"Having access to all the information available is more important than ever before"

Posted: Tuesday 14 April 2020

The Macular Society has produced audio versions of the Prime Minister’s recent communications to households in the UK, so they are accessible to those living with visual impairments.

The Government has recently sent letters and information leaflets to 30 million households across all four UK nations updating them on the current pandemic.

However, it came to the Society’s attention that while there is the opportunity to request an accessible version of the letter, there is no accessible version of the leaflet available, leaving those living alone unable to read the information.

The Macular Society’s chief executive Cathy Yelf has recorded an audio version of both the leaflet and the letter to allow everyone the same access to the information.

She said: “This is an anxious time for everyone and having access to all the information available is more important than ever before. While it is possible to request an accessible version of the letter in your required format, we do not know how long this will take to process and in the meantime could leave a lot of vulnerable people feeling more isolated and anxious than is necessary."

Listen to the Society’s version of the letter here.

The full letter in English and a number other of languages