“A library of books for readers who are visually impaired is amazing.”

We’re delighted to welcome Minnie to our Touch to See library for blind or partially sighted babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

We chatted to Caz, Minnie’s mum, about Minnie’s sight impairment, how she found us and what their experiences have been using our free library of Touch to See books.

“Minnie has just turned one and has Lebers Congenital Amaurosis, a genetic condition that means she is registered blind – severely sight impaired. Minnie has light perception and wears glasses as she is long sighted but we are unsure as yet how much she can see. Minnie’s vision is very slowly developing but it is a degenerative condition meaning she will most likely lose what vision she has in her 20’s.

We were recommended Living Paintings free library by Minnie’s QTVI and I signed Minnie up online when she was about 7 months old. Her Welcome Pack came really quickly. It was so lovely, Minnie was instantly interested in the feely pictures, touching them and wanting to explore them. We are now on our 3rd package of books and are enjoying them together as a family with everyone getting involved.

Reading with Minnie is quite different to our experience of reading with Frank (Minnie’s brother who is 4 and a half years old). Because Minnie can’t see the pictures, she really does just want to touch the pages (and try eating them!) so it’s very much hands-on.

I had spoken to our local library about what resources they might have for Minnie when she was a bit older, (having already used a number of their touchy feely books) thinking more along the lines of access to braille books in the same way we have access to books for Frank. But I was disappointed to find out that their stock of braille books was practically non-existent. So, to find Living Paintings and to now have access to a library of books, specifically made for readers who are visually impaired is amazing and really made us so happy!

We are just starting to listen to the stories with Minnie, as her concentration and listening skills are really developing, and we look forward to sharing many more lovely reading experiences together, enabled by such a wonderful charity.”