Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 July 2014
267. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding his Department provides for library services for persons with a visual impairment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29574/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides funding to the National Braille Production Centre (NBPC) which provides access to educational materials by transcriptions through a range of formats, accessible for children with a visual impairment.
The service facilitates the supply of textbooks in Braille, Large Print and Audio format for blind pupils and visually impaired pupils in primary and post-primary schools throughout the state. An online textbook service is also provided.
As well as transcribing educational material for pupils in accordance with their educational needs, the NBPC designs and produces tactile maps and special books for multi-disabled visually impaired pre-school children to encourage sensory stimulation.
In recent years the NBPC has expanded its use of new computerised technologies such as the DAISY, or Digital Accessible Information System, as well as developing an Online Bookshelf, an online download facility for braille and secure DAISY files. This facility allows a child with a visual impairment to independently download the secure file of a book required in a particular accessible format.
My Department will provide funding of €1.28m to the NBPC this year.
