NCBI has this week called on the next Government to scrap VAT on talking books to eliminate the barrier to reading faced by people with sight loss and print reading disabilities.

VAT is levied at zero per cent on print books and newspapers while periodicals are eligible for a reduced rate of VAT under EU rules. However, audio books and e-books carry the full rate of VAT, forcing people with vision impairments to pay more to read.

“Readers who are blind and vision impaired are forced to pay VAT on audio books, which are already more expensive than print books, are often abridged and usually come out much later than print books, if they are made available at all,” according to Des Kenny, Chief Executive of NCBI.

The introduction of a zero per cent rate of VAT on audio and e-books would go a long way to opening up the printed word but it’s only the first step towards creating equal access to reading for people with sight loss.

“It’s shocking that 98% of books are not available in large print, braille or audio in Ireland. NCBI’s Library and Media Centre is one of the main sources of accessible books, with about 12,000 available but there are far fewer than that available commercially,” continued Mr Kenny.

NCBI is asking the next Government to take responsibility for this issue and to ensure that everyone in the country has access to the same books at the same cost.

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For further information contact Fionnuala Murphy on 01 8821975.