wfn.org | Anglican Church Hymnal in Braille published

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 2848 - IRELAND - 31 January 2002

Hymnal in Braille

[Church of Ireland Gazette] Last month, at HM Prison, Maghaberry, Ireland a
new Braille words edition of the new Church Hymnal was officially launched.

Over a year ago the Revd James Harron, chaplain at the prison, approached
the Braille Department about the possibility of having the Church Hymnal
produced in Braille. He was anxious to be able to accommodate a visually
impaired parishioner, Mrs Enid Maxwell, who sings in the church choir at
Aghalee where he is the rector. Shortly before this, Mrs Margaret Mann from
St Mark's Parish, Ballymacash, Lisburn, had written a letter to the Gazette
pointing out that one in sixty persons of the population of Northern Ireland
is either blind or partially-sighted, and that the production of a Braille
version of the Hymnal is a real necessity. Like Mrs Maxwell she too sings in
her parish choir and has to spend extra time and energy in getting hymns
transcribed into Braille so that she can participate fully in weekly
worship.

In response to the Revd James Harron's initial approach, the prison's
Braille Department very generously offered to make Braille versions of the
Church Hymnal available to any blind worshippers in the Church of Ireland.
The cleric informed Bishop Edward Darling, editor of the Church Hymnal, of
the offer coming from Maghaberry Prison and brought him to meet the staff of
the Braille Department and the particular prisoners who would be working on
the project.

Oxford University Press, the publishers of the Church Hymnal, were
subsequently most sympathetic and co-operative in providing a special
computer disk to assist in the conversion of the hymnal into Braille.

It is understood that all rectors are due to receive a communication
inviting them to place an order on behalf of any blind worshippers in their
parish. These would be supplied in strict rotation as orders are received.

Bishop Darling told the Gazette that he had been "greatly impressed" by the
willingness of the Governor and Braille Department of Maghaberry Prison to
take up the priest's request.

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