At Ulverscroft, we have always believed that everyone deserves access to the joy of reading.

That belief is not just reflected in the books we publish. It is built into our business model.

As a trading company owned by the Ulverscroft Foundation, our commercial success helps support charitable projects that improve the lives of people with sight loss in the UK and around the world. The Foundation provides funding to organisations working across accessible reading, education, healthcare, research and community support for visually impaired people.

For National Non-Profit Day, we are highlighting one recent project that demonstrates the power of a values-driven business.

The Challenge

For children who are blind or visually impaired, access to books can be limited.

Many popular children's titles are not readily available in formats that can be experienced through touch, braille and audio. This can create barriers to shared reading, learning and social inclusion.

The charity Living Paintings works to change this by creating accessible audio-tactile books that allow blind and partially sighted children to enjoy stories alongside their sighted peers.

The Project

In 2025, the Ulverscroft Foundation awarded a grant to Living Paintings to adapt And Tango Makes Three, a children's book celebrating family, belonging and diversity. The funding enabled the creation of 35 accessible copies for the charity's free national postal library.

The adapted edition includes:
Braille text
Raised tactile illustrations
Detailed audio description
Accessible design tailored to blind and visually impaired readers

The result is a richer reading experience that allows children to explore the story through touch and sound, while gaining the same understanding and enjoyment as their sighted peers.

Bringing Stories to Life

The process behind each accessible book is carefully crafted.

Illustrations are transformed into tactile images through specialist carving and production techniques before being hand-painted and assembled by volunteers. Audio description adds further context, helping young readers build a fuller picture of the story world.

For And Tango Makes Three, actor Jack Holden recorded the audio description, helping bring the story and illustrations to life for children accessing the book through sound and touch.

The Impact

The feedback from readers and families demonstrates why accessible reading matters.

One young visually impaired reader described the excitement of experiencing the story's memorable moments, while parents praised the book's ability to spark conversations and create meaningful shared reading experiences.

More broadly, Living Paintings' annual research shows that its audio-tactile books have a significant impact on children and young people:
88% reported increased confidence
90% reported greater engagement with learning and schoolwork
82% reported increased interest and confidence in reading
87% reported more shared experiences with family, friends and peers

These outcomes go beyond books. They help build confidence, connection and independence.

Looking Ahead

National Non-Profit Day is an opportunity to recognise the organisations making a difference in their communities. It is also a reminder that businesses can play an important role in supporting that work.

At Ulverscroft, accessibility is more than a publishing principle, it is the reason we exist.