| Press release: Pete Osborne elected as new Chair of The Right To Read Alliance | | Print | |
| Monday, 10 January 2011 |
Press releasePete Osborne, currently the Head of International Development and Partnerships at RNIB has been elected as the New Chairman of the Right to Read AlliancePete is also Chair of UKAAF, the UK Association for Accessible Formats. He has campaigned tirelessly for access to information and has a long standing commitment to this issue. The Right to Read Alliance campaigns for people who have sight problems, dyslexia or other disabilities to be able to buy or borrow books which they can read at the same time as everyone else, without having to pay extra. Anna Tylor, the outgoing chair of the Right to Read Alliance, and the current chair of Dyslexia Action said: “I am delighted that Pete has been appointed as the new chair, am confident that he will now steer the Alliance, and the very valuable work it does, towards our ultimate ambition of the same book, at the same time, at the same price.” Pete Osborne said: “I am very proud to have been chosen as the new chair of the Alliance, it is a real privilege, Anna is a very hard act to follow and she, and her colleagues on the Alliance have achieved much over the past three years of her tenure. It has been a time of focused work with the publishing industry and the Alliance has achieved some big strides forward although we still have some way to go.” He went on to say: “Under five per cent of books published ever find their way into accessible formats, through either the voluntary or commercial sectors, severely limiting the choice and range of books available. The Alliance has 19 members who are all concerned with the production of material in alternative formats, either as producers or representing the interests of people who cannot read standard print books. My roles with both UKAAF, and with the Alliance, means that I can bring an overview and a true Alliance of like minded individuals and organisations together with a real opportunity to make a difference.” UKAAF’s aims and objectives are to aid publishers, Service providers, transcribers, educators and end users in setting a minimum standard for accessible formats, including braille, large print, audio, electronic media and other formats. The wider aim of the organisation is to enable Print disabled people to have an equal opportunity to access information in its many forms, and ensuring these are produced at a reasonable quality. The slogan of the organisation is “Because format quality matters” and that of The Right to Read Alliance is – the same book, at the same time, at the same price End
Editor Notes: Press Contacts UKAAF |