The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is helping people with sight loss keep up to date during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering a free newspaper subscription or broadcast guide via its Newsagent service.
RNIB Newsagent provides plain text email versions of major UK newspapers, and TV and radio guides, which can be easily read with magnification or screen reading software that many blind and partially sighted people use. This offer means that anyone who finds it difficult to read a paper or TV guide in their current print or online formats can get easy access to their favourite newspaper or broadcast guide for free for up to three months.
RNIB Library and Newsagent Manager, James Bartlett said: “Now more than ever people are keen to keep up with the news headlines and hear about what is going on in the world. Reducing isolation is one of RNIB’s key objectives and this offer of a three-month free subscription via email from RNIB Newsagent is part of that. We would like to acknowledge the support of NLA Media Access for helping us to provide this offer and encourage anybody interested to sign up via the RNIB Helpline.”
NLA’s Head of Publisher Services, Matt Aspinall said: “It’s an honour being able to help support RNIB with this initiative, at a time when consuming the news is so important and increasingly difficult. NLA has been a partner of RNIB for nearly ten years, each day generating accessible content from over 100 newspapers, making sure news can be converted by RNIB into multiple formats for their customer base. We are also always keen to hear from new publishers who wish to support RNIB in this way.”
For a full list of what publications are available from RNIB Newsagent or to sign up to the service, contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or by emailing helpline@rnib.org.uk.
RNIB is supporting blind and partially sighted people during the coronavirus pandemic with advice and support thanks to generous donations from the public. To help RNIB to continue to deliver these vital services we would welcome contributions from the public. To donate please visit https://www.rnib.org.uk/donations-and-fundraising
