[NFBWATLK] Disney to produce activity books for the blind

[Becky Frankeberger]

Disney to Produce Activity Books for the Blind

JANUARY 22, 2019 8:25 AM

Soon children with visual impairments across North America will get to find
out what Mickey Mouse "looks like" thanks to the efforts of a Windsor
couple.

Rebecca and Emmanual Blaevoet run
Tactile Vision Graphics.
 The shop creates greeting cards, maps, coloring books and other
publications in braille for the blind and visually impaired.

About four years ago, they got the idea to approach the Disney Corporation
to produce a series of activity books for children featuring Disney
characters.
It took a year and half to put together and they just signed an agreement
the first week in January.

"We got in touch with the people at consumer products and interactive media
and they were on board," said Rebecca Blaevoet.

Emmanuel Blaevoet said, "They gave me access to their portal of tens of
thousands of designs. My jaw just dropped."

The couple is contracted to produce 15 different books over three years. 
The first ones are expected to be ready at the end of the month. The books
will feature the classic Disney characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse,
Donald Duck and Goofy. The rest will coincide with the release of new Disney
movies.
Children will find puzzles, pictures to colour and other interactive
materials that can be used in schools - or just for fun - in the books.

"Teachers can develop the activities around what's in the books, so they'll
have three or four different kinds of activities in the same book with a
Disney theme," said Rebecca.

The books are printed with a process that raises the pictures on the pages
so the children can feel the outlines.

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"The blind user will actually be able to see, for want of a better word,
what Mickey Mouse looks like," said Emmanuel.

The Blaevoets have the license to publish the materials for the entire North
American continent, which Rebecca estimates is a market of about
700,000 people
in Canada and ten times that in the U.S.

"So now it's just a question of getting it out to schools and libraries and
stores that sell blindness-related products and stores that sell
Disney-related products," said Rebecca, adding that they will also be
available online.

This is the first time in Disney's 90-year history to produce materials like
this for the blind and visually impaired, so these learning activity books
are going to be a really wonderful window into the world of Disney.