around the world. | Braille is the largest geographically-used language around the world. |
| Though it has been adapted to suit native tongues across the globe, its core system of embossed dotted characters remains the same everywhere enabling visually impaired people to read. | Though it has been adapted to suit native tongues across the globe, its core system of embossed dotted characters remains the same everywhere enabling visually impaired people to read. |
| Ian Rankin, whose son is a pupil at the Royal Blind School, is calling for more creative works to be made available to the visually impaired. | Ian Rankin, whose son is a pupil at the Royal Blind School, is calling for more creative works to be made available to the visually impaired. |
| He said: "The gateway to education and inspiration that Braille represents can never be under-estimated. I support anything that can be done to improve access to reading in all formats from Braille to large print. | He said: "The gateway to education and inspiration that Braille represents can never be under-estimated. I support anything that can be done to improve access to reading in all formats from Braille to large print. |
| "It is vital that we support organisations like the Braille Press and Royal Blind and the important role they fulfil for people all over the country." | "It is vital that we support organisations like the Braille Press and Royal Blind and the important role they fulfil for people all over the country." |
| Bestselling author Ian Rankin is backing the campaign | Bestselling author Ian Rankin is backing the campaign |
| John Godber, of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: "It's important that pioneering work continues to ensure Braille technology keeps up with the high-tech age we live in, and is able to meet the demand for a wider range of brailled items. | John Godber, of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said: "It's important that pioneering work continues to ensure Braille technology keeps up with the high-tech age we live in, and is able to meet the demand for a wider range of brailled items. |
| "Even today, 96% of books never become available in formats that people with sight problems can read. The public's support is vital for this to change." | "Even today, 96% of books never become available in formats that people with sight problems can read. The public's support is vital for this to change." |
| Richard Hellewell, chief executive of Royal Blind, said: "The ability to read and write is an extremely important gateway to opportunity for the UK's blind or partially sighted people, enabling them to be more independent." | Richard Hellewell, chief executive of Royal Blind, said: "The ability to read and write is an extremely important gateway to opportunity for the UK's blind or partially sighted people, enabling them to be more independent." |
| He said National Braille Week (4-10 January 2009) was a great way to raise awareness and inspire support for Braille. | He said National Braille Week (4-10 January 2009) was a great way to raise awareness and inspire support for Braille. |
| Donations to the campaign can be made via the National Braille Week website or by calling 0300 321 0000. | Donations to the campaign can be made via the National Braille Week website or by calling 0300 321 0000. |
| You And Yours will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 1200 GMT on Monday, 5 January 2008. You can also listen to it for several days after that atBBC iPlayer. | You And Yours will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 1200 GMT on Monday, 5 January 2008. You can also listen to it for several days after that atBBC iPlayer. |