The Idea

A couple of years ago I received a letter from the National Library for the Blind.  It is second only to Congress in having the largest Braille Library in the world.  Without government funding this relatively small charity puts braille and large-print books into the hands of visually impaired adults and children.   Did you know that blind people have access to only 5% of available books - at least in England.

The letter said that the NLB was hoping to start a branch in London and would I, as a supporter come to a meeting.  I smiled at being called "a supporter" as I don't suppose my contributions ever topped $5.  At the time I wasn't doing human contact but I gave it some thought.  Reasoning that I should make the effort and that in any case I would be invisible in the crowd I decided to go.

Can you imagine how I felt when I arrived to find that the supporters numbered fourteen.  We sat around a table and introduced ourselves.  Every single one of them seemed to have something valuable to offer.  They were lawyers, auctioneers, television producers, busy people in their careers, active in their leisure pursuits, with toes dipped in several useful pools.  I was retired.  I couldn't think of a single talent or connection I could put to the use of this worthy cause.

They wanted ideas, fund-raising ideas.  Just short of panic I feebly said they could rope me in to whatever they decided to do and spent the rest of the time wishing myself safely elsewhere.   

About five minutes before the end of the meeting I had a light-bulb moment. What if we wrote to celebrities to ask what was the book which fired their imaginations in childhood and opened to them the wonderful world of reading.  They could sign said book and we could sell it and perhaps blind children could then discuss Harry Potter or some such with their sighted friends.

I did it. I wrote to whoever came across my horizon, actors, writers, sports people, business people, singers, politicians, royalty.  NLB were a little surprised that I had gone ahead and we were all surprised when the results began to roll in.  For weeks and months the post brought new excitements.  

"Hey!, guess who I heard from today"?  was my almost daily cry.

We decided that instead of books we would send book-plates for them to sign (less expensive) but some sent their own books anyway.  The letters were wonderful, containing as they did memories of childhood.  I got a three page letter from the Irish Taoiseach, Charlton Heston sent a copy of his autobiography, Janet Evanovich sent a book - the list goes on, altogether too many to mention.

I've come to the conclusion that stars have very deep in-trays.  The book-plates are still being returned.  A newspaper took up the story and gave it a spread with pictures of some of the participating stars.  Similarly a magazine did a feature thus giving publicity that in the ordinary course of events would have cost a staggerimg $190,000!

In a recent auction on Ebay, when we sold off just a few books we raised almost $2500 which is roughly what is needed to produce ONE braille book.  Next week will be "Right to Read Week" and we shall put up some more of the books for auction.

Last week it was Madonna and Sir Ian McKellen who drew the greatest attention, who knows who will be in the spotlight next.  Meanwhile I'm writing to thank the participants and I'm doing another project.  The money is important but the raising of awareness even more so.

I have never been to another meeting - too busy!