Sara

The European Parliament's London Office is in the process of putting several
publications on to audiotape, if that's of any help.  They have said that these
should be available after the summer.  Contact Makis Galiatsatos at the London
Office for a copy.

See also the attached article from the Sept 2000 edition of EPIC News entitled
'Making EU information accessible to the blind'.

Best wishes

Martin
___________________________________________________________
Martin Wilkinson, Research Officer
European Resource Centre for Schools and Colleges in the West Midlands
Address: European Resource Centre, CEBP, Charter House, 100 Broad Street,
Birmingham, B15 1AE, UK
Tel: +44 (0)121 248 8277    Fax: +44 (0)121 248 8278
Website: www.centralbureau.org.uk/resource/europe



____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject:    European info leaflets in braile
Author: Sara Thiam <[log in to unmask]>
Date:       31/08/2001 09:41

We've had a request for European Awareness materials, general info leaflets
etc in braile. So far I have only been able to track down treaties and
ancient books. Any eurotalkers come across anything like this? The
Commission thought that Europe Today may have been converted but the RNIB
library couldn't locate anything.

Many thanks

Sara Thiam

eurodesk UK/ERC Scotland
Community Learning Scotland
Rosebery House
9 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5EZ
Tel: 0131 313 2488
Fax: 0131 313 6800
[log in to unmask]
www.eurodesk.org.uk
www.ercscotland.org.uk
www.eurodesk.org






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\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang{\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \s16\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs28\lang1033 Making EU information accessible to the blind
\par }{\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s15\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\b\f1\fs20\lang1033 By Nicoletta Flessati, European Commission
\par }\pard\plain \s16\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par \ldblquote Is EU information available in formats accessible to visually impaired people\rquote ?\rdblquote  If not a frequently asked question, it\rquote s an important one. Although the answer is \ldblquote Yes}{\f1\fs22\lang1033\super "}{
\f1\fs22\lang1033 , provision is not yet at an ideal level. Time, energy and resources need to be spent on improving the service we can provide.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 Both the Commission and the European Parliament have made some materials accessible to the visually impaired for example, th
e Parliament produces an audiocassette of the parliamentary session in Strasbourg each month for Talking Newspapers.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 The Commission has made an arrangement with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), giving it blanket permission to transcribe
Commission publications into Braille or onto audio cassette. The RNIB maintains a database of materials available. These materials are lent out to individuals or schools requesting them. Also, individuals, schools and libraries can contact the RNIB and su
ggest titles to be transcribed. It will do this free of charge. It can also advise on website conversion to make information more accessible to those with some visual impairment.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 The Commission\rquote s Directorate for Employment and Social Affairs in Brussels ha
s launched various information initiatives for disabled people, usually as part of a wider programme or of regular calls for proposals to promote equal opportunities and fuller integration. For example, from 1993 to 1996, the period covered by the Helios
H programme, the Directorate produced a magazine in Braille and an audio cassette.}{\f1\fs22
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 The Directorate is now looking at Internet possibilities and is already formatting information on its website to enable blind people with access to specially adapted compute
rs to download the information in Braille. There is a project in conjunction with the Publications Office in Luxembourg to make the consolidated version of the Treaties available in this way.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 Action in producing and transcribing information materials, and
 providing access to them, also rests with each member state. As EPICs are doubtless aware, the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act requires public-service information providers to make information materials accessible to the disabled. The Stationery Offic
e has produced useful guidelines on how to do this.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
Some larger libraries in the EPIC network have scanners and voice-synthesising computers which can convert printed information into audio signals or onto keyboards from which it can be read in Braille. It
 would be interesting to have feedback from EPICs (with or without such facilities) on your experiences of answering requests for EU information from people with disabilities.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par
\par }\pard\plain \s15\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\b\f1\fs22\lang1033 Contacts
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 RNIB Library Services, P0 Box 173, Peterborough PE2 6W5 tel: 01733 370777
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 European Parliament, 2 Queen Anne\rquote s Gate, London SW1 H 9M, tel: 020 7227 4300
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 The Stationery Office, 51 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5DR, tel: 020 7873 0011
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 Europe Direct: 0800 581 591 (freefone)
\par }\pard\plain \s15\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\b\f1\fs22\lang1033 Useful webpages on Europa
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard \nowidctlpar\adjustright {\f1\fs22\lang1033 europa.eu.int/comm/mediatheque/audio/index_en.html}{\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s17\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 The sound library, including historical voices in Listening to Europe, contains speeches and q
uotations, and the European anthem. Audio cassettes are available, though mainly aimed at media professionals.
\par }\pard\plain \nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par europa.eu.int/comm/}{\f1\fs22\lang1033 employment_social/soc-prot/disable/index_en.htm}{\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }\pard\plain \s18\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033 Information on the EU\rquote s policies and activities for the integration }{\f1\fs22\lang1033 of disabled people, plus links.
\par
\par }{\f1\fs22\lang1033 europa.eu.int/comm/}{\f1\fs22\lang1033 dg23/tourism/}{\f1\fs22\lang1033 tourism}{\f1\fs22\lang1033 -publications/travel_guides.html
\par }\pard \s18\nowidctlpar\adjustright {\f1\fs22\lang1033 Comprehensive travel/tourism information for the disabled, covering all the member states.
\par }\pard\plain \s15\nowidctlpar\adjustright \lang2057 {\f1\fs22\lang1033
\par }}