Services for children
This section looks at ideas and practices for helping blind and partially sighted children get the most from their reading.
Developing the reading of a child with sight loss can present all of the challenges that you might expect from a child with normal sight. In addition, we should consider:
- Of the estimated 25,000 children with sight problems in the UK, about 12,000 of these children also have other disabilities.
- Many children with sight loss will have had the condition since birth.
- The low number of books in accessible formats.
- Most children with sight loss attend mainstream schools.
That said, opportunities are being created for sight impaired children to participate in library activities and programmes.
Rhyme Time
Rhyme Time and Baby Bounce sessions are as much fun for sight impaired as sighted children. With little adaptation sessions will be accessible and inclusive. One thought - blind parents of sighted children may not know about these great activities. By promoting the sessions through the right channels and ensuring that the needs of blind adults are catered for, your sessions could attract another audience.
Story times
Again, with minor adaptations, these could be great for sight impaired children. Think about bag books and tactile ways to substitute for pictures.
National schemes and programmes
Recent improvements to schemes ranging from Bookstart to the Summer Reading Challenge have made them accessible and inclusive for sight impaired children.
- Date: May 2009