Little Dandelion Press
In this blog post I will be referring to Little Dandelion Press’ Visual Access Toolkit which you can download for free if you sign up to their newsletter. I could not recommend this more highly and I suggest you read it for yourself.
Regular readers or anyone who knows me will know why I was drawn in by Little Dandelion Press. In fact, Instagram knew as it delivered LDP to me via the algorithm. It was founded by a mother who wanted to find books that her daughter with cortical visual impairment could access and process. We have a lot in common; from similar personal circumstances to the drive to change books to provide access to more children. To make books which match and adapt to their needs.
To quote part of the Visual Access Toolkit, which embodies everything I believe and am attempting, in my small way, to change about children’s picture books: “Start with access. Everything else follows.”
What is Little Dandelion Press?
It is an independent publishing house who produce books and materials designed for babies, toddlers and children who have Cortical Visual Impairments, those with low vision and other developmental differences. They create books, resources and learning materials for families, teachers, therapists and other professionals.
Here are the things I learned from LDP Visual Access Toolkit:
What was reassuring for me in reading this toolkit was how much of it I have written and adapted into my own Accessibility Style Guide. Sometimes when you exist in a bit of silo, you need moments to remind you that you’re on the right track. And it always gives me another opportunity to learn, adapt and grow my skills.
1) I have remembered the importance of using real recognisable images
Our own journey with my son led us towards a preference of high contrast vector images (‘Donut Squad’, ‘Bunny v Monkey’, ‘Cat Kid Comic Club’ are some of his current favourites), as this style helps him process things in the context of a busy comic book. But I have forgotten how long and how much work, effort and learning it took us to get to this place. I also think there is an element that he is unable to see much of the detail a photograph provides, so vector images are a personal preference for him.
At early stages of development, for babies and toddlers, in particularly those with developmental delays, being able to relate a photograph to an object in real life is a much easier and simpler way to process an object.
Especially putting those photographic images in context (if possible) and in some sense of real-life scale. The example used is an aeroplane: a child seeing one in real-life for the first time could be quite confused if they have only ever seen a toy aeroplane and hadn'‘t ever been taught the size and scale of an aeroplane.
Sense of scale and proportion can be incredibly tricky for those with visual impairment. A moment where I realised this with my son was recently in the passport control of Faro Airport. We go to Faro frequently as my parents live there, and the passport control area is an absolute nightmare. Huge queues. Jammed with people in endless snaking queues that lasts 1 and a half to 2 hours. When we went at the end of the summer, we got to passport control it was completely empty. A miracle, really. And Monty stood in the expanse of this huge, huge room and remarked how big the room was. Part of this response is because he is a 7 year old, so in a crowded room of people, his view is physically blocked by the taller adults squashed all around him. But also, the chaotic, busy nature of a crammed room of people moving erratically, noisily will reduce what workable vision he has. So he had no idea of the scale of the room, a room he has been in many times, for many hours.
2) Visual processing time
When you can visualise the world and everything instantly, it can be tricky to build in time as a parent for your child to visually process things; not just time to see what’s on the page, but necessary time for them to think and process it too. I have to consciously remember and count in my head sometimes; it doesn’t come naturally to me. It is so important though to allow the time. It reduces frustration, overstimulation and stress and helps them learn to do things in their own time.
3) Repetition
It’s an oft repeated addage to parents of toddlers, that reading the same book every day multiple times over a few weeks and months is a natural part of a child’s development.
For my son, he still repeat reads books. Often I think because he reads them so quickly he might have missed things, and he gains and adds to the gaps on a re-read. I do think though that re-reading acts as a comfort to him and helps him regulate too.
For children who are learning and processing for the first time, regardless of how they process, repetition helps to confirm a concept into memory. In particular with language and learning to read, repetition is a positive developmental sign.
For eyes that struggle to focus, need predictability of placing, that need time to process what they have seen, repetition helps them learn. So, do what I do: take a deep breath and read the book again!
