Helping blind eyes turn the page

For more than twenty years, 88-year-old Len Webb has volunteered his artistic talents to help recreate children’s books for the blind and visually impaired.

Len is part of the team at Living Paintings, a 100% volunteer-run organization that reimagines classic children’s books with 3D-images. Their mission allows children who can’t see traditional illustrations to still have a chance to let their imaginations run wild.

Creating a Living Paintings book is quite the process. It begins with volunteers like Len, who sculpt and chisel clay designs that match the illustrations in whatever book they are working on. Once perfected, the tactile images are reproduced with a Thermopress machine that creates molds and presses the shapes into heated plastic. Each book gets around 35 copies made at a time.

After the molds are printed, the tiny sculptures are then sent on to be painted in bright and vibrant colors for the little readers. A majority of blind and visually impaired people can still see slight colors and shades, and Living Paintings hopes their painted molds help the young readers experience the story even more.

• After painting, the pieces are carefully secured to each book and registered as part of Living Painting's free library. 
• Audio guides are also recorded for each title so the reader can have a fully immersive and sensory experience.

The whole process of bringing a book to life, from gaining the publisher’s permission to ending up on the library shelves, takes around six months. All of the work put into each title allows blind and visually impaired kids to be, well, kids – enjoying lively illustrations and visuals rather than only hearing the words on the page.

📚 Check it out if you're across the pond: The company’s website serves as an online library, where parents or anyone in the UK seeking to experience the books can borrow them completely free of charge.