Andrea Begley, the winner of the 2013 series of The Voice, visited Joseph Clarke School in North London to lead a music workshop for a group of blind and partially sighted children.
The amateur musicians, who range in age from 11 to 16, joined Andrea for a morning of singing and playing along to some of her favourite tunes, including tracks from her brand new album The Message, which is due for release on 21 October.
Read for RNIB Day
The event was part of Read for RNIB Day, a campaign which Andrea is an official ambassador of. It aims to make reading more accessible for people with sight loss in the UK but it's not just about reading novels or text books, the children all rely on music and lyrics in giant print or braille so they can continue to enjoy the hobby they love so much.
RNIB's National Library Service houses the largest collection of braille music in Europe as well as a collection of giant print scores that are available for children and adults in the UK.
Andrea said: "I am proud to become a Read for RNIB Day Ambassador. Reading is a basic right for everyone but I think most people have little or no idea what life is like for people who are blind or partially sighted.
"Accessing reading material has definitely been tough for me over the years. At school I used large print books. They literally weighed a ton in my bag and a lot of books I had to use had colour in them which was really poorly contrasted.
"By the time I went to university my sight had deteriorated further and I couldn't access hard print anymore. The university just weren't set up for someone like me who was studying law and politics which is very heavily reading focused. I actually had to contact publishers myself to ask if there were electronic versions of the books I needed. It took time and for over a year I was definitely struggling to access the materials that I really needed. It really shouldn't be so hard in this day and age.
"Sighted people just don't know what barriers blind and partially sighted people face day to day. That's why it's so important to raise awareness and funds for Read for RNIB Day."
"Sighted people just don't know what barriers blind and partially sighted people face day to day. That's why it's so important to raise awareness and funds for Read for RNIB Day."
How you can help
Read for RNIB Day takes place on Friday 11 October and there's still time to get involved, visitwww.readforrnib.org.uk to find an event near you and lots of fun fundraising ideas.
Notes to editors
Photo caption: Andrea Begley with students of Joseph Clarke School
For further information, please contact Jessica Hall on 0207 391 2290 / 07873 868661jessica.hall@rnib.org.uk
For further information, please contact Jessica Hall on 0207 391 2290 / 07873 868661jessica.hall@rnib.org.uk
About RNIB
Everyday around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are almost 2 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
Everyday around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are almost 2 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
About Joseph Clark School
Joseph Clarke School and Service is situated in Waltham Forest and is a centre of excellence for visual impairment in the South East of England. We are a day maintained special school and service for pupils with visual impairment and additional or complex needs. We also offer a small number of places for pupils with communication difficulties, including autism, who are not visually impaired. We have places for 110 pupils. All students have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or are admitted on an assessment basis. We currently have pupils travelling in from 12 different London Boroughs, Essex and Herts. Our Educational Service works in Waltham Forest, Enfield, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. Staff support over 450 pupils with visual difficulties in a range of pre-school, school and FE placements.
Joseph Clarke School and Service is situated in Waltham Forest and is a centre of excellence for visual impairment in the South East of England. We are a day maintained special school and service for pupils with visual impairment and additional or complex needs. We also offer a small number of places for pupils with communication difficulties, including autism, who are not visually impaired. We have places for 110 pupils. All students have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or are admitted on an assessment basis. We currently have pupils travelling in from 12 different London Boroughs, Essex and Herts. Our Educational Service works in Waltham Forest, Enfield, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. Staff support over 450 pupils with visual difficulties in a range of pre-school, school and FE placements.
Contact: pressoffice@rnib.org.uk
Last updated: 9 October 2013
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the leading charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people with sight loss in UK. http://www.rnib.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
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