First braille election document launched by Edmonton candidate (From Enfield Independent)

First braille election document launched by Edmonton candidate

12:33pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009

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THE Edmonton Tory parliamentary candidate claims to have launched the first British electoral publication in Braille.

Andrew Charalambous has created the document in partnership with the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) to promote his commitment to "campaign themes of equality and accessibility for all".

It also marks the 200th anniversary of the invention of Braille by Louis Braille.

The process, costing several thousand pounds and involving specialist hi-tech embossing printers, aims to give more voters access to political information in the build-up to next year's election.

Mr Charalambous said: “I am thrilled to be able to lead this pioneering publication that will help us connect and communicate with even more of our residents.

"Our campaign already has one of the most extensive translation teams, but we are determined that no one will be left out of the loop or uninformed.

"This is a huge election and everybody deserves to know the facts.

"We believe it is essential candidates supply their information in a range of accessible formats to give voters a choice of how they wish to access their information."

National visual impairment charity Action for Blind People was enthusiastic about the translation.

A spokesman said: “We are delighted to see Andrew Charalambous taking accessibility seriously.

"Access to information is the key to participating in society, achieving in education and gaining employment.

"The importance of access to information is reflected in its recognition as a fundamental human right, backed by legislation.

"We work to support blind and partially sighted people, and we feel all publications and information should be made accessible to them through alternative formats such as Braille, audio and large print.“

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