ClearVision: Helping young braille-readers to share books with
friends and family.
 
Over a hundred public libraries in the UK now hold small collections
of mainstream children’s books with added braille text, enabling
braille-reading children to borrow books from their local library
with their sighted classmates and siblings. The books are also
an invaluable resource for adult braille-readers with sighted
children in the family, and for schools introducing the topic
of braille.
ClearVision is a nationwide postal lending library of over 11,000
mainstream picture books with the brailled text added on clear
plastic sheets so that the books can be shared by print and braille
readers. The collection includes board books with tactile interest
— and braille labels — for the youngest children, and
books in a slim braille volume bound with a matching print copy
for newly fluent readers. Schools, visual impairment services
and families as well as public libraries borrow ClearVision books.
Our aim is that young braille readers should be able to find suitable
and accessible books at home, at school and at their local library
— as sighted children do.
Annual membership for libraries is £40 — a small (and heavily
subsidised) price to pay to be able to offer a whole new service
to local braille readers. Libraries who join ClearVision can borrow
twenty books and change them up to six times a year. Multiple
subscriptions are possible if more books are needed.
 How
does the ClearVision loans scheme operate?
When you join ClearVision you receive 20 picture books (or 10
of our longer books for newly fluent readers if you prefer —
or a mixture of both). You can request books for a particular
borrower, for a specific age group, or to cater for a variety
of users. You can keep these books for up to a year, but we would
prefer it if you changed them more often. You should not change
them MORE than six times a year. The books travel Post Free; the
box they arrive in will have a reversible 'Articles for the Blind'
return label in a clear plastic window on the lid. A list of books
you are currently borrowing is enclosed with every loan.
You can change either ALL or HALF your loan, enclosing a list
of any books you are not returning. You may also wish to enclose
a brief note asking for books on a particular topic or to meet
a particular need.
What if we lose a book?
Let us know if you are unable to return a book and we will invoice
you. The amount you are charged will depend on the length and
cost of the book but will not normally be more than £12. If the
book subsequently turns up, please return it to us and we will
send you a credit note. You may also be charged for a book, which
is damaged beyond repair.
How can we incorporate ClearVision books into our existing
system?
We have heard of two methods which seem to work well:
- Books are stored in a kinderbox in plastic wallets with a
barcode, author and title on the wallet. They are then issued
in the normal way and issue figures for monitoring and evaluation
are recorded via the computer system. A comments form can be
included in the pack.
- A looseleaf folder contains 20 sheets of paper. Each sheet
is given a barcode, a reference number, or whatever, and the
title of a book on loan from ClearVision is written underneath.
When the ClearVision loan is changed, the title is crossed out
and a new title written in. The barcode or reference number
at the top of the sheet is used when the relevant book is issued.
Who is likely to borrow the books?
ClearVision was set up to provide books for children who are
or will be learning braille. The majority of visually impaired
children have enough sight to cope with large print and blind
children with additional disabilities may well find braille too
much of a challenge. This leaves a fairly small but vitally important
group of children for whom braille is the route to literacy.
ClearVision books are also ideal for braille-reading adults to
share with young children and some libraries have found that the
books are more used by adults than children. Several have reported
enormous satisfaction on the part of blind parents who are at
last able to go to the local library with their young children
to choose books together.
As an educational resource, ClearVision books are very popular
with teachers in mainstream schools who regularly teach primary-aged
children about braille as part of a wider look at communication.
How will we publicise the new collection?
This is the usual outreach challenge, with the added complication
that many potential users will not be print readers. The books
can be publicised through your local Talking Newspaper, Society
for the Blind and Visual Impairment Service. One library notifies
the local talking Newspaper each time they receive a new collection
of books from ClearVision, with a list of the new titles available.
Some libraries hold a launch of the new service, taking advantage
of the opportunity to display large print books, spoken word cassettes
and any tactile books or story sacks they already own alongside
the new collection of ClearVision books.
How do we join?
As soon as we receive a completed application form and a cheque
for £40 we will send your first loan. For an information leaflet
and application form please contact Marion Ripley, ClearVision,
61 Princes Way, London SW19 6JB.
Tel.: 020 8789 9575 or visit our website: www.clearvisionproject.org
ClearVision is a registered charity.
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