DOZENS of blind and vision-impaired subscribers to a talking newspaper from the Wellington area could face a reduced service if problems with the post are not resolved.

Taunton Deane Audio News, which includes items from the WWN and other local outlets, is recorded on a Friday with the USB sticks on which the news is recorded posted in the evening at the sorting office in Chip Lane, Taunton, for delivery the next day.

Subscribers return the USB sticks in a reusable plastic wallet via Royal Mail to the group’s recording studio at Somerset Sight in Staplegrove Road in Taunton in time for the next recording.

But problems with the post in the Wellington area have meant subscribers have not received their plastic wallet on Saturday – and sometimes not at all – even though the group uses the Articles for the Blind service, which provides free, first class post.

One friend of a subscriber said that if the USB stick did not arrive on Saturday, he could not contact TDAN until Monday, which meant that one would not be received until Wednesday. USB sticks are meant to be posted back by ‘Wednesday at the latest’. He said: “She did not receive her tape again on Saturday – she finds it very useful and it has made a lot of difference for her.”

TDAN committee chairman David Janes said: “Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem with mail from TA21 getting the seven miles to Wellington or, if it does, then not being delivered promptly. I was speaking to someone who lives on the Blackdown Hills and they had not had their envelope by yesterday (Monday) afternoon. The problem has got worse over the last couple of years – if they are not overcome, we shall be forced to reduce the frequency to every two weeks and lose the freshness of our recording.”

TDAN has been keeping blind and vision-impaired people informed about the local news for 34 years, first on cassette tape. Stories are cut out from local newspapers and distributed to three or four readers, who are recorded reading in sequence on a computer. Subscribers can listen to the one-hour USB stick on their own computer or on an Orb player loaned by TDAN.

Mr Janes said the group had 110 to 120 subscribers on its list and that 80 to 90 sticks were sent out every week, with about 40% from the Wellington, Milverton and Wiveliscombe area.

Everyone involved with TDAN is a volunteer and funding comes from legacies, donations and collections, which cover expenses such as purchasing newspapers and replacing equipment.