RNIB Bookshare supports print-disabled students with almost 600,000 books press statement, 27 August 2020

The Royal National Institute of Blind People's (RNIB) educational book service, RNIB Bookshare now has almost 600,000 books on its platform in accessible formats.

The free service, which supports print-disabled learners, has a vast UK education collection that provides textbooks and materials to support the UK curriculum from early years to adult education. RNIB Bookshare can be accessed by teachers and students and was also made available for parents who home schooled their children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The service offers a variety of accessible formats so books can be read electronically or adapted to suit personal reading needs. Books for leisure reading are also available.

More than 850 publishers have their publications on RNIB Bookshare's system. This includes well-known names such as Taylor & Francis, Springer Nature, Harper Collins and Penguin. A number of these publishers have a direct feed meaning they can upload new and existing material directly on to the system, so people are able to access what they need without any delay.

RNIB Director of Services David Clarke said:

"We are delighted that RNIB Bookshare continues to grow and now has almost 600,000 books on its platform in a range of accessible formats. This service opens up the world of reading in education for millions of people by giving them access to materials that allow for an entirely independent learning experience."

Taylor & Francis is a key contributor to RNIB Bookshare with over 100,000 books on the platform.

Commercial Director & VP, Taylor & Francis Books, Mark Majurey said:

"Taylor & Francis is very pleased to support RNIB as well as the wider accessible books network. This is a vital programme that enables access to readers requiring extra support in their research and studies."

The RNIB Bookshare service was established in 2016 to help tackle the worldwide book famine, which sees less than 10 per cent of published works being made into accessible formats, such as braille, large print or audio. To sign up to RNIB Bookshare, or for more information on the service, please visit www.rnibbookshare.org

About RNIB

We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they've overcome, but for the people they are.
RNIB. See differently.
Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk