Tilly Guthrie
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tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Tilly Guthrie
@tillyguthrie.bsky.social
160 followers 250 following 13 posts
C19 tactile alphabet enthusiast, book/disability history, and otherwise doing folky things. PhD candidate in History
@sheffielduni and WRoCAH
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
fairbanc.bsky.social
One month left to apply to @emjlynajsh.bsky.social's and my conference on early modern practical texts, featuring keynotes by the brilliant @endeeekay.bsky.social and Laurence Publicover! #CFP

sites.google.com/sheffield.ac...
Sheffield Centre for Early Modern Studies - CFP: Reading the Practical in Early Modern Literature
CFP: Reading the Practical in Early Modern Literature
sites.google.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:59 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
I'll be helping out here - nice educational half term activity!
unishefplayer.bsky.social University of Sheffield Player @unishefplayer.bsky.social · Oct 14
Social science helps us understand how people live, think, and connect.

Join us for Understanding Society - a week of exhibitions, interactive activities, talks and workshops exploring everything from activism to creative storytelling.

Programme: player.sheffield.ac.uk/series/under...

@ukri.org
October 24, 2025 at 2:32 PM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Thanks Oli! Once again sneaking braille into everything I do… #Braille200 #DisHist
August 12, 2025 at 8:48 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
The organisers of the UKDHHH outdid themselves today - what a brilliant day of talks, and a masterclass in accessibility
ukdishisthub.bsky.social UK Disability History and Heritage Hub @ukdishisthub.bsky.social · Jun 25
We are rounding off our day with two sessions of 15-minute presentations! The first session has papers from @tillyguthrie.bsky.social and @isabellelawrence.bsky.social #DisHist
June 25, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
ukdishisthub.bsky.social
Join us on Wednesday for a day filled with #DisHist!
ukdishisthub.bsky.social UK Disability History and Heritage Hub @ukdishisthub.bsky.social · Jun 2
We are really pleased to announce that booking is now open for our 2025 Connecting + Sharing event! Join us and a host of exciting presenters on Zoom on the 25th June to hear about a variety of work in/about #DisHist!

To see the programme and book a spot: www.eventbrite.com/e/ukdhhh-202...
UKDHHH 2025 Connecting + Sharing Event
Join us at the UKDHHH Connecting + Sharing event to hear more about those working with, or interested in, disability histories.
www.eventbrite.com
June 23, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
blindnewworld.bsky.social
A #blind student and her professor at @harvard.edu created "Why #Braille Matters," a first-of-its-kind course to explore the history, theory and practice of tactile writing systems used by #VisuallyImpaired people. #BlindNewWorld

(Story via Harvard Gazette ⬇️)
New experiences at their fingertips — Harvard Gazette
Course on tactile reading shows students “Why Braille Matters.”
news.harvard.edu
April 23, 2025 at 1:25 PM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Great discussion this morning with the Disability Collections Forum on preserving embossed texts. A timely reminder of the importance of Braille heritage in the face of cuts to transcription (more on the campaign against it here: saveourbraille.wordpress.com) #DisHist #Braille200
The presentation at the Disability Collections Forum today was from Tilly… | Philip Milnes-Smith (archivist, educator, advocate)
The presentation at the Disability Collections Forum today was from Tilly Guthrie, a doctoral student at Sheffield who is looking at the British history of embossed scripts for blind readers and write...
www.linkedin.com
May 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
connorscottgardner.bsky.social
Over a thousand people have signed an open letter asking the RNIB to #SaveOurBraille! Please consider signing and sharing. We shouldn't even have to ask the UK's leading blindness charity to prioritise braille, but here we are.
connorscottgardner.bsky.social Connor Scott-Gardner @connorscottgardner.bsky.social · Apr 5
RNIB has scrapped its free personal braille transcription service, leaving blind people to cover the cost themselves. Large print is still free, this isn't equality! Sign the open letter urging RNIB to reverse this decision #DisabilityRights #Literacy https://saveourbraille.wordpress.com/
April 9, 2025 at 11:43 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
📣Call for participants: History UK is continuing its focus groups on disability and history in HE in April. Any students/staff with experience in teaching disability history OR studying history with a disability, come and talk to us! #DisabilityHistory #DisHist
www.history-uk.ac.uk/projects/his...
History UK Disability and History Project
The History UK Disability and History Project was launched in November 2023 in response to the History UK EDI report which identified disability as an important aspect of EDI work worthy of further…
www.history-uk.ac.uk
March 24, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
sensecharity.bsky.social
You can email your MP using our template to tell them how you feel about these changes here: action.sense.org.uk/page/167765/...
Stop disability benefit cuts
action.sense.org.uk
March 19, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
rnibcampaigns.bsky.social
We're a signatory to a letter to the Chancellor published today which urges her to think again about cuts to disability benefits.

Read the full letter here organised by our friends at Scope: rnib.in/cost-of-cuts 1/4
The cost of cuts to disability benefits: Our open letter to the Chancellor | Disability charity Scope UK
Right now, the government is considering changes to disability benefits. But for millions of disabled people, these benefits are a lifeline. They are the difference between surviving and being pushed ...
rnib.in
March 10, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
ukdishisthub.bsky.social
If you're new to the Hub, then you can find out more about us and sign up to our mailing lists on our website: #DisHist

ukdishisthub.mystrikingly.com
UK Disability History and Heritage Hub on Strikingly
ukdishisthub.mystrikingly.com
February 24, 2025 at 4:42 PM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
This Tuesday! I will be chatting to the one and only Dave Williams about tactile literacy over at the Braillists Foundation. Sounds like your perfect Tuesday evening? Me too. #Braille200

www.braillists.org/uncategorise...
History of Tactile Literacy: in conversation with Tilly Guthrie, Tuesday 18 February at 7:30 PM – The Braillists Foundation
www.braillists.org
February 15, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
rnibscotland.bsky.social
We had a lovely visit to the Mitchell Library today, as part of our Braille and Beyond tour to celebrate #Braille200!

We'd love to thank Glasgow Libraries for their support in organising the event!

For more information about the Braille and Beyond Tour, visit our website: bit.ly/3E7Ro7c
Dave from RNIB speaking at the podium in a panel room with an audience and a TV behind him, with the plaque displaying "Braille 200" in front of him. Matthew and Conor from RNIB having a wee chat at the event. Conor is wearing a pink "RNIB" branded t-shirt.
January 28, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
glasgowwestend.bsky.social
Mitchell Library in Glasgow will host a special event next week celebrating the importance of braille and tactile literacy.

@rnib.bsky.social @rnibscotland.bsky.social

#sightloss #glasgow #networking

👉 bit.ly/3CcGahl
Dave Williams, RNIB’s Inclusive Design Ambassador, wearing an RNIB T-shirt presenting at a podium with a laptop and a microphone in a classroom setting View of Mitchell Library in Glasgow, featuring its prominent green dome, captured from across the street with passing vehicles
January 25, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
rnibscotland.bsky.social
We're at the Mitchell Library on Tuesday to celebrate 200 years of braille!

The event has been organised in partnership with Glasgow Libraries and is open to all, and promises a day of engaging activities and informative talks!

