An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern T.D. today officially opened the state-of-the-art National Council for the Blind of Ireland Library and Media Centre.

NCBI’s library provides a national Braille, audio and large print book service at no cost to library members. The new facility contains a Braille unit and five recording studios and is the largest provider of Braille and audio material in Ireland.

The Taoiseach, who was presented with a Braille and audio version of chapters from daughter Cecelia Ahern’s three latest novels, commented on the importance of the service, particularly for older people.

“More than half of the people who use NCBI’s services are over the age of 65. Isolation can be a real problem for many older people and for people with disabilities. NCBI’s library service is helping to break down the barriers that can prevent people from accessing vital services by providing a free, nationwide lending library which is a lifeline for those who enjoy reading,” said Mr Ahern.

The library has access to more than 250,000 accessible books and also provides regular newspapers, popular Irish magazines and journals on audiotape and in braille to over 1,500 subscribers.

In addition, NCBI works with public and private organisations to convert written documents into braille, audio and digital formats and plays a major role in supporting government departments and local authorities to meet their obligations under the 2005 Disability Act to provide information in accessible formats.

Other technologies being developed in the new facility include audio description, which is narration used to explain visual content essential to the plot of a film or television programme, such actions, body language and facial expressions. Audio description can enhance a movie, television programme or performance for a viewer who is blind or vision impaired.

NCBI’s Chief Executive, Des Kenny, said: “These are exciting times as we expand and improve the Library service we provide to people living with sight loss in Ireland. The move to these superb new premises is a major step which we wouldn’t have been able to take without government and private sponsorship. I look to continued support from An Taoiseach to ensure that the revenue stream in statutory funding continues to grow pro rata to the increased level of service activity out of this new centre.”

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. However, the library was established by the Irish Association for the Blind in 1921, 10 years before the organisation itself, before it was incorporated into NCBI in 1988.

ENDS

For more information contact Eoin Dardis on 086 8077759.

Notes to Editors

1. National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a not for profit charitable organisation which offers support and services nationwide to those experiencing difficulties with their eyesight.
2. 2006 is NCBI’s 75th anniversary year, having been established in 1931 to promote the physical, economic and social independence of people living with vision impairments.
3. NCBI provides a range of services to 10,000 people experiencing difficulty with their eyesight in Ireland.
4. NCBI’s Library and Media Centre provides a national Braille, audio and large print book service.
5. NCBI is the largest provider of braille and audio material in Ireland, producing leisure and business material in braille and audio formats for NCBI’s service users and a range of public and private organisations. It also produces audio description for film formats.