Please note that as of October 2020, we now operate as Sight Scotland. Our former name, Royal Blind will appear in content, such as reports, produced before that date.
A leading UK provider of alternative formats has announced that it is no longer able to produce braille magazines.
The Scottish Braille Press, operated by charity Royal Blind, has today announced that it will stop the production of five magazines in braille due to cost significantly outweighing demand and income.
John Donaldson, Head of Operations at the Scottish Braille Press said:
“It is with regret that we have had to take the decision to stop producing our five braille magazines; Braille Sporting Record, Home Help, Madam, Knitting Supplement and Spectrum. Over the last decade the number of subscribers to our braille magazines has fallen significantly, to the extent that the cost of production now far outweighs income. This has resulted in a loss that Royal Blind has been bearing for some time, which we are unfortunately no longer able to sustain.”
The Scottish Braille Press provides an essential service to a significant number of people with vision impairment. It enables access to braille, large print and audio formats, and a whole range of publications from books to bank statements for both individuals and businesses. Any surplus made contributes towards the cost of running Royal Blind’s services.
The charity will continue to provide its own magazine, iSite, free of charge in braille to anyone who wishes to receive it. The Scottish Braille Press will also continue to produce braille document transcription on demand as well as selling a selection of books in braille on its website at the Scottish Braille Press Braille Bookshop.