Articles For The Blind

Eligibility 

The scheme is eligible for anyone who is blind or partially sighted or have a standard close-up vision with spectacles of N12 or less as certified by an optician. The scheme is also eligible to be used by organisations shipping items for blind or partially sighted people specifically prepared for them. 

What can be sent? 

You can only send things through this scheme that have been made or adapted for blind and partially sighted people, for example: 

• Books, letters, paper, (in size 16pt or above)
• Computer disks and CDs (which have been prepared for blind or partially sighted people) 
• Relief maps 
• Spoken audio, video and media with audio description 
• Talking books 
• Equipment used to play or record audio such as for talking books 
• Electronic and optical magnifiers 
• Games
• Adapted mathematical equipment and measuring devices 
• Devices such as clocks and watches 
• Devices and stationary for producing tactile information 
• Mobility aids including guide dog equipment 

What cannot be sent? 

• Entertainment programmes which are available on radio recordings 
• Printed material in font smaller than 16pt (unless it is a faithful copy of information that is accompanying a transcribed version in another format such as braille, audio or large print)
• Flyers or documents used as advertising 
• Personal, sensitive or confidential correspondence (in any format)
• Music audio (more than two minutes of music or more than 10% of the total duration) 

Restrictions

The maximum weight limit of any package is 7kg. The size limits are: 

• Rectangular packages – the combined length, depth and width can be up to 900mm, and each single dimension can be up to 600mm
• Cylindrical packages – the length must not exceed 900mm and the length added to twice the diameter of the packet. It must not be more than 1040mm in total