麻豆社

There are 2 million blind and partially sighted people in the UK. Moreover, every 15 minutes someone is told that they will lose their sight, including 4 children every day. It鈥檚 a devastating diagnosis, leaving parents uncertain as to how their child can join in with story time, follow school work with their sighted peers, and most importantly make friends. As well as the educational impact, blind children face social exclusion as they struggle to join in conversations about the visually informed subjects that are the basis for so much social interaction. And for elderly people, who often live alone, blindness can lead to life shattering isolation, leaving them cut off from the world around them.

Living Paintings鈥� Touch to See books, with their raised images and wonderful, immersive soundtracks provide a unique understanding of the visual world for those who cannot see. The books are designed for sharing - in class with sighted peers, at home with family and friends, and in our community based Touch to See Book Clubs. We loan our books, free of charge, across the UK via our free postal library - with 15,000 blind and partially sighted people of all ages benefitting from our ever growing collection.

Our work changes lives and the stats speak volumes: 98% of Living Paintings beneficiaries have an improved quality of life; 82% of children are more interested in reading for pleasure and 88% of Book Club members have improved self-confidence.

Please donate to our appeal, and together we can continue to make a lasting difference to the lives of blind children and adults in the UK.

I鈥檓 pleased to be presenting the 麻豆社 Lifeline Appeal on behalf of Living Paintings. This award winning charity provides a free library of books that open up the visual world to blind and partially sighted people of all ages.

In 1995, I was diagnosed with two brain tumours which meant that I was in real danger of losing my sight.听 It was the one thing I feared the most and is a fear I carry with me today.

As you will see, Living Paintings transforms the lives of blind children, like Ted and Tayen, by getting them enjoying books and learning. And, through their nationwide book clubs, blind adults, like Sue, can meet socially in their local community, build friendships and discover new interests.

I know that Living Paintings will work wonders with your donation to help end the isolation and social exclusion that blind children and adults in the UK live with.

Tayen, aged 7, (known to everyone as Tots) lost her sight at 22 months old as a result of tumours on her optic nerves, caused by the condition neurofibromatosis or NF1.

Kali, Tot鈥檚 mum, said,听鈥淩eading had been central to our children鈥檚 lives from very early on 鈥� Tots has 3 big, loving brothers. But for a long time, through illness, hospitalisation and then total blindness, Tots was simply too unwell to even enjoy any kind of book.

Thanks to Living Paintings, Tots has genuinely re-discovered her love of books. She is able to sit with a Touch to See book, with her brothers - it鈥檚 something they can share, which is very special. The boys tell her what they can see, they read the story together and Tots feels the tactile pictures. To see them sitting there and sharing an activity together is really beautiful and something I thought we鈥檇 find really difficult as a family.鈥�

Ted is 9 years old and has stickler syndrome, which caused his retinas to detach resulting in him becoming blind when he was a toddler. He has been borrowing books from Living Paintings library since he was 4 years old.

Natalie, Ted鈥檚 mum, said,听鈥淭he Touch to See books are superb for our son. He has a thirst for knowledge and books so Living Paintings鈥� tactile pictures, coupled with the audio descriptions, are brilliant.

These accessible books have given my son an incentive to want to learn to read braille. He shows curiosity in learning and listens intently to the audio whilst feeling the raised pictures. His enjoyment of stories and factual books has developed and his knowledge is enhanced. And because he鈥檚 understanding subjects in greater detail it means he can interact with other (sighted) children about interesting subjects - like the space station and the universe - which helps his confidence and widens his friendship group.鈥�

Sue went completely blind 12 years ago, due to an auto immune disease. She used to love creating art but after losing her sight her visual world was consumed by darkness. Sue thought the door was closed to taking part in art activities again.

Living Paintings has given her a new way of doing things and she hasn鈥檛 looked back since. The first experience she had of Living Paintings was listening to the description of the Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh.

Sue says, 鈥淚t was very poignant as my mother had drawn me a picture of the Sunflowers when I was younger. It鈥檚 now hanging on my wall at home. It bought back fond memories for me.鈥�

Since joining the Touch to See book club Sue鈥檚 confidence has increased and it鈥檚 helped her socialise with like-minded people and make new friends.

Sue says, 鈥淭he other club members are my family, we work together and help each other with our art work. It鈥檚 lovely to work as a team, we all encourage each other. I would be so lonely without it鈥�.