Youngsters launch a braille newspaper during coronavirus lockdown
Three youngsters with a visual impairment from Cambridgeshire set up a braille newspaper 'The Tactile Times' during the coronavirus lockdown. From left to right: Theo Holroyd, 13, Lexy Ryan, 16, and Ellie Clark, nine, at an editorial meeting. - Credit: RNIB
Three youngsters with visual impairment launched a free newspaper for young braille users during the coronavirus lockdown.
Lexy Ryan, 16, Theo Holroyd, 13, and nine-year-old Ellie Clark set up The Tactile Times to help unite young people with vision impairment, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.
The trio, who are all blind since birth, have been learning braille from a young age and create the copy themselves.
Theo said: “The Tactile Times is a newspaper written by braillists for braillists.
“We share news and interesting information as well as top tips to help people keep busy with various activities during lockdown, and now also during the summer holidays.”
You may also want to watch:
The newspaper is available in hard copy or electronically. It contains news and events, fun things to do, technology, jokes, a sports section, and other items.
The publication is written and edited by Lexy, Theo, and Ellie, who live in Cambridgeshire and contributions from other visually impaired children are welcome.
Theo also built The Tactile Times website which can be used by anybody including those with a specialist screen reader.
Most Read
- 1 Outcry over new road which will pass through woodland
- 2 'Dedicated' PCSO retires after 12 years amid force funding cuts
- 3 You can now watch Ely Cathedral’s rare Peregrine Falcons live 24/7
- 4 Tyler Goodjohn ready to enter lion's den in world title bid
- 5 Suspected paedophile, 61, arrested in front of thousands on live video
- 6 Letters: How could we afford 120 police officers for boat race?
- 7 Motorcycle firm gearing up to show off lockdown project
- 8 Government plans at-home tablet to 'stop the virus in its tracks'
- 9 Cheers! Busy first weekend back for pub post-lockdown
- 10 Offensive graffiti: ‘Hate crimes have no place in Cambridgeshire’
The website features two back issues, the weekly updates, and any other related information.
Its next issue planned for late August. Event updates are also provided to subscribers and sent out weekly.
Caireen Sutherland, The Royal National Institute of Blind People’s Principal Education Officer, said: “In the current challenging times it’s great that a new way of connecting with fellow braillists and peers has been developed by young people.
“Using the medium of braille is educational and provides valuable opportunities for development of skills as well as filling a void in terms of availability of braille resources.”
She added: “With a range of topics, driven by the young people, the resource is informative and relevant.
“We hope subscriber numbers go from strength to strength and The Tactile Times becomes the go-to braille newspaper for young people.”
• Anyone interested in being a contributor or subscribing to the free newspaper can email the editors at tactiletimesnewspaper@gmail.com.
