Marks & Spencer Creates First Christmas Magazine For Visually-Impaired Shoppers
By Alexa Heah, 31 Oct 2023
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), a leading sight loss charity in the UK, has teamed up with Marks & Spencer (M&S) to produce the retailer’s first-ever accessible Christmas Food magazine.
This collaboration comes on the heels of the organization’s successful work in creating the first accessible edition of British Vogue magazine.
To adapt its iconic Christmas Food magazine to be more inclusive for individuals with visual impairments, specialist production teams have come up with two variations of the read for those who struggle with sight.
Those who prefer tactile reading can opt for one of 200 copies of a braille version of the paperback, while others can choose to listen to the magazine’s content in audio form online.
To communicate each item in the most vivid way possible, every picture featured in the publication is accompanied by a description, allowing readers to engage with the content fully and have an experience equal to that of their sighted peers.
The M&S Christmas Food magazine is now accessible to a broader audience. Those interested in obtaining a hard copy of the braille version can request one by emailing [email protected].
Alternatively, audio versions of the magazine can be accessed here.
“It’s a huge step by M&S to have created its Christmas Food magazine in audio and braille formats,” said Rob Grant, commercial operations manager at RNIB.
“This will make a massive difference to shoppers who have sight loss, allowing them to have the same independence when Christmas shopping as their sighted friends and family.”
[via Optician Online and RNIB, images via RNIB]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.