Royal National Institute of Blind People offering free audio and Braille books this World Book Day  

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) will be partnering with the World Book Day charity, making World Book Day books available in Braille and audio format, free of charge, to mark the annual celebration taking place on Thursday 2nd March. World Book Day’s £1 book authors, including Sir Lenny Henry and L D Lapinski, have backed the RNIB’s campaign to help ensure children with vision impairments can enjoy World Book Day like their sighted peers.

This year’s books include Lifesize Creepy Crawlies by Sophy Henn, The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: Adventure in the Floating Mountains by Lapinski, and The Boy With Wings: Attack of the Rampaging Robot by Sir Lenny Henry. The World Book Day £1 books are available in Braille and audio CD and can be ordered through RNIB’s helpline, or in an accessible electronic format from its online library.

Henry, who recorded a special audio version of his book, said: “What an honour to have been asked to contribute to World Book Day and I’m absolutely delighted that I got to read RNIB’s audio version of my World Book Day title, The Boy with Wings: Attack of the Rampaging Robot. It’s fantastic that children with vision impairments are being given free audio and Braille books by RNIB to help them get just as involved in World Book Day as sighted children.”

Lapinski said: “We are fortunate enough to have the technology to make our world and our books accessible, and I am so proud to see my World Book Day book adapted into audio and Braille formats. A World Book Day book may be the first book a child has ever owned and chosen for themselves, and all children and readers should have the opportunity to experience these special stories.”

Among the children with vision impairments enjoying World Book Day is nine-year-old Betsy Griffin from Chorleywood. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was two, which left her with severely limited sight. Her first book, Out of the Woods, was published in print and Braille last year. She’ll be spending this World Book Day in Spain to speak to schoolchildren about her book.

Her father Stuart said: “Reading and audiobooks have been so vital to Betsy in helping develop language, vocabulary and imagination. Reading with sight loss requires extra time and effort and it’s also a challenge getting books in Braille. RNIB provides an essential service and World Book Day is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness around reading for all.”

Cassie Chadderton, c.e.o. at World Book Day, said: “Our charity changes lives through a love of books and reading. We want all children to be able to experience choosing, owning, and reading a book in a way that’s accessible to them.

“We are delighted to continue working with our friends at the RNIB for this year’s World Book Day celebrations. RNIB’s support to make the World Book Day £1 books available in audio and Braille format is invaluable. Their commitment to ensuring these books can be enjoyed for free by children and young people with a vision impairment means that even more children can discover a love of reading for pleasure.”