Bob Laxton MP supports the Right to Read for Derby children who are  blind, partially sighted and have dyslexia   

Bob Laxton MP met with a large group of constituents in Parliament to talk about the difficulties that blind, partially sighted or dyslexic have getting books they can read. Partially sighted and dyslexic children travelled from across the UK to Westminster to call on their MPs to support their Right to Read.  Blind, partially sighted and dyslexic children are missing out at home and at school because they often can't get hold of books in a format they can read such as large print, audio, braille and electronically. 

Bob said "I believe that reading is the key to children learning. I was disappointed to hear that children who are blind, partially sighted or have dyslexia are missing out on their education because they can't read their textbooks or leisure books.  2008 has been designated as the National Year of Reading and I will be raising the issue with Government and asking them how they will ensure my constituents who are blind, partially sighted or who have dyslexia will be able to get hold of more books they can read during 2008.” 

“To raise awareness of this problem the RNIB have put a petition on their website and I would urge people to support it. Our education system should cater for everyone. Being able to read is an essential life skill and we must provide more help to those that need it.”  

The Right to Read Declaration can be found at www.rnib.org.uk/righttoread 

John Palmer, Chair of the Right to Read Alliance, said: “It’s nothing short of a scandal that these children are being denied something as basic as the right to read.  Recent research reveals that only 12 per cent of maths and eight per cent of science GCSE textbooks are available in large print or braille.  The Right to Read Alliance is calling on Government to act urgently and set up a nationally co-ordinated system for providing schoolbooks for children unable to read the small text in their school books." 

Teachers are reduced to spending hours photocopying, enlarging and retyping pages from textbooks to turn into braille or large print, so that their pupils don’t go without. Yet despite teachers’ best efforts many blind and partially sighted children and those with dyslexia still get their books later than their classmates. Nine out of ten teachers surveyed by RNIB said this affected blind and partially sighted pupils both educationally and socially, often leaving them struggling to catch up with sighted classmates and feeling less independent.