More info can be found here: bit.ly/3E7Ro7c
View of Mitchell Library in Glasgow, featuring its prominent green dome, captured from across the street with passing vehicles.
January 23, 2025 at 9:07 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Next stop on the #Braille200 tour: the Mitchell Library. Glasgow pals, come and get your Braille fix with me on Tuesday next week! @rnib.bsky.social @rnibscotland.bsky.social
www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/brai...
Braille 200: Braille and Beyond — Glasgow Life
Find out how braille has evolved.
www.glasgowlife.org.uk
January 23, 2025 at 10:44 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
That moment when you find exactly what you were hoping for in the archive...
Here's a blog post I wrote on The Most Exciting letter in Liverpool Record Office (I'm not at all biased). Thanks to Cultures of Disability for hosting this. culturesofdisability.mmu.ac.uk/blind-writin... #DisabilityHistory
Blind Writing Before Braille - Cultures of Disability
Through the letters of Charles Cook, Tilly Guthrie explores what early forms of braille can tell us about the experience of blindness in the Victorian era.
culturesofdisability.mmu.ac.uk
January 10, 2025 at 12:35 PM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Happy #WorldBrailleDay one and all! Delighted to be celebrating at the Braillists conference in Worcester today, and hearing about #Braille200 on the radio as we drove down!
Table displaying heritage braille equipment, including a Hall Braille Writer, Stainsby, and various hand frames
January 4, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
sarahmatthews.bsky.social
So many interesting events on 4 Jan for #WorldBrailleDay The Braillists Foundation have added a few ♿️
➡️The Braille You Need, When You Need It: 7:30PM
➡️ Braille & Breakfast from Sight & Sound 9:30 AM
➡️ UKAAF event 1:00 PM
➡️ Braille Matters Extravaganza 6:00 PM GMT
https://www.braillists.org
The Braillists Foundation – Our Mission: More Braille!
www.braillists.org
December 31, 2023 at 12:13 PM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
rnib.bsky.social
🧵“Braille is knowledge, and knowledge is power” – Louis Braille

Ahead of #WorldBrailleDay, which marks the anniversary of Louis Braille’s birthday, here’s a snapshot of the pioneer behind the tactile code.
"Who is Louis Braille?" in text with a visual representation of the braille above, separated by a pink line. The text "Remember - braille is read by touch, this is just a visual representation" and the Braille 200 logo is in the corner, with a visual representation of braille, and RNIB and EBU logos.
January 3, 2025 at 11:04 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Alan's house is the actual real life Brailler Wonderland. Anyone looking for a mechanical apprenticeship would be lucky to work with him and carry on this (extremely!) important work. #Braille #WorldBrailleDay
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
‘We’d be stuck’: alarm as UK’s last braille typewriter repairer ponders retirement
Alan Thorpe is Britain’s last certified fixer of the Perkins, a machine vital for teaching blind children to read and write
www.theguardian.com
January 3, 2025 at 10:38 AM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
Never mind Christmas - it's almost World Braille Day!
Excited to be kicking off the new year with the Braillists Foundation down in Worcester #Braille200
www.braillists.org/uncategorise...
Join us in Worcester on World Braille Day 2025 – The Braillists Foundation
www.braillists.org
December 19, 2024 at 12:11 PM
tillyguthrie.bsky.social
I was lucky enough to be invited to the @rnib.bsky.social #Braille200 launch event at the @britishlibrary.bsky.social this week. Huge congratulations to Dave Williams and the team for putting together such a lovely event, and giving Braille the celebration it deserves.
Crowded room in the British Library Knowledge Centre. A row of tables along the left wall display braille Lego and historical braille artifices. People chat about the items in front of them. This was part of the drinks reception before a panel discussion. Panel of speakers sitting on a stage at the front of an auditorium. Speakers left to right are as follows: Dave Williams, Betsy Griffin, Jane Constance, Emma Tracey, Lord David Blunkett. Table display of artefacts from the RNIB archive, as part of the drinks reception. Items include a Hughes Typograph, manuscript books of minutes and the text of Progress magazine, an embossed book on Gall type, a Braille copy of the Daily Mail, and a selection is writing tools and games. These sit on a pink table cloth, with captions printed in the RNIB font.
November 28, 2024 at 10:43 AM
Reposted by Tilly Guthrie
emilyncock.bsky.social
This year's #UKDHM theme is Disability Livelihood and Employment & that includes... strikes! Here are workers at the Bristol Blind Asylum going on strike to demand a pay increase in 1912. Here, blind workers did jobs like weaving baskets and mats to sell. It ran from the late 18thC to the 1960s.
A newspaper clipping: Blind Men Strike. Minimum Wage of £1 A Week Demanded. About forty blind workers are on strike at Bristol Blind Asylum, the men asking for £1 a week and the women for 13s. The strikers declare that while the officials are well paid the blind workers, for whom the institution is maintained, are so badly remunerated that outworkers have often to obtain parish relief to eke out their miserable doles." A date is written at the top in smudged ink: 13/3/12.
November 19, 2024 at 6:52 PM