Our experience of reading is quite straightforward - we go into a
bookshop or library, buy or borrow a book, find a comfortable chair and immerse
ourselves in the world created by the words.
However, for many people, this experience is not
easy or straightforward. For people with profound and multiple
learning disabilities, the words read from a book alone mean little. For
some, even the pictures hold no interest. So, should we write off books as an
experience some of our fellows just can't have?
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| 'The Captain's Hat' |
I was made aware of a charity called Bag Books through
an appeal on radio 4 back in May. Bag Books have a team of people creating a
different kind of storybook for those who cannot enjoy a traditional book. The
books themselves are unbound large pieces of card, each page with a different
object that represents that part of the story. Specially trained
storytellers read each page, whilst involving each person individually with the
object. This can mean assisting someone to push a button, feel a texture or
produce a sound.
Through this wonderful charity, children and adults
with learning disabilities can experience the world of a story in a way that is
engaging, fun, and encourages personal development.
The other day, I was reading a story to a client.
The book had pictures, which she was quite interested in, though her eyesight
hindered her a little. So I encouraged her to feel the textures of the
pictures, used different tones to communicate the atmosphere of the story and
made some of the sounds in the story. She loved getting involved with the story
using her other senses. It's amazing how the way in which you present a story
can have such a profound effect on how it is received.
This experience made me realise just how
important people like Bag Books are. They provide awareness of the needs of those
with learning disabilities whilst also providing for them and bringing alive
the story telling world. Visit them at www.bagbooks.org and see for yourself the wonderful work they do.
Sounds fantastic Nari, I'll go look at the site. I also work in the field of Learning Disabilities. although my client group are mild to moderate. But I have experience with profound and multiple handicap and have seen the pleasure and comfort you can give by getting the service user to utilise alternative senses, like touch, taste and smell, to those with sensory impairment.
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