Famous voices unite to bring Bedtime Stories to blind children

Jon Richardson, Ralf Little, Dr Hilary Jones and Mathew Baynton are just a few of in a growing list of celebrities who have recorded bedtime stories to highlight the need for more accessible audiobooks for blind and partially sighted children.

They’ve lent their voices to RSBC’s new campaign which aims to ensure that children with vision impairments don’t miss out on the magic of bedtime stories.

They’ve each generously give up their time to record themselves reading their favourite children’s stories and poems to support RSBC in tackling the chronic shortage of audiobooks for children with vision impairments. 

Research shows that bedtime stories play a crucial role in children’s development, improving language skills, strengthening emotional bonds, and helping them process their day. For children with vision impairments, audiobooks provide a vital alternative to print books. Yet they remain expensive to buy, and the selection of stories for children and young people is still very limited.

Through our Bedtime Donations campaign, we hope to bridge this gap. Our free app – available to download on the App Store and Google Play - allows parents to record themselves reading a children’s book from the app’s library at the same time as they read to their own child

With the help of AI technology, the recordings are transformed into high-quality audiobooks, creating a free and growing digital library for children who cannot rely on printed books. 

Jon Richardson, the stand-up comic and broadcaster, has chosen ‘The Tale of Jeremy Fisher’ by Beatrix Potter. Mathew Baynton, best known for Ghosts and Horrible Histories, brings Edward Lear’s ‘The Quangle Wangle’ to life. Dr Hilary has recorded three of his own humorous poems, and Ralf Little, star of Death in Paradise and The Royle Family, has recorded The Three Little Pigs.

Veteran actress Jan Francis, star of classic comedy show Just Good Friends, and a familiar voice to many children through her recordings of classic audiobooks including Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series, has recorded The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, also by Beatrix Potter. Sam Leith, literary editor of The Spectator and author of The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading, has taken on three of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, including How the Camel Got His Hump.

RSBC’s delighted that award-winning journalist and accessibility advocate Sassy Wyatt, who has recorded Goldilocks and the Three Bears, one of her own childhood favourites, has joined the campaign too.

Sassy lost her sight at 22 due to complications from arthritis that began in childhood. Now 34, she is a prominent campaigner for digital inclusion, and was named Accessible Travel Writer of the Year and Diversity Champion of the Year in 2024. 

Julie Davis, Chief Executive of RSBC, said: "Every child deserves to enjoy the magic of a bedtime story - but for blind and partially sighted children, the choice of accessible audiobooks is still far too limited, and they can also be expensive. The Bedtime Donations campaign is about changing that. By encouraging parents, volunteers, and well-known voices to share their bedtime stories, we’re building a library of free, accessible books that will help children feel included, inspired and connected to the magic of storytelling.”

Maya and Sharn Hughes are the faces of the RSBC Bedtime Donations campaign. Maya was diagnosed as blind at just nine weeks old. “It was crushing,” says her mum, Sharn. “I knew something wasn’t right, but the confirmation still hit me like a train.”

Six years on, Maya’s thriving - a vibrant, confident six-year-old who loves singing, dancing, swimming and trampolining. And she adores books.

Despite Maya’s progress, balancing work and bedtime can be a challenge. Sharn works late shifts twice a week, and by the time she gets home, Maya is already asleep. Her grandmother steps in to help, but reading a bedtime story isn’t always possible.

That’s why RSBC’s Bedtime Donations campaign resonates deeply with Sharn. 

“Bedtime stories are such an important part of our routine. Children with vision impairments really benefit from that structure and routine - it helps them wind down and feel safe. But when Maya’s tired after school, or I’m working late, audiobooks make all the difference.”

Maya’s currently learning braille, which can be mentally and physically demanding. “She’s often exhausted after school,” Sharn explains. “Audio stories give her that calm, comforting moment before bed - and I know she’s still getting to enjoy books, even when I can’t be there.”

Sharn says, “The Bedtime Donations app is such a simple, brilliant idea. To know that Maya can still hear my voice - even if I’m not home -makes a huge difference.”

 Download the app today, and find out more about this exciting project.