Put your brain to good use for NCBI’s National Table Quiz

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland’s (NCBI) National Table Quiz will provide Braille, audio and large print books for people who are blind or vision impaired. This is the only national quiz in the country. The quiz is now in its third year, with heats taking place throughout October and November, before the final at Dublin’s Mansion House in December hosted by quizmaster Sean O’ Fearghail, Ceann Comhairle. The winning team will walk away with the top prize of €3000.The NCBI National Table Quiz is sponsored by Fujitsu Ireland.

Quizmaster Sean O’ Fearghail, Ceann Comhairle said: “The importance of reading cannot be overstated. NCBI is actively lobbying for change so that more printed material is accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired. The NCBI National Table Quiz is an excellent opportunity to focus the mind on the issues that the blind community encounter in relation to reading.”

The national Braille, audio and large print library receive no statutory funding, so its production and distribution capacity are limited. There are 51,718 people who are blind or vision impaired in Ireland, but NCBI’s library is the only producer of unabridged audiobooks in the country. The library currently records 30 titles each year that would not otherwise be available in full to blind readers. This service is hugely important to people who are blind or vision impaired as 4% of what appears in print is not accessible to a person who is blind or vision impaired. Funds raised through the National Table Quiz will enable the charity to increase this capacity.

According to NCBI’s CEO Chris White: “Our aim in NCBI is to provide accessible literature to people who are blind or vision impaired. Public libraries currently have a limited selection of books in accessible formats so people with sight loss rely on one primary source of accessible reading material, which is NCBI’s library. Literacy is hugely important, with just 4% of printed material available in accessible formats, our library is vital.”

Speaking about the National Table quiz, CEO of Fujitsu Tony O’Malley said: “We are delighted to be supporting NCBI’s National table quiz as part of our relationship with the organisation. The quiz is a fun opportunity for people to help raise funds for a hugely important cause, and enable people with sight loss to realise their potential through practical measures such as accessible literature.”

For more details on NCBI’s National Table Quiz and to register a team visit www.ncbi.ie, follow NCBI on social media for updates or call into your local NCBI Charity Shop.