HiVis 2024: 1-14 June 2024
Taking place across the first two weeks of June, HiVis fortnight 2024 gives libraries across the UK the opportunity to highlight services and support for those with a vision impairment. As in previous years, Share the Vision, the library charity that organises HiVis, will be asking colleagues across all sectors to concentrate on two core things:
- Sharing positive content and messages on social media; and,
- Organising and highlighting local activities, and provision across the libraries sector
To help libraries and library workers join in with HiVis 2024, we have produced a range of high quality digital promotional assets and supporting resources; all freely available to download from this page.
Resources
As in previous years, we are providing digital assets in English and Welsh language; and for use on X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Content has been designed to allow local libraries to adapt to suit their needs. There is also a checklist to help you with your planning.
Please engage with HiVis2024 via Twitter: @readingsight and using the tag #HiVis2024
Please remember, if you are featuring images/photos of your activities on social media, please make sure that these images are accessible by providing an accompanying image/’Alt text’ description. There is a handy Twitter account that you can follow (@AltTxtReminder), which can send you DM reminders when you post images without #AltText; and there is advice online to help you (https://www.rnib.org.uk/accessibility-guidelines-alt-text-what-you-need-know). For example, we use HiVis to make it easier for screen reader users.
Suggested Theme
This year we want libraries to ‘ACT’… We want you to celebrate ‘Accessibility’ in reading, in library buildings, in engagement activities… We want you to emphasise ‘Connection’ – blind and partially sighted people can feel isolated, or that their opportunities to get involved are limited, and HiVis fortnight is a perfect opportunity to show that libraries have a lot to offer and is an ideal time for connections to be made… And, we want you to highlight the ‘Tactile’ – be it Braille, or other tactile books (Clearvision Project: Making tactile books); be it guiding maps or signage, or an activity that is focused on touch rather than vision… just ACT!
What can libraries do?
We want libraries across the UK to highlight and celebrate all that you do to help people with vision and/or print impairments to access and connect to the reading services and formats that suit them best. We want you to put on events and activities across the fortnight that bring this into focus; and, most of all, raise awareness of all of this on social media.
Ideas for Activities
- Run a promotion with staff, volunteers and/or customers, focusing on accessible provision within your own service, and other national specialist services that are freely available (https://readingsight.org.uk/accessible-libraries/) to you and your users.
- Highlight the accessible stock that you have in your collections: large print, Audio/talking books, Braille, tactile, e-book/audio/magazines etc.; especially the fact that, in most cases, it will be freely available to people with an impairment.
- Raise awareness of your freely-accessible digital provision (content, software/hardware, services, online support sessions etc.)
- Invite local ‘sight loss’ or disability groups and partner organisations in, to talk about the work they do, or to deliver an activity during the fortnight.
- Feature any accessible book groups or other ‘social’ sessions that you have going on in your libraries.
- Celebrate the warm welcome and helpful signposting that is available within the library.
Background
Last year went very well, with lots going on across libraries and a much-improved profile for the programme. Our evaluation report found that HiVis 2023 achieved 9.3 million impressions on social media, in comparison to 2022’s 5.8 million (1.4 million in 2021). The event’s total reach was 3.2 million people, compared to 2.2 million in 2022 (900,000 in 2021). We are really hoping that we can improve on those figures this time around.
Every hour, another person in the UK goes blind; and around 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss, and estimates suggest that this number could double by 2050. Therefore, it is very important that we reach out to those in the community who could benefit from libraries’ range of content and activities.
Thank you!