Blind people hit hardest as postal strike lengthens

From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 10:35:05 -0400
Disability Now (UK)
Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Blind people hit hardest as postal strike lengthens

By Sunil Peck

Blind and visually-impaired people are being hit hardest by postal strikes 
which are denying access to newspapers and books on tape and in Braille, 
according to a disability charity.

Jill Allen-King, public relations officer at the National Federation of the 
Blind of the United Kingdom (NFB UK), is totally blind and receives three local 
weekly newspapers on tape through the post, all of which have been delayed.  

She said the vast majority of blind people are over 60 and less able to leave 
the house.  

Mrs Allen-King said: "For blind people, the most important thing is the talking 
newspapers [on cassette] because we cannot read printed newspapers."

She said sighted people are able to pick up their own newspapers from their 
local shop, which was not an option for blind people who have them sent through 
the post in alternative formats.

She said reading newspapers online was often not an option for people over the 
age of 60, because they might not own a computer.

Janice Heatherington, from Hampshire, compiles taped feedback from listeners 
who subscribe to a taped magazine for visually-impaired people.  

She said: "Because they can not get their tapes, they can not reply. So when I 
come to do the November edition, I am not going to have any viewpoints, so I am 
going to be stuck."

Mrs Heatherington said many of her listeners were lonely and relied on cassette 
magazines to interact with other people and stay in touch with the outside 
world.

A spokeswoman from the Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom 
(TNAUK) said some local talking newspapers were being held up in the post but 
national publications were being delivered as usual, but the service would 
suffer if strikes continued.

Elizabeth Twining, publicity and fundraising manager at the Calibre audio 
library, said between 1,800 and 2,000 books are sent out to members daily.  

She said that members had not had any books delivered since last Thursday 
morning.  But she urged members to post books back as and when they are able to 
do.

A Communication Workers Union spokeswoman said she was aware that strike action 
had "serious consequences" and apologised for the inconvenience being caused to 
blind and visually impaired people.  

She said the union was keen to reach an agreement with management and call the 
strikes off as soon as possible.

However, talks aimed at resolving the dispute have now broken down and 
industrial action will continue to affect postal services until at least Friday.


http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/news/news_oct_2007_043.htm
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Blind people hit hardest as postal strike lengthens

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