Bishopbriggs' Cue and Review revive local Talking Newspaper service for visually impaired

Cue and Review Service volunteer Ian McKenna reading from his Kirkintilloch home

A lack of volunteers because of the Covid pandemic has sadly forced the local talking newspaper association to close after serving people with impaired vision for the past 40 years.

But now, thanks to Cue and Review Recording Service, the 4,350 people living with sight loss in East Dunbartonshire will have access once again to articles from the Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs Herald.

Cue and Review, who operated pre-pandemic from Bishopbriggs Media Centre, and now from homes across the country, have articles available via the British Wireless for the Blind Fund.

Cue and Review Managing Editor Alastair C McPhee said: “This means people don’t need to listen to the entire paper but can choose to listen to individual articles in the same way that a sighted reader can pick and choose, while also not having to wait on a postal wallet dropping through their door.”

The service is also looking for local volunteers to help them by being audio ambassadors to share information, tell friends who may have sight loss or reading impairments and help people they know to set up their devices after visiting the Cue and Review website.

They are also looking for home-based readers who will receive online training in how to record and upload their audio to the servers, from the comfort of their homes at times that suit them.

Pre-covid, the Strathkelvin Talking Newspaper association was issuing almost 100 free recordings each week to visually impaired people in the area, along with recordings outwith the area to the many people who had moved home but still wished to hear the local news in the Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs Herald.

The Strathkelvin Talking Newspaper Association was the brainchild of Alice Mackenzie, the Librarian at the William Patrick Library and Andy Pattison the then editor of the Kirkintilloch Herald.

Further information on how you can get involved can be found at

www.cueandreview.com/be-a-volunteer

You can also telephone (weekdays) on 0141 772 3976.