Page 8 - SEN116 January-February 2022

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First ever braille national newspaper cover launched by RNIB and Metro
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Metro newspaper have combined forces to create the first ever braille cover for a nationally distributed newspaper. The collaboration was part of RNIB’s Christmas campaign ‘Letter from Santa’ that helps children with visual impairments see Christmas differently.
Metro distributed 15,000 special editions across nine central London locations including Kings Cross station. The cover wrap was a braille message for blind or partially sighted people highlighting that we are some way from a truly accessible world. The RNIB brought the issue of accessibility front of mind, by transforming the front of this edition to help create a more inclusive society for the visually impaired.
The inside cover included a QR code where readers could find out more about how people who are blind or partially sighted see things differently and learn what the braille cover says.
In the UK, there are thought to be around 20,000 braille users. These are mostly made up of people who have had sight loss from birth or an early age. Braille provides an “active” reading and writing method for people who cannot access print.
RNIB ‘Letter from Santa’ campaign is championed by 12 year old Keira Mills. Christmas can be a difficult time for over 14,500 visually impaired children like Keira. They can’t always enjoy it in the same way as their friends. But this year Keira will see Christmas differently, thanks to a personalised braille letter from Santa himself.
David Clarke, Director of Services at RNIB said: “As a Braille reader, I am delighted that Metro has created the first ever Braille national front cover which highlights RNIB’s Christmas campaign to provide blind and partially sighted children with a personalised letter from Santa himself in the format they want, including in Braille.
“For many blind and partially sighted people Braille is a vital tool opening the door to independence, learning literacy and most of all, the enjoyment of reading. Our aim is to create an experience that means no child misses out on the magic of Christmas, and RNIB’s Letters from Santa is just one part of this work.”
Grant Woodthorpe, Executive Director of Investment at Mail Metro Media: “Innovation and creativity have always been at the heart of Metro and now more than ever, inclusion is also a top priority. We are beyond proud to be working with RNIB to deliver the first ever braille cover wrap of a national newspaper and look forward to continuing to push boundaries and raise awareness of worthy causes which ultimately lead to a more accessible society.”
■ Reading braille.
The media first has been brokered by John Ayling & Associates, the original independent media agency with the creative managed by The Good Agency.
Jonathan Newton, Chief Client Officer at JAA said: “In a world with few media ‘firsts’ left it has been a privileged to work with Metro and RNIB to bring the first ever braille cover wrap to fruition. It is both inventive and important as we aim for a more inclusive society for blind and visually impaired people.”
Bryn Attewell, Executive Creative Director at GOOD Agency says: “There are so many simple, everyday experiences and interactions that we take for granted. That’s why it’s such an important moment to have the front of a national newspaper in braille. We realise the world is some way from being truly accessible, but by having the cover of Metro designed exclusively for people who are blind or visually impaired, it not only shows what’s possible but also brings home the reality of how sight loss impacts daily life.”
News deadline for next issue: 8/2/2022 Email editor@senmagazine.co.uk
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