Geography You Can Touch and Hear: Where the First Venue for the 2026 Geographic Dictation Was Registered

First Venue for the 2026 Geographical Dictation: Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired has been registered as the first venue for the Geographical Dictation 2026. The library will host the event for the fourth time. Its staff described how they organise participation for people with visual impairments, why they take part in the campaign every year, and what other venues should consider if they wish to make the Dictation accessible to the widest possible audience.

The Organising Committee of the Geographical Dictation traditionally recognises venues registered under significant numbers. In 2026 the first such venue is the Novosibirsk Regional Special Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Taking part in the Geographical Dictation has become a tradition for the library. Its main audience consists of readers of different ages with visual impairments. Relatives, friends, library staff and other visitors join them to test their knowledge. Sometimes people who had not planned to take part become participants: they learn about the campaign while already at the library and decide to join in.

A distinctive feature of the venue is the individual support provided to blind and visually impaired participants. Volunteers help run the Dictation: they assist with filling in paper forms and deal with any organisational matters that arise. If necessary, the presenter re-reads the tasks aloud, and images are accompanied by professional audio description.

In 2026 the main version of the Geographical Dictation will also be prepared for participants who use Braille. The Novosibirsk library is already seeing interest in the new format.

“We already have participants who have expressed a wish to take the Dictation in this format,” the library said. After the event, staff will be ready to share their experience and feedback on how the format works in practice.

Accessibility for a large-scale educational campaign is not limited to adapted materials. The library considers professional audio description of visual tasks especially important. It allows a blind or visually impaired person to receive the necessary information about an image and to participate fully in the Dictation alongside everyone else.

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The library considers professional audio description of visual tasks especially important. Photo provided by the Krasnoyarsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society

Another direction the library proposes to develop is preparatory educational events. Their purpose is not to train participants for specific tasks, but to give people the chance to learn more about geography, discover little-known facts and arrive at the Dictation with a richer knowledge base. The library is ready to help organise such meetings.

Organisers who would like to welcome blind and visually impaired participants but do not yet have experience are advised by the Novosibirsk library, first of all, not to be afraid to start and to study the practice of colleagues.

“Don’t be afraid to work with this group of participants and learn from the experience of venues that already work with them,” the library staff say. They are ready to share their accumulated experience and offer other venues advisory and methodological support.

Registration of venues for the Geographical Dictation 2026 continues until 13 November. Schools, universities, libraries, museums, enterprises and other organisations in Russia and abroad can join the campaign.

The project is implemented with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund.