Reading the records, open to all
For past four Wednesdays, we have held a series of sessions for visually impaired and blind people, collectively titled 'Reading the Records'. Six sessions have been planned in total, focusing on different types of records. We've touched and talked our way through the 'treasures' of the Archives, Police records, tools of the trade - items used by archivists and conservators, listened to an array of sound recordings and handled a selection of media and associated machinery from the early 1900s, right up to the modern age. Our latest session will involve another partner service, the Gloucestershire Family History Society, who will be providing one to one assistance with online resources to research family histories. And, in our final session on 5th November, we will be reading from the school log books and hearing about the history of education in Gloucestershire. Get in touch with us via archives@gloucestershire.gov.uk if you would like to attend.
Feeling the button samples from the Erinoid collection Undertaking conservation repairs with Rachel
Holding the first County Council minute book Inspecting Raikes the rat and a nibbled register
People have queried our use of traditional flyers to advertise the 'Reading the Records' sessions as well as social media and word of mouth. It is worth noting that many people who are visually impaired can see to some degree and even if you are registered blind, there are all sorts of devices which can help you to navigate your surroundings.
Julie Stephens, a regular attendee who was born blind, gave us a short demonstration of the free and very clever app called ‘Be My Eyes’. You simply take a photograph of whatever you are trying to see and in a matter of seconds, an audio description will be sent to your phone. Whilst preparing for the 'Reading the Records' sessions, we’ve had to think outside the box. We've incorporated a touch and feel element using associated objects in each session and have selected particularly informative, amusing or sad pieces of text to read out. We initially thought that the traditional PowerPoint presentation wasn’t the best way to operate…or was it? This type of presentation might still be interesting for partially sighted people and/or carers with full sight. And by using the ‘Be My Eyes’ app, any images involved can be accurately described for everyone, meaning that the whole experience is inclusive.
Sound recordings. Heidi the guide dog was not impressed! Helen and Jemma accept the wand from Helen Wollington (Talking Newspapers)
We have also acquired a useful tool which I’m describing as a wand because it is quite magical! This small device can be pointed at text on a screen which can then be highlighted and enlarged, making it significantly easier for the audience to see. We are extremely grateful to Gloucester Talking Newspaper, who, represented by Helen Wollington, one of our regular volunteers, have purchased a wand for us to use, not just for Reading the Records presentations but for all our other learning and outreach activities too. We have also been supported by representatives of the Sight Loss Council as we've developed these sessions.
It has been a successful series and consequently, we plan to run it again in the New Year. We also have other ideas on how we can make our Service as accessible as possible. In September, thanks to funding from the Skilling Up the South West grant [more on this external award in our January 2026 newsletter], the Access and Engagement Team at Gloucestershire Archives visited Kresen Kernow, formerly known as Cornwall Record Office. We wanted to see what they had done with Heritage Lottery funding specifically aimed at making their service more accessible. We came back inspired. Consequently, in the New Year, we are planning to run a survey on how we can make the Heritage Hub more user friendly with a view to applying for funding ourselves in the near future. We want to ensure that our Service remains inclusive, interesting, relevant and appealing.