Right to Read:

Summary: Up to three million children and adults are still being denied the right to read just because they have dyslexia, a sight problem or another reading disability.

What reading impaired people need is: the same book, at the same time, at the same price.

• Every day three million people are denied the Right to Read;
• The Right to Read Campaign – for dyslexia;
• Other objectives of the Right to Read Campaign;
• Add your name in support;
• The Right to Read Charter;
• The Right to Read Alliance:
• Campaign report "Overdue";
• Media information.

This page is hosted by dyslexia.org.uk. RNIB has a similar Right to Read Campaign page but with more links relevant to its work with Visual Impairment.

People have made other valuable comments when supporting the charter.

---

“All my friends go down the bookshop or library and get any book they want but I have to wait months for the same book, pay extra for it and often it never comes out in large print or on tape so all I can do is listen to them talk about it. I feel really left out…”

Every day three million people are denied the Right to Read:

Up to three million adults and children in the UK who are blind, partially sighted or have a reading impairment such as dyslexia are denied the right to read. A shocking 95 per cent of all books published never become available in large print, audio or braille, or electronically. The Right to Read Alliance believes this discrimination must end. People with sight problems or reading disabilities are like everyone else – they want to read the same book, at the same time at the same price.

The Right to Read Campaign – for dyslexia:

The situation is bad enough for Visually Impaired people. But since 2002 they have at least had the right to change the format of books to something that they can read – eg by scanning them – without having to get the permission of the publisher. Dyslexic people, and organisations acting for them, still don't have that right, so that dyslexic people now find it even more difficult to find audio books, for example, then they did before. The Right to Read Campaign is campaigning for the same rights for all reading impaired people.

Other objectives of the Right to Read Campaign:

• To use digital technologies, with publishers' cooperation, to give people the format they need, when they want it.
• To reduce costs and increase choice through production on demand.
• To monitor Technological Protection Measures (Digital Rights Management) to ensure they do not inhibit the Right to Read.
• To use the Disability Discrimination Act and other laws to achieve our vision.
• In short to ensure that print disabled people can readily buy and borrow their choice of books, magazines and newspapers, and access other sources of information, in their chosen reading format at the same time and price as print readers.

How can I support the Right to Read Campaign?

Add your name in support now!

“I can’t imagine not being able to pick up the book of my choice, when I want to. Certain books have changed my life and broadened the way I see everything.”

If you believe that everyone should be able to read the same book, at the same time at the same price add your name to the campaign as a supporter now! The Campaign calls upon Government, publishers, booksellers and libraries to deliver the Right to Read. Please also ask your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues, and any associations that you belong to, to sign too.

Update March 2005:

The 31,923 Right to Read Charters, which people have been signing up to on this page, were presented to Number 10 Downing Street on 28 February 2005. We were initially told to go home as Fathers for Justice chose to protest above our heads! Very appropriately, their banner read "Access Denied".

What the Charter called for:

• Establish an Access to Reading Fund to support production of more material in large print, audio, braille and electronic format.
• Abolish VAT on audio books, bringing them into line with print books.
• Ensure that no student is ever denied the opportunity to learn because they can’t read standard print study materials.

We call on publishers, booksellers and libraries to:

• Greatly expand the number of books, magazines and newspapers available in large print, audio and braille.

“In June I bought a print copy of Harry Potter for £8.49, I have just bought the audio copy for £68.00. This simply can't be fair.”

The Right to Read Alliance:

We are made up of 14 charities including:

• Blind Centre for Northern Ireland
• British Dyslexia Association
• Calibre Audio Library
• Clearvision
• Confederation of Transcribed Information Services (COTIS)
• Listening Books
• LOOK (The National Federation of Families with Visually Impaired Children)
• National Association of Local Societies for Visually Impaired People
• National Blind Children's Society
• National Federation of the Blind
• National League of the Blind and Disabled
• The National Library for the Blind
• RNIB
• Scottish Braille Press
• Scottish National Federation for the Welfare of the Blind
• Share the Vision (email: sharethevision@nlbuk.org)
• Talking Newspaper Association of the UK (TNAUK)
• Torch Trust for the Blind
• United Kingdom Association of Braille Producers
• The Accessible Friends Network

Other supporting organisations:

If you represent an organisation that would like to be added to the list below, please email r2r@dyslexia.org.uk, with your web url if any.

• Dyslexia International Tools and Technologies
• The Harris Foundation
• iANSYST Ltd (www.dyslexic.com);
• Italian Dyslexia Association (AID – www.dislessia.it )
• PATOSS , The Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties;
• Prosiect Dyslecsia Cymru / Welsh Dyslexia project;
• North Kent Dyslexia Association;

Other Right to Read Alliance issues:

Since agreeing the Right to Read Charter, the Alliance has also agreed on other important campaigning issues for reading impaired people:

1. The Alliance itself is fully inclusive in wanting its activities to cover all Reading Impaired people without discrimination.
2. The Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002 gives rights to copy and adapt printed texts to Visually Impaired people and those with some physical disabilities. The Alliance wants the law changed to extend those rights to to all people who have difficulties reading normal printed text who are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. There is fuller information on Copyright and Reading Impairment.
3. Electronic versions of texts are the key to making them quickly available in alternative formats. The Alliance is pressing for publishers to make electronic versions of texts available as a matter of course, both through cooperation and by legislation. There’s more detail on that in the same Copyright article.

Contact your MP and ask them to support the campaign:

“The government are currently running a campaign to encourage illiterate adults to learn to read. If they are genuinely concerned about this issue they should ensure that reading materials are available to all.”

If you don’t know the name of your MP, use the Constituency Locata or call the House of Commons Information line on 020 7219 4272.

Email Support Signature:

Why not copy the following into your sig so it goes on all your emails?

Support the Right to Read Campaign. Sign up at www.dyslexia.org.uk/r2r.php.

(Copy the line above; In Outlook select Tools/Options/Mail Format/Signatures . . ./Create Signature and Paste it there. In Outlook Express select Tools/Options/Signatures and Paste it appropriately).

Gaining press coverage:

We are always looking for people willing to speak to the media. Are you constantly frustrated at not being able to get the books and magazines you want in the format you want when you want? Local press may also be interested in your story if you, your association, your club or school collect lots of names for the Charter or if there is an interesting story. If you are willing to be interviewed about your experiences or would like a press release to send to your local newspaper please email righttoread@rnib.org.uk

Read the report ‘Overdue’:

“The most important thing for me is to be able to read what I want when I want. Just because I "read" via tape now shouldn't make any difference.”

PDF of ‘Overdue’ 1.02MB. To view PDF documents you will need to download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To read the PDF document with a screen reader please link to the Access Adobe website which provides online tools to convert PDF documents into HTML or ASCII text. Or you can use PDFAloud.

Plain Text version of ‘Overdue’, 36.8KB

The report details the current situation, includes quotes from frustrated readers and makes lots of recommendations for Government and those in the book industry.

Please also let RNIB know if you would like to receive future information about the Right to Read Campaign. Email them at righttoread@rnib.org.uk

Media information:

Are you a journalist? Would you like to receive media releases about the Right to Read Campaign? RNIB can provide you with up to date information, local statistics and advise you in advance of events or other planned activity. To receive releases email: righttoread@rnib.org.uk .

To see other media releases from RNIB visit their online press office.