Children and young people

Many opportunities are being created for sight impaired children to participate in library activities and programmes. Your local library will be delighted to help you find activities and events in your area.

Rhyme Time, Baby Bounce and Story Times are just some of the activities that may be available in your local area. These sessions are as much fun for sight impaired as sighted children. With a little adaptation sessions can be accessible and inclusive.

Suggestions for libraries - your story times could include sight impaired children if you use bag books and other tactile ways to substitute for pictures. 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 new participants.

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. Again, ask your local library for information on how to join in these programmes.

Bookstart

A vital way to engage children with the fun of reading from the earliest years. The Booktouch packs are designed for sight impaired babies and children.

Summer Reading Challenge

This national programme encourage children to go on reading during their long school holiday. The scheme is supported by the RNIB to ensure that sight impaired children can fully participate.