HiVis 2025: 1-14 June 2025

Taking place across the first two weeks of June, HiVis fortnight 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:

• Organising and highlighting local activities and provision across the libraries sector; and,
• Sharing positive content and messages on social media.

As ever, to help libraries and library workers join in with HiVis 2025, we will be producing a range of high quality digital promotional assets and supporting resources; all freely available to download from our website: www.readingsight.org.uk nearer to time.

Background

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.

Resources

As noted above, a range of digital assets will be produced in English and Welsh language; and for use on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. Content will be provided in formats that will allow local libraries to adapt. There will also be a checklist to help you with your planning. Further information and guidelines on running events etc. are provided on the website: www.readingsight.org.uk . 

If you want to get ahead of the game, we will be using Share the Vision’s X/Bluesky account: @ReadingSight and the hashtag #HiVis2025 to help spread the word and feature activities that are going on. Alerts will also be sent out via the Reading Sight mailing list – and you might like to share information there about what you are doing too. Key supporting stakeholders will also be encouraged to participate and promote this annual event.

Suggested theme

This year, we are keeping things ‘simple’, and going with a theme of…  ABC:

A is for Audio – Be it audiobooks or text to speech; or AI and apps like Be My Eyes (Be My Eyes – See the world together) the spoken word is a key tool for greater accessibility.

B is for Braille – it is the 200^th anniversary of the introduction of this vital reading format (Braille 200 | RNIB), and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight this! And,

C is for Community – Blind and partially-sighted people can often feel isolated, or, on the contrary, are actively engaged as part of a/the local community; and HiVis fortnight serves to highlight the importance of connection and accessible engagement activities.

What can libraries do?

As in previous years, 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

Please engage with HiVis2025 via X and Bluesky: @readingsight 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 advice online to help you (https://www.rnib.org.uk/accessibility-guidelines-alt-text-what-you-need-know ). For example, we use Camel Case, i.e. HiVis to make it easier for screen reader users.

Wider context

The availability of alternative formats and cultural engagement through libraries is critical to ensuring that people in the UK who are blind, or who have sight loss or anything that stops them from using standard print, can access, enjoy and share a diverse range of reading and experiences. HiVis fortnight seeks each year to focus on the importance of accessible libraries and reading; and encourages local and national services to increase the profile of provision, collections and engagement in this area. 

Thank you!